Adding Vanilla Flavor to Yogurt?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I make yogurt and I'd like to make it vanilla flavored (a la Brown Cow Vanilla,

yum).

I tried making a syrup by heating vanilla extract with maple syrup. Didn't

have much vanilla flavor so I ended up adding almond extract. I heated and

stirred for a bit, let it cool and added it to the yogurt. It was pretty good

but

the almond taste wasn't a perfect match for the tartness of the yogurt, as

vanilla would be.

At the health food store they have vanilla powder and vanilla beans. Any

reason not to use vanilla powder? Anyone know how to use either, to make

vanilla flavored yogurt? I'm open to using vanilla extract if someone can

recommend a brand and method that will work well.

On another note --

Is the yogurt's probiotic nature affected by adding sugar (maple syrup) and

other flavors, and storing it that way in the fridge? Or would it be better to

make a flavor mix (syrup), store that separately, and add to the yogurt right

before eating? (I realize the sugar isn't great for us; at least we get good

probiotics this way.)

Thanks,

Daphne

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/12/02 1:31:15 AM Central Daylight Time,

biophile410@... writes:

> I tried making a syrup by heating vanilla extract with maple syrup. Didn't

> have much vanilla flavor so I ended up adding almond extract. I heated and

>

> stirred for a bit, let it cool and added it to the yogurt. It was pretty

> good but

> the almond taste wasn't a perfect match for the tartness of the yogurt, as

> vanilla would be.

>

> At the health food store they have vanilla powder and vanilla beans. Any

> reason not to use vanilla powder? Anyone know how to use either, to make

> vanilla flavored yogurt? I'm open to using vanilla extract if someone can

> recommend a brand and method that will work well.

>

Make your own vanilla extract by cutting or chopping up the vanilla beans,

put them in a jar filling the jar about 1/3 full. Add cheap 100 proof vodka,

let sit for 6 to 8 weeks and you have vanilla extract. Leave the beans in the

vodka and use the extract right out of the bottle, it just gets stronger.

Add vanilla to the yogurt as is, I do and it works just fine.

Belinda

[Guest guest]

At 06:29 AM 7/12/2002 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi,

>

>I make yogurt and I'd like to make it vanilla flavored (a la Brown Cow

>Vanilla,

>yum).

>

>I tried making a syrup by heating vanilla extract with maple syrup. Didn't

>have much vanilla flavor so I ended up adding almond extract. I heated and

>stirred for a bit, let it cool and added it to the yogurt. It was pretty

>good but

>the almond taste wasn't a perfect match for the tartness of the yogurt, as

>vanilla would be.

It's better not to heat the vanilla extract. It is very sensitive to heat!

You can add it directly to the yogurt

after it is " done " . Cook's magazine could find no difference between

synthetic and real vanilla (real

is likely better for you though). Some brands are more concentrated than

others too.

>At the health food store they have vanilla powder and vanilla beans. Any

>reason not to use vanilla powder? Anyone know how to use either, to make

>vanilla flavored yogurt? I'm open to using vanilla extract if someone can

>recommend a brand and method that will work well.

I haven't found anything better about vanilla powder. But if you like it,

put a vanilla bean in some powdered sugar

for awhile -- voila! Vanilla powder.

>On another note --

>Is the yogurt's probiotic nature affected by adding sugar (maple syrup) and

>other flavors, and storing it that way in the fridge? Or would it be

>better to

>make a flavor mix (syrup), store that separately, and add to the yogurt right

>before eating? (I realize the sugar isn't great for us; at least we get good

>probiotics this way.)

The probiotics tend to eat up the sugar, leaving it less sweet (esp. if you

are using kefir, though

I'd guess you aren't). So it's better to add the sugar just before you put

it in the fridge, or when you are

ready to eat it. It doesn't hurt the probiotics any, but there is the issue

of how sweet you want

your product. I make kefir, and mix it up with bananas etc. just before I

drink it. Otherwise the

kefir ferments the bananas!

-- Heidi

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/13/02 1:18:05 PM Central Daylight Time,

biophile410@... writes:

> Thanks Belinda -- Does this extract taste like alcohol when you're done?

> Vanilla extract

> from a bottle has an " alchoholy " smell I don't like. I thought you were

> supposed to heat

> it to evaporate the alcohol -- but I just learned from Heidi heating kills

> the vanilla flavor.

