Cookaholics Bulletin Board

So should I do a straight batch of each or add a Tahition bean in my Madagascar batches?

I'd make extract from them individually, Madagascar in one bottle(s), Tahitian in another. You can always mix the extracts later if you want a bit of both. Don't forget to use them as beans too! As much as I like our extract, I like the beans better. I always go for the beans when I make ice cream or anything that vanilla beans will infuse into easily.

Oh yeah! I love Jeni's vanilla ice cream. It calls for a Ugandan bean, but I haven't found a good place to buy those. I love just squeezing the seeds out of the plumped pods. It is much easier than splitting/scraping.

Correction, mine is the Tahitian beans. I just went and looked at my email order from last year. It smell good and just like the extract I've been buying.

So what do you use Vanilla paste for? I have a small unopened bottle from Trader Joes, but I keep passing it up as I am not completely sure what to do with it.

Just use it like extract, measure for measure. I can get it more easily here than extract. I like it, it is very fresh and you get the little seeds. It also has no alcohol and I like that in things that are uncooked.

Mary