Vanilla essence is the best substitute for vanilla beans. In fact, it is a food flavoring that is not much inferior to natural flavoring in taste. A big plus and a clear advantage of the essence over other similar products is that very little of it is required for cooking, unlike vanilla powder or pods.
When preparing the essence, it is infused with alcohol and gives it some of its essential oils, a small amount of enzymes, resin and tannins, not to mention vitamins and useful minerals. The latter include sodium, calcium and iron; vanilla pods are not deprived of phosphorus, as well as potassium and zinc. Per 100 grams of essence there are 288 kcal.
Vanilla appeared in Europe in the 16th century. It was brought from America. Subsequently, this spice became widespread in cooking and perfumery.
How to do it at home?
It’s quite easy to make the essence at home by following the instructions, but it will take a lot of time to get ready. To prepare vanilla essence you will need the following ingredients:
- 1 vanilla pod;
- 100 grams of alcohol (at least 40%).
After cutting the pod lengthwise and then into several parts, place it in a dark glass container, fill it with alcohol and close tightly so that the alcohol does not evaporate. Leave the bottle of essence for 2-3 months, shaking occasionally. Remember, the longer it sits, the stronger and brighter the aroma will be. Vanilla essence should be stored in a dark, cool place.
After the essence is ready, you can strain it from the remaining vanilla pod through a coffee filter.
From the spent pods, after drying them first, you can later make vanilla sugar, aromatic bath salts, or use them in soap making.
If you don’t have the time or desire to wait for the essence to infuse at home, then you can simply buy it at the nearest supermarket or online store.
Use in cooking
Vanilla is used very widely in cooking. Many people love this spice for its subtle and sweet aroma. Vanilla essence is often used in:
- desserts;
- drinks;
- meat dishes.
Vanilla also goes very well with alcohol and some types of fish. In addition to carbohydrates, vanilla pods contain proteins and fats, which means they dissolve well in alcohol and give it a subtle exotic aroma. This led to the widespread use of vanilla in the creation of alcohol and alcoholic cocktails.
If you have vanilla essence in your kitchen, a couple of drops will be enough to replace a bag of vanilla sugar or powder. How much vanilla to add to a dish depends on the recipe or your taste preferences. But the essence is used a little differently than the extract. Due to the alcohol base, the essence evaporates during heat treatment. Therefore, it is correct to add it at the very end of the cooking process.
Nowadays, natural vanilla is not so often used on an industrial scale, in particular due to its cost and difficulties in preparing for use. Vanilla is replaced with synthetic vanillin, which is cheaper and more convenient to produce.
What can you substitute for vanilla essence?
You can replace vanilla essence with vanilla powder (vanillin) or vanilla sugar. Vanilla powder has a stronger flavor than sugar, so you'll need much less of it.. Thus, observing all proportions, you can replace 25 grams of vanilla essence with the products indicated in the table.
For a person who loves vanilla, vanilla essence will be a real find!
Sometimes you read a recipe and give up... Fennel, capers, anchovies, mascarpone, coconut milk, mirin - what is it and where can I get it all?
And we often put off the desired recipe with a sigh of disappointment: either we need to go to a distant supermarket for the ingredient, or the price for it is in the clouds. However, nothing in the world is irreplaceable! Let's try to cheat a little.
Anchovies
The funny thing is that many people still confuse them with gherkins or pickles - small, young cucumbers. In fact, anchovies (lat. Engraulidae) are a family of fish of the herring order.
The notorious anchovy is often an eyesore for housewives in meat and chicken pates and various salads. In meat dishes, anchovy provides a slightly noticeable hint of flavor. You can replace it with spicy salted sprat, and if you need a light tone, then even ordinary, worker-peasant sprat. You can also replace the anchovy with Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce. It is possible, however, that there will be no problems with the latter. But it's definitely cheaper.
Mascarpone cheese
In fact, mascarpone is not cheese at all, but rather creamy yogurt. It is prepared from fresh high-fat cream: lemon juice or white wine vinegar is added to the heavy cream and heated slowly.