> With your method, is the vanilla strong enough to mask the alcohol

> taste/smell?

>

> Daphne

It is for me Daphne but then I use alcohol based herbal medicines so I'm

pretty used to the alcohol.

Belinda

[Guest guest]

Thanks Belinda -- Does this extract taste like alcohol when you're done?

Vanilla extract

from a bottle has an " alchoholy " smell I don't like. I thought you were supposed

to heat

it to evaporate the alcohol -- but I just learned from Heidi heating kills the

vanilla flavor.

With your method, is the vanilla strong enough to mask the alcohol taste/smell?

Daphne

> In a message dated 7/12/02 1:31:15 AM Central Daylight Time,

> biophile410@y... writes:

>

>

> > I tried making a syrup by heating vanilla extract with maple syrup. Didn't

> > have much vanilla flavor so I ended up adding almond extract. I heated and

> >

> > stirred for a bit, let it cool and added it to the yogurt. It was pretty

> > good but

> > the almond taste wasn't a perfect match for the tartness of the yogurt, as

> > vanilla would be.

> >

> > At the health food store they have vanilla powder and vanilla beans. Any

> > reason not to use vanilla powder? Anyone know how to use either, to make

> > vanilla flavored yogurt? I'm open to using vanilla extract if someone can

> > recommend a brand and method that will work well.

> >

>

> Make your own vanilla extract by cutting or chopping up the vanilla beans,

> put them in a jar filling the jar about 1/3 full. Add cheap 100 proof vodka,

> let sit for 6 to 8 weeks and you have vanilla extract. Leave the beans in the

> vodka and use the extract right out of the bottle, it just gets stronger.

>

> Add vanilla to the yogurt as is, I do and it works just fine.

>

> Belinda

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

It is possible to buy an alcohol free vanilla product. I think it is

made by Frontier and is found in health foods stores. It costs more

money, but I love the taste and find it worth the price. NOW brand

might also make some too, but I'm not sure.

Happy shopping,

Sheila

> In a message dated 7/13/02 1:18:05 PM Central Daylight Time,

> biophile410@y... writes:

>

>

> > Thanks Belinda -- Does this extract taste like alcohol when

you're done?

> > Vanilla extract

> > from a bottle has an " alchoholy " smell I don't like. I thought

you were

> > supposed to heat

> > it to evaporate the alcohol -- but I just learned from Heidi

heating kills

> > the vanilla flavor.

> > With your method, is the vanilla strong enough to mask the

alcohol

> > taste/smell?

> >

> > Daphne

>

> It is for me Daphne but then I use alcohol based herbal medicines

so I'm

> pretty used to the alcohol.

>

> Belinda

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

At 07:36 PM 7/13/2002 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi,

>It is possible to buy an alcohol free vanilla product. I think it is

>made by Frontier and is found in health foods stores. It costs more

>money, but I love the taste and find it worth the price. NOW brand

>might also make some too, but I'm not sure.

>Happy shopping,

>Sheila

Some people store vanilla beans in powdered sugar, then use the sugar

(which likely isn't

good if you are avoiding sugar!). I have not tried it myself, but my

husband used to use the flavored sugar (commercial version) in his

coffee. Maybe you could get the same effect using the beans in whatever

else you are using to flavor the yogurt: just store them in it and they will

absorb the vanilla flavor.

>

Heidi

[Guest guest]

Hi,

The product I was refering is a liquid and comes in a little brown

bottle just like the regular vanilla. I don't think there is any

sugar in it. My daughter recommended it to me. She used it while on a

completely sugar free diet. I'm sorry if I didn't make it all clear

in my other message.

Maybe a vanilla bean could be added to stevia. Has anyone tried that?

Sheila

> >Hi,

> >It is possible to buy an alcohol free vanilla product. I think it

is

> >made by Frontier and is found in health foods stores. It costs more

> >money, but I love the taste and find it worth the price. NOW brand

> >might also make some too, but I'm not sure.

> >Happy shopping,

> >Sheila

>

> Some people store vanilla beans in powdered sugar, then use the

sugar

> (which likely isn't

> good if you are avoiding sugar!). I have not tried it myself, but my

> husband used to use the flavored sugar (commercial version) in his

> coffee. Maybe you could get the same effect using the beans in

whatever

> else you are using to flavor the yogurt: just store them in it and

they will

> absorb the vanilla flavor.

> >

>

> Heidi

>

>

>