Vanilla beans, called tlilxochitl, were discovered and cultivated as a flavoring for beverages by native Mesoamerican peoples, most famously the Totonacs of modern-day Veracruz, Mexico. Since at least the early 15th century, the Aztecs used vanilla as a flavoring for chocolate in drinks called xocohotl. [7] Sinha, A. K.; Sharma, U. K.; Sharma, N. (2008). "A comprehensive review on vanilla flavor: Extraction, isolation and quantification of vanillin and others constituents". International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 59 (4): 299–326. doi: 10.1080/09687630701539350. PMID 17886091. S2CID 37559260.

Die-hard vanilla fans know that it’s hard to beat the stronger flavors and aromas that come from using whole vanilla beans. But whole vanilla beans are often expensive, sold in very small quantities, and difficult to find. A convenient and comparable alternative to single vanilla beans is ground vanilla powder. Kellerhals loves this Beyond Good Pure Ground Vanilla Powder. It is a 1-ounce jar absolutely stuffed with beautifully ground vanilla, that can be used in any baking or savory projects, as well as sprinkled on top of salads, cereal, finished desserts, and mixed in with other dry ingredients and marinades. Add 3–5 drops of vanilla essential oil to a wool dryer ball or reusable dryer sheet to add a hint of aroma to your clothes. 10. Skin-Nourishing Face OilFirst, slice each bean along the length of the entire pod. Depending on the size of the bottle, you can also cut the pods down into smaller sections to make it easier to get them inside your container. Cold extraction vanilla should be used for cold food applications to preserve the additional flavors. Once it is heated to over 220 degrees Fahrenheit, many of those additional compounds are cooked off.

The answer is rarely that simple, however. It’s estimated that some 95 percent of vanilla extract for sale commercially is derived not from vanilla beans, but from lignin, a byproduct of paper waste products that can be used to create “synthetic” vanillin. ( 10) This synthetic imitation is made from the leftover sawdust in paper mills and similar industries. ( 11) When you hear “vanilla extract,” what do you think of? Your first answer is probably dessert, but what about antioxidant? Anti-inflammatory? Mental health booster? Saint Denis, M.; Coughtrie, M. W.; Guilland, J. C.; Verges, B.; Lemesle, M.; Giroud, M. (Dec 1996). "Migraine induced by vanillin". Presse Méd. 25 (40): 2043. PMID 9082382. Walton, Nicholas J.; Melinda J. Mayer; Arjan Narbad (July 2003). "Vanillin". Phytochemistry. 63 (5): 505–515. doi: 10.1016/S0031-9422(03)00149-3. PMID 12809710. Cut butter into pieces. Using the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 5-7 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Beat until the butter looks light in color.Brochado, Ana (4 July 2018). "Species-specific activity of antibacterial drug combinations". Nature. 559 (7713): 259–263. Bibcode: 2018Natur.559..259B. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0278-9. PMC 6219701. PMID 29973719. Vanillin is most prominent as the principal flavor and aroma compound in vanilla. Cured vanilla pods contain about 2% by dry weight vanillin. On cured pods of high quality, relatively pure vanillin may be visible as a white dust or "frost" on the exterior of the pod. For more delicate recipes like ice creams, custards, and buttercreams where the flavors of the vanilla are really going to shine through, it’s worth it to splurge on the higher-priced vanilla—perhaps in a smaller quantity—to get your recipe made. For larger baking projects or baked goods that will be cooked at temperatures over 300 degrees Fahrenheit, a less expensive pure vanilla extract without specific regionality listed will get the job done and is a little lighter on the wallet in larger quantities. The price of extracts usually decreases a little by volume, so you’ll probably be getting a better deal in the long run with a larger bottle.

In a separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients and sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half the dry ingredients, and half the milk, and beat on low speed just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients are added and combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.Viriot, Carole; Augustin Scalbert; Catherine Lapierre; Michel Moutounet (1993). "Ellagitannins and lignins in aging of spirits in oak barrels". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 41 (11): 1872–1879. doi: 10.1021/jf00035a013.

The demand for vanilla flavoring has long exceeded the supply of vanilla beans. As of 2001 [update], the annual demand for vanillin was 12,000 tons, but only 1,800 tons of natural vanillin were produced. [33] The remainder was produced by chemical synthesis. Vanillin was first synthesized from eugenol (found in oil of clove) in 1874–75, less than 20 years after it was first identified and isolated. Vanillin was commercially produced from eugenol until the 1920s. [34] Later it was synthesized from lignin-containing "brown liquor", a byproduct of the sulfite process for making wood pulp. [12] Counterintuitively, though it uses waste materials, the lignin process is no longer popular because of environmental concerns, and today most vanillin is produced from the petrochemical raw material guaiacol. [12] Several routes exist for synthesizing vanillin from guaiacol. [35] This recipe has been used for several other size pans without adapting the cake recipe- you just may need to scale the frosting recipe accordingly.Research has found [2] that the scent of vanilla can reduce muscle tension, blood pressure and heart rate, whilst also improving long-term wellbeing. Although it is generally accepted that vanilla was domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread to the Old World in the 16th century, in 2019, researchers published a paper stating that vanillin residue had been discovered inside jars within a tomb in Israel dating to the 2nd millennium BCE, suggesting the cultivation of an unidentified, Old World-endemic Vanilla species in Canaan since the Middle Bronze Age. [5] [6] Traces of vanillin were also found in wine jars in Jerusalem, which were used by the Judahite elite before the city was destroyed in 586 BCE. [6] Be careful before purchasing vanilla essential oil as most of the brands sell fragrances or synthetic extracts. However, you can use the oil in the following ways: