Vanilla bean

VANILLIN In vanilla beans of course. But never more than 2%. This stuff is bought as a synthetic and is cheap and legal. 

Another group of natural flavoring ingredients comprises those obtained by extraction from certain plant products such as vanilla beans, Hcotice root, St. John s bread, orange and lemon peel, coffee, tea, kola nuts, catechu, cherry, elm bark, cocoa nibs, and gentian root. These products are used in the form of alcohohc infusions or tinctures, as concentrations in alcohol, or alcohol—water extractions termed fluid or soHd extracts. Official methods for their preparation and specifications for all products used in pharmaceuticals are described (54,55). There are many flavor extracts for food use for which no official standards exist the properties of these are solely based on suitabiUty for commercial appHcations (56). 

A more complex flavor development occurs in the production of chocolate. The chocolate beans are first fermented to develop fewer complex flavor precursors upon roasting, these give the chocolate aroma. The beans from unfermented cocoa do not develop the chocolate notes (84—88) (see Chocolate and cocoa). The flavor development process with vanilla beans also allows for the formation of flavor precursors. The green vanilla beans, which have Htfle aroma or flavor, are scalded, removed, and allowed to perspire, which lowers the moisture content and retards the enzymatic activity. This process results in the formation of the vanilla aroma and flavor, and the dark-colored beans that after drying are the product of commerce. 

The most important considerations in marketing and estabUshing a crop from a new source are constancy of supply and quahty. Eor some spices, it is difficult to reduce labor costs, as some crops demand individual manual treatment even if grown on dedicated plantations. Only the individual stigmas of the saffron flower must be picked cinnamon bark must be cut, peeled, and roUed in strips mature unopened clove buds must be picked by hand and orchid blossoms must be hand pollinated to produce the vanilla bean. 

In 1991, vanilla beans were the highest valued spice import, with shipments totaling 69.0 million, followed by black and white pepper at 60.6 million, capsicum peppers and paprika at 42.6 million, sesame seed at 40.6 million, and cassia and cinnamon at 27.8 million. The most expensive spices, on a unit value basis, include saffron, 1116/kg average New York spot vanilla beans, 80.50/kg for Bourbon beans from Madagascar, Comoros, and Reunion, and 22.05/kg for Java beans and cardamom, 38.54/kg for grade AA bleached Indian and 3.88/kg for Guatemalan mixed greens. 

The annual United States import of vanilla beans jumped 34% in 1991, as importers and users replenished inventories (7). Indonesia was the largest suppher, accounting for 47% of the total the lower price for Indonesian beans is responsible for the increase in shipments. Users have been replacing Bourbon beans with Indonesian types, or blending in Indonesian beans, because they may still label their product as natural and meet other EDA specifications. 

The food flavor industry is the largest user of vanillin, an indispensable ingredient in chocolate, candy, bakery products, and ice cream. Commercial vanilla extracts are made by macerating one part of vanilla beans with ten parts of 40—50% alcohol. Although vanillin is the primary active ingredient of vanilla beans, the full flavor of vanilla extract is the result of the presence of not only vanillin but also other ingredients, especially Httle-known resinous materials which contribute greatly to the quaUty of the flavor. 

Perfumes and Cosmetics. Vanillin, a crystal, is the main constituent of the vanilla bean. Its importance can be illustrated by the fact that human preferences in fragrances and in flavors, as determined by various studies, comprise three main smells or tastes rose, vanilla, and strawberry. 

In examining vanilla beans the determination of the vanillin is a matter of importance. Busse recommends the following process for the determination 20 grams of the pods, crushed with sand, are exhausted with ether in a Soxhlet tube, and the ethereal extract is shaken out with 20 per cent, sodium bisulphite solution. From the latter, vanillin is removed by treatment with dilute H SO, the SO2 generated removed by a current of CO, and the vanillin extracted by shaking out with ether, evaporating the solvent and weighing the residue. In East African vanilla the author found 2 16 per cent, of vanillin, in that from Ceylon 1 48 per cent., and in Tahiti vanilla from 1-55 to 2 02 per cent. Tiemann and Haarman found in the best Bourbon vanilla 1 94 to 2-90 per cent., in the best Java vanilla 2 75 per cent., and in Mexican vanilla from 1-7 to 1 9 per cent. Tahiti vanilla sometimes contains less than 1 per cent, of vanilla. 