Mascarpone cream is made from the milk of cows that have been fed only fresh flowers and grass. Mascarpone is very high in calories - 450 kcal per 100 g. Traditionally, this delicate creamy cheese is perceived as a dessert. The most popular dish with mascarpone is the Tiramisu dessert.
You can buy mascarpone in supermarkets or specialized Italian grocery stores. True, it is not cheap. You can replace it with either full-fat pureed cottage cheese or a mixture of heavy cream and cottage cheese.
Cook's rice wine, mirin
Cook's rice wine is a type of sake, the only difference is that in cooking a dry wine with a low alcohol content is used, which is not usually classified as an alcoholic beverage. Adding rice wine is a common technique in Japanese and Chinese cuisines.
In Japanese cuisine, sake is used not for the alcohol it contains, but to remove the odor from fish dishes. For this reason, sake is sometimes boiled to evaporate its alcohol content before being added to other foods. In addition, sake can significantly improve the taste of many foods; rice wine is used as a marinade. When preparing Japanese and Chinese dishes, dry white grape wine can be used instead of sake.
Sweet cooking rice wine, or mirin, is also used almost universally in Japanese cooking. It is a thick, sweetish, yellow liquid with a low alcohol content. Mirin is obtained from appropriate varieties of rice, rice malt and sweet potatoes. Like sake, mirin is also used to give dishes a specific aroma and a delicate sweetish taste. There are two varieties of this product: hon mirin and sin mirin, which differ slightly in taste, but are equally used in making sushi rice. Mirin can be replaced with light dry sherry, but in smaller quantities.
Balsamic vinegar
In Italian cuisine, balsamic vinegar is used in sauces for vegetables, meat, and fish. The preparation of vinegar begins by squeezing the juice from Trebiano grapes from the provinces of Modena or Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region. The grape juice is heated until it turns into a thick, dark syrup. The syrup is then mixed with wine vinegar and kept in wooden barrels. Each manufacturer uses its own spices. The ripening period for vinegar is at least 3 years, and the best varieties last up to 50 years.
Instead of expensive traditional balsamic vinegar, you can buy an affordable one, which is produced industrially in Modena. Balsamic vinegar can also be replaced with wine vinegar. And if you want to get a little closer to the original taste of balsamic vinegar, try infusing wine vinegar with herbs and spices. This will give it a more refined taste and aroma.
You can do it like this. Proportions – 1 cup of herbs to 2 cups of vinegar. For example, apple. Wormwood and tarragon are delicious to use in making vinegar. To begin, leave the herbs in a dark, warm place overnight to dry. Pour the vinegar over the herbs until the vinegar covers them completely. Leave to brew for 6 weeks in the dark. The tincture should also be stored in the dark, remembering to shake it from time to time.
Vanilla extract, vanilla essence
Vanilla extract is an alcoholic tincture of vanilla pods with an alcohol content of 35%, which is usually used to add to creams, puddings, desserts, and does not tolerate heat treatment. Therefore, it is better not to use it for baking. You can make your own vanilla extract. To do this, pour 100 g of vodka into 4 vanilla pods cut lengthwise into 2 parts, seal the container and leave in a cool place for at least 2-3 weeks. It can be stored for 4–5 years.
But when there is no extract, sugar will do - instead of 1 tsp. liquid, take 10–15 g of vanilla sugar. Just keep in mind that vanilla sugar can be based on either natural vanilla or synthetic vanillin. Of course, the first option is preferable.
Vanilla essence is a food flavor identical to natural, which includes natural and non-natural components, so it is much cheaper than extract. 12.5 g of vanilla essence can be replaced with 1 g of vanilla powder or 20 g of vanilla sugar.
Fennel
Fennel is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Apiaceae family. It has a tall (up to 2 m) branched stem, which, like the leaves, has a bluish color. It looks like dill in appearance, and tastes and smells like anise. Often found in fish and vegetable dishes, salads, and teas. In hot dishes, fennel is often combined with capers. Both stems and heads of fennel are used in cooking. The latter are stewed and fried.
