Vanilla extract

[Katy]

Does vanilla extract get old if it's still sealed? In cleaning out my kitchen cabinets this morning I found a bottle that had gotten shoved clear to the back and is still sealed. I can't find an expiration date on it anywhere...or a best if used by date either.

 

[halo]

Open it up and give it the ol sniff test.

 

[cerridwenn]

i've never heard of an expiration date. most extracts are done in alcohol, which preserves them indefinitely. i don't remember if vanilla is done in alcohol as well, but i know my grandparents would pull things like that out of the pantry that were years and years old and still use it.

herbs only have an expiration date because they are dry, and many lose their flavor or medicinal effectiveness after about 1-5 years. but that is not always true either, because i've encountered spice tins on archaeological sites that were 80 or more years old and could still identify what spice had been inside because it still smelled like cloves or whatever. so i have very little regard for expiration dates - they are mainly to scare us so we keep buying new things and keep the big companies in business.

 

[Katy]

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I'll do that when the bottle I'm using now is closer to being empty

Didn't want to break the seal until I have to.

 

[Katy]

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That's kind of what I was thinking... since it's basically alchohol and vanilla bean it probably wouldn't go bad too easily.

 

[skeeter9]

Yes, vanilla extract is made in alcohol. Like a fine wine, it only gets better with age, so you found a treasure!!!

 

[HenThymes]

Would it not make a difference if it were real vanilla verses imitation?? Real vanilla is alcohol base and should never go bad and imitation is not I believe?? That may make a difference but someone with more experience may know better.

 

[Katy]

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I never buy that imitation stuff......only the real thing.

 

[halo]

Me too!

 

[HenThymes]

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I never buy that imitation stuff......only the real thing.

Awesome stuff!

Have you ever made your own?? It is super easy and last forever. All you need are a few vanilla beans and some high quality vodka, mmmm!

Slice the beans down the center place them in a glass jar that has a lid, fill with vodka. Set it in a dark place for several weeks occasionally turing upside down to stir the flavor. Wa la - perpetual vanilla

Refill with vodka as needed to make more.