From bean to bottle, versatile vanilla is the flavor of the season

Vanilla is one of the most popular flavorings in the kitchen — especially during the holidays. Delicate and sweet, it makes desserts, drinks, breads and even some soups and vegetables comforting and aromatic.

"It's one of the few ingredients that adds layers to any recipe," says Mollie Snider, an instructor at the Salt Lake Culinary Center.

But this simple flavoring can be complex, as it comes in so many variations from liquid to paste, imitation to pure and cheap to expensive.

"Not all vanillas are created equal," says Amy Anderson-Rasmussen, co-owner of the Blue Cattle Truck Trading Co., a Springville company that imports beans and extracts from Veracruz, Mexico, one of the premier vanilla-growing regions of the world. (See box for company information.)

Here's an explanation of all the vanilla variations and the best ways to use them:

Pure • If the label says "pure" vanilla, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that it have at least 36 percent alcohol and a minimum of 13.5 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon. The alcohol evaporates in high heat, so baked goods are left with that pleasing vanilla flavor.

Traditional • Blue Cattle Truck's signature product is a traditional vanilla made with vanilla bean extractive, purified water and just 10 percent alcohol. That lower alcohol level makes the vanilla more versatile, said Anderson-Rasmussen. It's good for baked items, but also uncooked foods such as whipped cream and smoothies.

Imitation • As the name suggests, this extract is made of artificial flavoring and is, therefore, less expensive than pure and traditional extract. Besides artificial flavorings, imitation vanilla contains water, alcohol (the FDA has no minimum level for imitation vanilla), natural flavorings — including extractives of cocoa and tea —as well as corn syrup and caramel coloring. While many culinary experts shun this version, the experts at Cooks Illustrated determined in two separate taste tests that it's perfectly fine for most baking needs.

"In the two past tastings of vanilla extract, we reached a conclusion that still amazes us: It matters not a whit whether you use real or imitation vanilla, because you can't tell the different when you bake," editors wrote in 2009. That said, the magazine editors noted that pure vanilla is good to have on hand when "making confections made with moderate to no heat, such as puddings, pastry cream and butter cream frosting."

Whole beans • Vanilla flavorings and extracts come from the seed pods — or beans — of an orchid that thrives in tropical regions of the world. Besides Mexico, vanilla is plentiful in the Bourbon Islands of Madagascar and Tahiti.

To ensure a successful crop, farmers hand-pollinate the flowers during the short blooming season. Once pollinated, the flowers take about eight months to grow into 8- to 12-inch seed pods. The green pods are harvested and put through a lengthy curing process to develop the vanilla flavor. They are placed on mats in the sun during the day and then wrapped in blankets to sweat — or ferment — each night.

"The curing process takes another eight or nine months," said Anderson-Rasmussen.

Cured vanilla bean pods are readily available in grocery stores and specialty food shops. To get the small black vanilla seeds out of the pods, cut a slit down the center of the bean with a sharp knife. Then with the back of the knife — or with a teaspoon — scrape out the pulp. Add the pulp to recipes in place of extract to create an intense vanilla flavor.

Paste • For those who would rather not deal with fresh whole beans, vanilla paste is the answer. The paste is made by mixing the tiny black flecks of the vanilla bean with sugar, water and a natural thickener. Using paste enables cooks to add intense vanilla flavor without thinning out batters and sauces with liquid extracts.

Powder • When a whole dried vanilla bean is ground into a fine powder, it can be used to replace vanilla in recipes, but is especially helpful in applications, such as frosting, where you want to avoid any discoloration caused by pure vanilla extract.

Sugar • Made by burying a vanilla bean in granulated or powdered sugar and letting it sit for a week or several days. The flavored sugar can be used in recipes and for decoration of baked goods.

Cost • There's a vanilla for every price range: from a few dollars at the grocery store to more than $20 at specialty shops. Just as with other ingredients, you get what you pay for. Tourists who buy cheap Mexican vanilla south of the border are likely getting tonka bean extract, not vanilla, according to the Food and Drug Administration. While they look and smell like vanilla, tonka beans contain coumarin, a substance with potential toxic side effects that was banned from food in the United States.

Real vanilla extract and flavoring products produced in Mexico or other countries — and legally imported into the United States — should not contain coumarin. Blue Cattle Truck's vanilla fits into this category. The company includes this information on the label: "Registered with the FDA and coumarin free."

kathys@sltrib.com