Is vanilla extract the same as imitation vanilla?!
Answers:
They're basically substitutes. Vanilla extract is just fancier.
Pure vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in an alcohol and water solution. Thereby the vanilla taste is extracting into the liquid. The process takes months to complete.
Imitation vanilla is not made from vanilla beans. Imitation vanilla is made from artificial flavorings, most of which come from wood byproducts and often contain chemicals.
Discerning palates find the imitation vanilla products to have a harsh quality with a bitter aftertaste. Twice as much imitation vanilla flavoring is required to match the strength of pure vanilla extract.
For cold confections such as whipped cream, pastry fillings, and frostings, there is no doubt that pure vanilla extract is the best. It provides a sweeter and more intense flavoring, whereas imitation vanilla can prove bitter and bland.
For general baking, such as a batch of cookies, it doesn’t matter as much which vanilla flavoring is used. Surprisingly, in many taste tests of baked goods the imitation vanilla has found favor among the testers and proved to be the preferred ingredient
http://homecooking.about.com/od/specific…
http://shereality.com/pure-vanilla-extra…
I am going to have to agree with Brit, Samuel Ng, and postres2--the real vanilla IS better than the imitation in flavor and you do not have to use much of it. If your money is tight, you can use the fake stuff, but don't use too much of it.. Ng is right--the fake stuff is made from artificial crap.
It's ok but it might not taste as good. Imitation vanilla is the same on a molecular level, but the extract might contain extra little things in it that set it apart. You can taste the difference and the extract tastes better.
Yes you can use imitation vanilla for the ice cream,, BUT vanilla extract is so much better and taste much better as it is REAL vanilla.
pro chef
They are not the same product, but you can use the imitation vanilla
no vanilla extract is from the pure bean and imitation is man made with chemicals
