Uses for vanilla beans?

[Spice West]

I have just recieved my latest shipment of vanilla beans/ pods. I was
trying to think of new things to do with a bean and headed for google.
Some of the ideas I came across included..

White sauce with Vanilla for fish.
Poaching fish in vanilla water (A bean in the water). I guess this
would depend on the fish being used. I had some silvertail cobbler
last week that this would have worked well with (I think)

A bean in the milk when poaching smoked cod (That yellow stuff from
Coles/ Woolies that makes a great sandwich)

Scrapping out the seeds , mixing with butter or oil and rubbing under
the skin of a chicken before roasting.

There were more. Got me thinking about other uses in cooking for the
good ol' Vanilla pod.

Anyone else have a ' different ' use for vanilla pods/beans ????




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[PeterLucas]

Post by Spice West
Anyone else have a ' different ' use for vanilla pods/beans ????

I recently purchased 250g of Madagascan pods,

http://tinyurl.com/5n7cmb

Loading Image...

I'm making my own vanilla essence.

One 40oz bottle of homemade 50% vodka, and 8 beans chopped up.
--
Peter Lucas
Brisbane
Australia


"Thirty seven years ago, a Quarter Master, nearly knocked me over as he
thrust an L1A1 SLR into my hands and bellowed, "Keep that Rifle in Tip Top
Order so you can Kill your Countries Enemies with it before they Kill You.
These days, I do not have to visit exotic overseas countries as my
Countries Enemies are seen wallowing around our seats of government, they
guzzle and cavort at the Public trough so deeply they make Caligula and
Nero look like Church choir boys."


Mr Ron Owen, 2000, in a letter to then Premier Olsen.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

Post by PeterLucas
I recently purchased 250g of Madagascan pods,
http://tinyurl.com/5n7cmb
http://i27.tinypic.com/73hxu0.jpg
I'm making my own vanilla essence.
One 40oz bottle of homemade 50% vodka, and 8 beans chopped up.

That'd be extract. Essence is the fake chemical stuff.

[FarmI]

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by PeterLucas
I'm making my own vanilla essence.

That'd be extract. Essence is the fake chemical stuff.

?????? Are you sure you've got the right term?

I'm an old fart and have always bought Vanilla Essence not the stuff that is
labelled something else. There are only two types of Vanilla flavouring in
the local supermarkets and I know that there is Vanilla Essence, and then
the other muck.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

Post by FarmI

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by PeterLucas
I'm making my own vanilla essence.

That'd be extract. Essence is the fake chemical stuff.

?????? Are you sure you've got the right term?

Yup, one is a plant extract, literally...thus vanilla extract. The other is
just a synthetic essence.

Post by FarmI
I'm an old fart and have always bought Vanilla Essence not the stuff that
is labelled something else. There are only two types of Vanilla
flavouring in the local supermarkets and I know that there is Vanilla
Essence, and then the other muck.

Try the pure vanilla extract next time. I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised if you've been buying vanilla essence.

[Tricia]

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by FarmI

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by PeterLucas
I'm making my own vanilla essence.

That'd be extract. Essence is the fake chemical stuff.

?????? Are you sure you've got the right term?

Yup, one is a plant extract, literally...thus vanilla extract. The
other is just a synthetic essence.

Post by FarmI
I'm an old fart and have always bought Vanilla Essence not the stuff
that is labelled something else. There are only two types of Vanilla
flavouring in the local supermarkets and I know that there is Vanilla
Essence, and then the other muck.

Try the pure vanilla extract next time. I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised if you've been buying vanilla essence.

I agree, it is a nice rich taste, far superior imho

[FarmI]

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by FarmI

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>

Post by PeterLucas
I'm making my own vanilla essence.

That'd be extract. Essence is the fake chemical stuff.

?????? Are you sure you've got the right term?

Yup, one is a plant extract, literally...thus vanilla extract. The other
is just a synthetic essence.

Post by FarmI
I'm an old fart and have always bought Vanilla Essence not the stuff that
is labelled something else. There are only two types of Vanilla
flavouring in the local supermarkets and I know that there is Vanilla
Essence, and then the other muck.

Try the pure vanilla extract next time. I think you'll be pleasantly
surprised if you've been buying vanilla essence.

Well, ya learn something every day. Seems Peter and I have both been making
Vanilla Extract. The recipe book that I got the technique from called it
Vanilla Essence.

[FarmI]

Post by PeterLucas

Post by Spice West
Anyone else have a ' different ' use for vanilla pods/beans ????

I recently purchased 250g of Madagascan pods,
I'm making my own vanilla essence.
One 40oz bottle of homemade 50% vodka, and 8 beans chopped up.

Have you tried using Rum Peter? It gives a superb flavour especially for
custard based desserts.

["Michael" @hotmail.com>]

Lobster or any crustacean with a creamy vanilla sauce is pretty classic, but
still fairly avant-garde for the average home cook.

Hard to beat creme brulee as the best use of vanilla beans though, even if
it isn't 'different'.

Post by Spice West
A bean in the milk when poaching smoked cod (That yellow stuff from
Coles/ Woolies that makes a great sandwich)

That florescent yellow stuff, which is obviously dyed, isn't a patch on
something like a whole smoked rainbow trout. It might sound fancy but my
local deli sells the latter quite cheaply, (as you have to take out the
bones yourself, which is easy, and if you miss some, they're soft enough to
eat), in the fridge section all cryovaced up, ready to use. Lovely with a
simple tomato sauce and pasta. Because the smoking process preserves the
fish, it lasts for weeks in the fridge too. But anyway, back to vanilla...

[FarmI]

Post by Spice West
Anyone else have a ' different ' use for vanilla pods/beans ????

I make my own Vanilla Essence - much nicer than the bought stuff and I've
given it in gift baskets to people and been asked for more. I use tiny
bottles that I buy an Italian drink in (Sanbitter). I cut the bean in half
and put it in the bottle and add Rum and put on a Crown Seal. Leave for 6
months to a year.