Fennel root can be replaced with stalked celery. If a recipe calls for fennel for taste, then its fresh herbs can be replaced with seeds. The latter are sold in seasonings that taste similar to cumin.
Capers
Until now, in Russia people are wary of pickled green balls in jars - it is not clear what kind of fruit they are and what they eat them with. In fact, capers are not fruits at all, but the unopened buds of the thorny caper bush (Capparis spinosa). By the way, they are an important ingredient in the original Olivier salad. From which you have already guessed what you can replace capers with.
Capers add piquancy and sourness to the dish. And you can replace them with olives, black olives or gherkins.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is a creamy liquid obtained by special processing of coconut pulp (not to be confused with coconut juice, which is formed inside the fruit) and is often used in Indian, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Caribbean cuisines. It is an ideal base for oriental cream soups, an ingredient in sauces for meat, fish and seafood, curries, and is used in desserts and cocktails.
Coconut milk is sold in stores canned in cans, but you can’t buy it everywhere and not always, and some people don’t like the smell and taste of coconut. Therefore, in sauces, coconut milk can be replaced with low-fat (10-15%) cream, and in desserts - with regular milk. If you want to add a coconut flavor to your baked goods, shredded coconut will also work. But it’s probably not worth replacing coconut milk, for example, in national Thai soups.
Tomato passata
The universal Italian passata sauce has a thick consistency, is made from pureed tomatoes without skin and seeds and is used to prepare tomato puree soup, meat and various sauces. You can buy it ready-made, but it’s easy to prepare it yourself.
To prepare the sauce you will need 1 kg of tomatoes, 1 medium-sized onion, 1-2 tsp. salt, 1 bunch of basil. Scald the tomatoes, remove the skin and finely chop. Also finely chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. When the onion is browned, add the tomatoes to it. Simmer the resulting mixture for 25 minutes, during which time excess moisture should evaporate. 10 minutes before cooking, add salt and chopped basil.
What else can be replaced without losing taste?
- Baking powder (baking powder) – for 20 g you need to mix 5 g of baking soda, 3 g of citric acid and 12 g of flour. This amount of powder is calculated for 500 g of flour.
- Unrefined sugar is replaced with regular sugar.
- The fondant is replaced with icing or melted chocolate.
- Corn starch can be replaced with any other starch.
- Crème fraîche is replaced with thick, non-acidic sour cream.
- Fromage frais – with thick yoghurt or sour cream.
- Garam masala (spicy mixture) – 1 tsp each. turmeric, coriander and cumin.
- Light molasses is replaced simply with sugar syrup or honey.
- Maple syrup can be replaced with honey.
- Pancake flour - regular flour and baking powder.
- Artichoke: Canned artichokes can be substituted for fresh artichokes. And canned artichokes, in turn, are replaced with canned sweet peppers.
- Polenta (corn porridge made from wholemeal flour) is corn grits. By grinding it in a coffee grinder, you will get real flour for making polenta!
- Feta cheese is replaced with feta cheese and vice versa.
- Mozzarella cheese is replaced with suluguni.
- Shallots - ordinary small onions.
- Leeks can also be replaced with onions, and vice versa, for a milder taste you can replace onions with leeks.
There is no more delicious scent in the world than vanilla. It's rich, full-bodied and warm. After saffron, vanilla is the most expensive spice and the most labor-intensive of all agricultural products.
- aphrodisiac. It also has sedative properties (as an aromatic spice, vanilla is beneficial for the nervous system and has been shown to help reduce symptoms of claustrophobia). Vanilla is rich in antioxidants. This helps reduce the amount of free radicals in the body that can cause cancer.
What can you make from vanilla beans? Most often these are: vanilla extract, vanilla essence, vanilla powder and vanilla sugar.
Do you want to know how to make vanilla extract? Homemade vanilla extract is prized for its rich, complex flavor and incredibly smooth aroma. There is simply no replacement here. Take your baking to a whole new level with this easy vanilla extract recipe.
