How to Make Vanilla Paste at Home

1. How to Make Vanilla Paste at Home Vanilla is one of those ingredients that all kinds of cooks, be they professional or beginner can use with confidence. It is a must while baking, and you can use it in other recipes as well. Available in many forms, like vanilla beans, vanilla paste, and extract, this spice can be stored for a long time when stored right. Among the many variations, the vanilla paste is something you can make at home. Why make vanilla paste at home

2. There are many reasons why you can try to make this paste at home. To start with, it is very easy to make and requires, at the most, just three ingredients. The second reason is that, when made at home, you are sure about the ingredients of the paste, whereas, when you buy it readymade, there is a chance of getting duped with synthetic vanilla. Third, it is easy to store; just keep it in your refrigerator and it will stay good for a year. Last but not least, when you make it, your whole house is filled with the unique vanilla fragrance making you feel happy. What do you need to make it at home You need three things to make the paste at home. They are:

3. Vanilla bean pods: When buying vanilla bean pods to make a paste at home, you have to make sure that you are buying Grade A or Grade B vanilla pods. That is because these two kinds of pods are the best in terms of smell and taste. The pods should be plump, shiny and soft. Don’t buy pods that look brittle and dry. Now, if you can buy vanilla pods according to the area of cultivation, you can customize your paste to your liking. For example, if you want a paste with more creamy, full taste, go for vanilla pods from Madagascar. But if you want your vanilla paste to have a strong fruity and floral smell, then go for Tahitian vanilla. Sugar: Sugar or any sugar-like ingredient is used for two reasons; one to help preserve the paste and the other is to add a sweet touch to the paste. Sugar also helps in enhancing the flavour of vanilla. If you don’t want to use sugar, honey and Agave syrup are good substitutes. Corn syrup: The problem of using sugar is that it tends to crystallize. This is why corn syrup is used as it stops this crystallization. Substitutes for corn syrup can be glucose and inverted sugar. Another purpose of using such products is to make the vanilla bean paste thicker. How to make vanilla paste The paste can be made in three steps. Step 1 Split the vanilla pods into two parts carefully with a small knife. Using the knife, scrape out all the seeds from inside of the pod and add it to a saucepan. Don’t discard the pods, just chop them up and add them to the saucepan as well. Step 2 Now add the sugar or the sugar substitute you are using along with corn syrup. Next, add water in the same amount as the sugar. Generally, for 5 to 6 vanilla pods, you can use ½ cup sugar and water. Simmer the mixture over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. After it cools down, blend it in a blender. Step 3

4. Strain the mixture into a sterilized jar, pushing the mixture to extract as much paste as possible. Cover and store in the fridge. So, follow these easy steps and make your vanilla paste for baking and cooking purposes. To explore more visit: www.neugininaturals.com.au