Vanilla is rated as one of the most versatile flavors used both for cooking and baking. People either buy ready-made vanilla extract or buy vanilla beans for making extract at home and then use it for different purposes. But did you know that the uses of vanilla extract go beyond cooking and baking also. Before discovering these unusual uses, let’s take a quick look at difference between homemade and readymade vanilla extract.
Homemade vs Readymade Vanilla Extract
Readymade extract contains man-made synthetic vanillin that gives flavor and aroma to vanilla. On the other hand, if you prepare extract from vanilla beans at home, it is a time consuming and laborious process. Firstly, you need to buy and process vanilla beans. Then, they are sweated, fermented and dried. This results in developing vanillin, a natural substance giving the right aroma and flavor to vanilla. However, this whole process take months but you get homemade and pure vanilla extract.
Now, when you prepare the extract at home, you can use it in a variety of ways as mentioned below:
- Neutralizing Smell of Paint: A freshly painted home gives a beautiful look but pungent smell. To remove this smell, ask your painters to mix two teaspoon of vanilla extract in every paint bucket and mix it well before painting. This makes your home not only beautiful but smells good also.
- Cleaning Refrigerator: It is not surprising to hear that sometimes you feel that your refrigerator smells awful after all it stores a lot of things. To avoid bad smell, prefer wiping the interior part of refrigerator with Vanilla bean for extract mix with water. In the similar fashion, you can clean microwave also. Use microwave bowl and pour little vanilla extract in it and on your microwave for one minute. This will give you microwave nice smell in no time.
- Preparing Cocktails: If you have learnt the art of cocktail making, you must be aware that vanilla extract pairs excellently with whiskey or bourbon. It even works with rum cocktails and gives drinks luscious flavor. You can give it a try in your upcoming party!
So, next time, do not think twice before preparing the extract in large quantities as there are scores of ways to use it.