Many of us are familiar with clear synthetic vanilla extract. The difference between natural and artificial extracts is simple: real vanilla extract is made from vanilla beans extracted using 35% alcohol - that's all! Clear synthetic ones use artificial flavors and harmful chemicals. Natural vanilla extract should be dark brown, the color of vanilla beans.
Using only two ingredients - vanilla beans and alcohol, you can create as you please. This requires a little patience as it takes time for the alcohol to extract the flavor from the pods, but the excellent results are worth it.
Which vanilla beans are best to use?
You can use any vanilla bean, keeping in mind that different varieties and classes have their own unique properties.
It has a classic, strong taste, sweet and delicate aroma that is usually associated with vanilla. T Ahitian vanilla- subtly fruity and floral, while mexican vanilla tends to be mild and spicy, with hints of pink pepper blossoms, and a faint tobacco aroma. You can mix different varieties together! The floral, fruity, cherry notes of the Tahitian variety combine perfectly with the aristocratic aroma of the Bourbon variety. Create a simple vanilla extract or come up with your own blend - it depends on your taste!
(they are also called gourmet or prima) are considered high quality, they are excellent for preparing any dish (very moist, soft, plump, have a shiny appearance), but for making vanilla extract and vanilla sugar Class B pods are also ideal because they have a lower moisture content. They may appear hard, cracked and dry in appearance. Although their appearance is not as desirable as Grade A pods, they still contain a lot of vanilla flavor. Feel free to use whatever you have.
What alcohol should I use?
Vodka is colorless and tasteless - it is the most neutral alcohol for obtaining a pure vanilla taste. You can also use bourbon, brandy or rum to create unique extracts, the flavor will be complex, so first of all you need to understand how you will use the extract and start with a small portion.
When making vanilla extract, there is no need to use high-proof alcohol. 40% alcohol will work fine (commercial vanilla extracts usually contain 35%).
How long to insist?
Let the pods steep for at least one month, preferably a couple of months, to extract stronger flavors and aroma (plenty of time to research a bunch of delicious baking recipes). When the extract is ready to use, the vanilla beans can be removed. If the vanilla beans are left in the bottle, the aroma will develop further, like a fine wine (just make sure the beans are always submerged in liquid). The resulting luxurious coffee color is unparalleled and cannot be compared to what you can buy in the store. It's worth the wait. You can also use more ingredients to speed up the process. If you want to give the extract as a gift before the infusion is complete, tell the recipient how many weeks it has been ripening for.
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Ingredients: 3 to 5 vanilla beans, 250 ml alcohol such as vodka, bourbon, brandy or rum.
Equipment: Cutting board and knife; clean jar or bottle; vials, bottles for packaging and storage (optional); small funnel (optional); coffee filter (optional).
Preparation:
Split each vanilla bean in half lengthwise. If you want, you can leave a couple of centimeters uncut for a more beautiful design. If your jar or bottle is small, you can cut the pods into small pieces. Place the vanilla beans in a jar or bottle and fill with alcohol, making sure they are completely submerged. Close the container tightly and shake well. Let sit in a cool, dark place for at least one month, shaking occasionally. Taste the extract and steep it longer if you want a stronger flavor. If you want, you can remove the vanilla beans and pour the extract into pretty bottles. The little flecks of seeds can be a nice touch, but if you want a pure extract, you can strain it using a coffee filter. You can also leave the pods in the extract while you use it. Eventually all the flavor will be extracted, so you can periodically add fresh pods, as well as pods that you have de-seeded for use in other dishes.
How much extract should I put in my baked goods? For example, to bake 12 muffins or a cupcake for 5-6 servings, it is recommended to use 1 teaspoon of extract.
The question may arise: what is the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essence? Historically, the term "essence" refers to a highly concentrated form of a pure extract. So, using 2-3 times more vanilla pods per 1 liter of 35% alcohol, you will get essence.
Used as a flavored sweetener for dough, it makes a wonderful flavoring for tea and can also be used as a finishing touch to make the top layer of cakes, pies and of course cookies look fabulous. Vanilla sugar is also a great addition to homemade ice cream, jam and whipped cream. Many people use it to sprinkle on fresh fruit or add to coffee.
