Vanilla extract (frozen, mild, sugar, anise)

[JohnPBailey]

Let's face it. 100% pure vanilla extract is priced for the rich days. Imitation vanilla is dirt cheap but tastes god-awful.

I found a great compromise. It's called Watkins All Natural Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla, with Pure Vanilla Extract. It tastes pretty good. It gives blueberry smoothies a slight anise or licorice flavor.

It's made with: Water, sugar, glycerin, vanilla extract (water, alcohol, extractive of vanilla beans), alcohol, natural flavors, fruit juice (color).

It might not taste quite as good as McCormick's pure vanilla extract to you but it's 100 times better still than Baker's Imitation Vanilla Flavor.

Here are Walmart price comparisons:

1. McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract, 16 fl oz, $35.90, $2.24/fl oz, 38 cents per teaspoonful

2. Watkins All Natural Original Gourmet Baking Vanilla, with Pure Vanilla Extract, 8 fl oz, $8.24, $1.03/oz, 18 cents per teaspoonful

3. Baker's Imitation Vanilla Flavor, 8 fl oz, 98 cents, 13 cents/fl oz, 3 cents per teaspoonful

With Number 2 above, I can use 2 tsp of it per batch of fruit smoothie in the blender to get a good taste. Since there are 6 tsp per fl oz, one 8 oz bottle makes 24 smoothie batches so that's 36 cents a batch of smoothie for the vanilla flavoring ingredient alone.

Number 1 (16 oz unit) above is not stocked on Walmart shelves so it has to be ordered to your home but shipping is free.

The Watkins product above is a semi-real-vanilla product.

[VTsnowbird]

38 cents per teaspoon? I'm sticking with the real stuff.

[JohnPBailey]

Originally Posted by VTsnowbird

38 cents per teaspoon? I'm sticking with the real stuff.

The real stuff is even much pricier when bought in the typical 2 or 4 oz McCormick bottles. You have to order that 16 oz bottle at Walmart online.

[Lodestar]

I buy Mexican vanilla in the 32 oz. bottles. The price is reasonable for the difference in taste.

There are about 160 teaspoons in 32 liquid oz. I pay around $25.

[saibot]

Costco has 16 oz. of pure vanilla extract for $30. That's 31 cents per teaspoon, and a bottle lasts me many months.

I imagine that if someone uses 2 teaspoons of vanilla per day like the OP, it could add up, but I don't use nearly that much. Maybe a teaspoon per week in a batch of cookies or a cake, if that.

[aa6660]

If you think ahead and use it a lot (or want to give some as gifts), make your own while you use up the store-bought stuff. Easy to do, just takes a while. Vodka and good vanilla beans. Your source, amount ordered, the amount used in the recipe you choose, and even type of the bean vary by price, so you can't fine-tune a price per ounce until you actually make your choices. I always go with New Amsterdam Vodka and Grade B Madagascar Vanilla Beans.

[Ohiogirl81]

There's no substitute for pure vanilla extract.

If I wanted a "slight anise" flavor, I'd use anise extract.

[Jkgourmet]

I don't drink smoothies very often, but I'm struggling to believe that most people can taste the difference between imitation and real vanilla extract in a blueberry smoothie.

[steiconi]

Originally Posted by Lodestar

I buy Mexican vanilla in the 32 oz. bottles. The price is reasonable for the difference in taste.

There are about 160 teaspoons in 32 liquid oz. I pay around $25.

Mexican vanilla is only about $17/32 oz in Southern Arizona. Tastes great, but it takes me two years to use it all up.

[TheShadow]

You're using far too much of it, that's why it's expensive and tastes like anise instead of vanilla. You should be using about 1/2 teaspoon in a 16 oz smoothie.