Hanus has more recently recommended the following method for the determination of vanillin in vanilla beans and in preparations thereof. Three grams of the crushed pods are extracted for three hours in a Soxhlet tube with ether, the solvent distUled off cautiously, and the residue dissolved in a little ether, the solution filtered and the filtrate evaporated cautiously. The residue is treated with 50 c.c. of water at 60° on a water-bath 0 25 gram of weto-nitrobenzhydrazide is then added to the aqueous solution in a stoppered flask, which is kept for two to three hours... 

Essence of Vanilla.—The substance sold under this name is, properly, a spirituous extract of the vanilla bean. Many samples, however, are little more than alcoholic solutions of artificial vanillin, coloured with caramel. Some samples, which cannot be described as adulterated, contain a little coumarin or other odorous substance, added to varj- the characteristic vanillin odour and flavour somewhat. 

Tests for Caramel.—Valuable indications of the nature of an extract are obtained in the process of determination of vanillin and coumarin. Pure extracts of vanilla beans give, with lead acetate, a bulky, more or less glutinous, brown-grey precipitate, and a yellow or straw-coloured filtrate, whereas purely artificial extracts coloured with caramel give a slight dark brown precipitate and a dark brown filtrate. If both vanilla bean extract and caramel are present the precipitate is more or less bulky and dark coloured, and the filtrate is more or less brown. The soluticm remaining after extraction of the vanillin and coumarin with ether, if dark coloured, should be tested for caramel. 

Aromatic aldehydes. Benzaldehyde, vanillin, and cinnamaldehyde are aldehydes with pleasant aromas that are found in almonds, vanilla beans, and cinnamon, respectively. 

Cocktail Conceptions, which is actually Mr. Zaric and Mr. Kosmas s dining room table, set up with liquors, barware and glassware, jars of sugars and vanilla beans, homemade infusions and bowls of fruits currently in the markets in Astoria, has worked for Courvoisier, Beefeater, Mumm and Perrier Jouet Champagne, and the new Stoli Premier. 

Vanilla beans vanilla sugar vanilla extract... 

Vanilla is sold in many forms, such as the vanilla bean, vanilla extract, and vanilla sugar. 

The vanilla bean is the fruit of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, a native of Mexico, but now grown in many tropical countries such as Madagascar, Tahiti, and Java. The flowers of the vanilla orchid are pol-... 

The long fermenting process converts several glucosides into glucose, vanillin, and other complex aromatic flavors. The vanilla beans can be further processed by extracting soluble compounds in ethanol and water mixtures, resulting in vanilla extract. 

Natural vanilla beans are expensive and the vanillin content is just 1.5-2 wt.%. Harvests of the beans fluctuate, as do the prices. The world production of vanilla beans in 2005 [10] was 1275 t (of which 700 t alone was by Madagascar/ Malagasy). In 2004 the production was 1975 t. Halfway through 2004 the price... 

This laboratory investigation will help you conceptualize the size of an atom. You will experiment with a latex balloon containing a vanilla bean extract. Latex is a polymer, meaning that it is a large molecule (a group of atoms that act as a unit) that is made up of a repeating pattern of smaller molecules. The scent of the vanilla extract will allow you to trace the movement of its molecules through the walls of the solid latex balloon. 

Aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids are widespread in plants and animal kingdom. They play an important role in biochemical processes of life. They add fragrance and flavour to nature, for example, vanillin (from vanilla beans), salicylaldehyde (from meadow sweet) and cinnamaldehyde (from cinnamon) have veiy pleasant fragrances. 

Hanum T (1997) Changes in vanillin and activity of / -glucosidase and oxidases during post harvest processing of vanilla beans (Vanilla planifolia). Bull Teknol Ind Pangan 8 435-443... 

Leong G, Uzio R, Derbesy M (1989) Synthesis, identification and determination of glucosides presnt in green vanilla beans. Flavour Fragrance J 4 163-167... 

Odoux E, Chauwin A, Brillouet JM (2003) Purification and characterization of vanilla bean (Vanillaplanifolia Andrews) / -glucosidase. J Agric Food Chem 51 3168-3173 Overhage J, Steinbuechel A and Priefert H (2003) Highly efficient biotransformation of euge-nol to ferulic acid and further conversion to vanillin in recombinant strains of Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 69 6569-6576... 

Food with flavouring properties Food or processed food with strong flavoirrs Vanilla beans, spices... 

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