storing vanilla

[morda]

I've been keeping my vanilla extract at room temp since I heard that cold (i.e. the fridge)can damage the flavor. Where do y'all keep yours? I have to admit that I keep mine in its original brown glass bottle on the counter, which is probably bad because of light and heat from the kitchen.

Edited to add that I don't use vanilla particularly fast so I should probably be more careful with it, esp considering the price these days.

Edited May 31, 2004 by morda (log)

[bleachboy]

Ours just sits up in the cupboard on a shelf with the other extracts, baking powder, and other miscellaneous baking essentials. I've not noticed any problem storing it in this way.

[culinary bear]

I keep mine (madagascar vanilla extract) in a dark cupboard at cool room temperature.

I think the main considerations are lack of light, a constant temperature, and keeping the bottle well-sealed.

[Marlene]

I keep mine in my pantry cupboard

[yorkshirepud]

In my baking drawer.

[ErinM]

Cabinet with my other spices, oils and baking paraphanlia.

[Cusina]

I always considered vanilla as an alcohol, so I store it the way I store my cordials. In a dark cupboard and as sealed as possible. I use a homemade variety... a bottle of cognac with a few beans immersed in it.

[chefwoody]

I heard the following from someone at the Terra Spice Company:

Never put vanilla in the fridge or freezer (just like coffee, condensation dilutes and kills essential oils and aromas), and keep it WELL sealed (if you have a vacuum sealer, use that.

At a kitchen in which I worked, we kept ours in our wine room (cool, but not cold) and relatively dark.

[culinary bear]

not to seem anally retentive...

but if the bottle is stoppered, surely any condensation results from evaporation of the original liquid in the bottle (unless you have 20ml of extract in a litre bottle), and any condensation which results merely 'dilutes' the extract back to its original strength before any evaporation occurred?

[morda]

Glad to hear I'm not totally off the mark with my storage...

not to seem anally retentive...

but if the bottle is stoppered, surely any condensation results from evaporation of the original liquid in the bottle (unless you have 20ml of extract in a litre bottle), and any condensation which results merely 'dilutes' the extract back to its original strength before any evaporation occurred?

I guess if your bottle wasn't air-tight (and most aren't) then you could get "extra" condensation in there.

morda

[culinary bear]

If I'm shelling out for good vanilla extract (and has anyone ever seen it get cheaper, ever? :)) I make sure the lid is on so tight it needs a corkscrew to get out.

keeps the kids from accidentally drinking it, too :)

[Steve Martin]

Nobody else keep them in a jar of sugar?

[morda]

Nobody else keep them in a jar of sugar?

Oh, I think we're all talking about extract. For vanilla beans, I put the pods in sugar after I've used the insides (seeds?)

[Steve Martin]

Ahh. I thought chefwoody's warning about condensation was branching out into pods.

Condensation will affect pods in the same way as it will coffee beans.

Anyway, you can keep the whole pods in sugar, as well as the deseeded ones.