To make gifts, pour sugar into small snap-on jars or airtight bags. Cut the seeded pods into thirds and add as many as you like to each gift. Attach a nice tag with the date.
There are several ways to make vanilla sugar.
1. You can dry the used vanilla beans and then use them to make lightly flavored vanilla sugar or flavored salt. By simply putting the dried pods in a nice cute jar with sugar, the hostess will get a great help in flavoring her tea or coffee when unexpected guests arrive.
2. Vanilla sugar will keep indefinitely if prepared in an airtight container or jar. You will need: 1 fresh vanilla bean, cut lengthwise, 1 kilogram of white sugar, container with lid. Pour the sugar into a container and push the vanilla into the sugar for maximum flavor distribution. Close the lid tightly and leave the jar in a cool, dark place for several weeks. Shake the jar every few days to evenly distribute the natural flavors. Once the sugar is ready to use, continue to store the vanilla in it.
3. If you don’t have naturally dried vanilla pods, vanilla sugar can be made quickly and inexpensively in another way. Bake used pods along with fresh ones at 150 degrees for 20 minutes until dry and brittle. Let them cool and then grind them well in a coffee grinder. Pass the scraps through a sieve to remove any large pieces and mix the powder in a bowl with the white sugar. Try mixing one tablespoon of vanilla powder per 500 grams of white sugar - this is a good proportion to start with, but it can vary greatly according to your preferences and intentions.
Feel free to experiment with different types of sugar. Brown sugar, muscovado or turbinado would be good.
Vanilla powder.
For those who cannot consume sugar, we offer three ways to make vanilla powder. If you have several naturally dried vanilla beans, take scissors, cut each bean into three or four pieces, place them in a coffee grinder, food processor, blender and grind until you are happy with the appearance and texture.
Second way good if you don't have the time or patience to dry the pods in the open air: preheat the oven to 140 ° C, bake 3-4 vanilla pods on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until completely dry. Cool. Then use your kitchen utensils to turn all the dried pods into a fine powder.
Third way: toasting. You're probably familiar with the idea of toasting certain foods such as nuts, coconuts, oats, flour, etc... This is done to enhance the flavor because when you toast something for a short period of time at a high temperature, the oils inside the ingredient are heated and released. Fat, as a flavor enhancer and carrier of aroma, makes foods taste damn good... you probably know that. This cooking method literally takes 5 minutes from start to finish. To obtain a finely structured powder, even a fancy crusher is not necessary; a pestle and mortar work wonders!
So, make a cut along the length of the pod, then cut it into very small pieces. Place everything in a small skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until fragrant (this will only take a minute or two). Immediately transfer the toasted, crushed vanilla into a mortar (spice grinder, coffee grinder). Grind to a crumbly powder. Use immediately, or store in an airtight bag or jar. This toasted vanilla powder will add great flavor to your baked goods!
And more about vanilla powder: Vanilla powder is delicious as a topping on many foods such as porridge, custard, ice cream, cakes, etc. Vanilla powder retains its flavor better than liquid extract and does not require alcohol, which evaporates and reduces the flavor. It works well in recipes that won't get excess liquid. Vanilla powder dissolves easily in baked goods and liquids. This is a great way to use up dried vanilla beans that have had the seeds removed for other recipes. If using vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract, you will need to recalculate the amount called for in the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, use a quarter teaspoon of vanilla powder.
Based on our simple recipes, in the future you can prepare excellent puddings, soufflés, compotes, jam, biscuits and cakes. Vanilla is used in baked goods, drinks, custards and even some savory foods such as sauces or vanilla scrambled eggs. Good vanilla in fresh strawberries with whipped cream. Vanilla is not only great in desserts, but is also used in some hot drinks, such as tea, coffee or even milk.
Vanilla is introduced into the dough immediately before heat treatment; in puddings, souffles, compotes, jam - immediately after their preparation, as well as in cold dishes. Biscuits and cakes are soaked in vanilla syrup after cooking.
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