Updated on February 12, 2023
Two of the most popular vanilla goods on the market are vanilla syrup and vanilla extract. Both of them have particular advantages and uses, but which is better? In order to help you choose which one is best for you, we will compare vanilla syrup with vanilla extract in this blog post.
One of the most adaptable ingredients in the world, vanilla adds flavor and taste to a variety of foods and beverages. It is necessary to be aware of the differences between vanilla syrup and vanilla extract in order to know when and how to utilize each one. What distinguishes vanilla extract from vanilla syrup, then?
Granulated sugar, water, and vanilla essence are combined to make vanilla syrup, which is sweet. This technique only only a few hours. Vanilla extract is made by steeping curing vanilla pods in a combination of alcohol and water that has a slight bitterness to it. It takes months to complete this process.
The process of creating vanilla syrup and extract is only the beginning. You need to look more closely at each type of vanilla in order to properly understand how they differ from one another in terms of consistency, flavor, and ideal methods for consumption.
Vanilla Syrup Vs Vanilla Extract – What’s The Difference?
Vanilla syrup is a sweet, thick liquid that may be made by mixing water, sugar, and vanilla extract. It normally comes in large bottles with an accessible pump dispenser. Vanilla in this form should not be used in baking. It can be used to sweeten drinks and desserts, giving your cocktails, smoothies, and coffee drinks that extra vanilla flavor.
Contrarily, vanilla extract is created by steeping ground or chopped vanilla beans or pods in a mixture of alcohol and water, resulting in a thin, dark liquid. The vanilla extract solution must have at least 35% alcohol and 13.35% vanilla bean solids to be considered “pure.” The majority of people choose to use this kind of vanilla in their baking and cooking.
One of the three ingredients in the vanilla syrup is vanilla extract, which must be on hand before making it. Vanilla extract can be produced without vanilla syrup. Instead, it is produced using alcohol and vanilla seeds. While vanilla extract requires several months to create, vanilla syrup can be made in less than a day. Vanilla extract can be used in baking, cooking, and beverages, making it more versatile than vanilla syrup. Vanilla syrup is mostly used as a flavoring for desserts and beverages.
Given that a significant amount of sugar is used in its manufacture, vanilla syrup has a sweet, syrupy flavor. If you have a sweet craving, you can also eat vanilla syrup on its own or on top of delicacies like ice cream. Conversely, due to its high alcohol content and slightly bitter flavor, vanilla extract would likely taste unpleasant if drank on its own.
How Do You Make Vanilla Syrup?
The process for creating your own vanilla syrup is simple and only needs a few ingredients. Of course, vanilla extract is the most vital component. In addition, you’ll require water, sugar, and corn syrup.
First, heat a pot over medium heat while adding the water, sugar, and corn syrup. Stirring is necessary until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. After that, turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla essence.
Stir to ensure that everything is thoroughly combined, then refrigerate in a sealed container. This syrup can be used to create a variety of delectable beverages, including coffee and cocktails. Additionally, since you made it, you are quite certain of its contents.
How Do You Make Vanilla Extract?
The only two ingredients in vanilla extract are vanilla beans and alcohol, if you’ve ever read the ingredients list on a bottle of the flavor. This is so that vanilla extract can be produced, which requires soaking vanilla beans in alcohol for a few weeks.
The longer the beans are steeped, the more flavor the extract will have since the alcohol takes on the flavor of the beans. It’s actually fairly simple to make your own vanilla extract, and working on a project like this with kids may be enjoyable. Just some vanilla beans and a bottle of rum or vodka will do.
The vanilla beans should simply be split lengthwise and placed in the alcohol container. After that, cap the bottle and keep it somewhere cool and dark for at least four weeks. You can then use your homemade vanilla extract in any recipe that calls for it.
Where Does Vanilla Come From?
The dried seed pods of the vanilla orchid produce the wonderful vanilla flavor that we are all familiar with and like. There are various varieties of vanilla orchids growing in various locations, and each location and its orchid produces a vanilla bean with its own distinctive qualities.
It takes a long time and much care to grow a vanilla bean pod to the point where it can be harvested. To produce green, long bean pods, the blooms must be manually pollinated. The subsequent maturation of these pods takes many months, and once they have grown, they must be dried, which takes even longer.
When the manufacturing process is finished, the result is a dried, dark-brown pod that will be known as your vanilla bean by everyone.
There are four varieties of vanilla orchids that are frequently used to make various vanilla products:
Native to Madagascar, Madagascar vanilla beans are the most widely consumed and have a robust, creamy flavor.
Mexican vanilla beans are thought to be some of the greatest in the world because of their smooth, smokey vanilla flavor with hints of spice.
In addition to being twice as large as other vanilla beans and being one of the most expensive varieties, Tahitian vanilla beans are native to Tahiti and are prized for their distinctive floral flavor with overtones of licorice and cherry.
Native to Uganda, Ugandan vanilla beans have a strong aroma and flavor due to their high natural vanillin content.