LorAnn Organic Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste, 4 ounce - 3 pack

After Purchasing my Cusinart Ice Cream/Yogurt/Sorbet Maker on Amazon,I realized I was running low on Vanilla Beans..I usually make my own extracts however my mouth was watering for homemade Vanilla-bean ice cream. I checked out my usual Culinary Sites and was unimpressed, so I logged back on Amazon and checked through the extracts.. I came upon Lorann Extracts, specifically. NATURAL, Madagascar Vanilla Bean Paste. I thought, why not? I enjoy checking out new products and I love small businesses, especially in the Culinary Arts..Us Foodies, need to support each other. (I applaud, Amazon for always introducing;unique businesss, intovative products and helping to market small businesses!!)Honestly, I was not even remotelyanticipating anything extraordinary. Boy, was I in for a Joyous Surprise!! Okay, I was Blown away and thrilled beyond belief after making my first batch of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with LorAnn's Vanilla Bean Paste, truffles & white chocolate.My Husband described the experience (after devouring half a quart of ice cream), as another "foodgasim"!!!I am now a Loyal Fan of Lorann Extracts. Yes, I think I am addicted to their Vanilla Paste.. The Price of three four ounce bottles??? Truly, inexpensive especially regarding the outstanding quality..Can you keep a secret? <Whispering> I'd pay twice the price!!! Shhhhhh.. Just "Our" Secret, Okay???

In all honesty, this is similar in potency to vanilla extracts I have tried. There are benefits to using the paste, however.There is not much alcohol in the paste, so it's great to use for a true vanilla flavor without the bitter aftertaste (keep in mind it does contain some extract so I'm guessing there is a minimal amount of alcohol in this). This is certified kosher and is gluten free for anyone who might be interested in this info. Also, the vanilla specks create visual flavor...after all, people taste first with their eyes. I'll admit that I tend to overdo vanilla in my recipes, which is why the paste is so much better for recipes where the amount of liquid does matter (whipping creams, ice creams, creme brulee, etc.).Be aware that the paste isn't really a paste. It's more like a syrup. I've tried other Lorann products before (mostly their emulsions), so I'm glad that this product meets expectations. It's comparable in price and potency to vanilla extracts, but I'll be using this paste almost exclusively for the reasons mentioned above.

I love this vanilla bean paste. I got my first jar at TJ Maxx a few years ago and have not even considered using vanilla extract since. The three pack is a decent value and it does last me about a year. The only thing that stinks about this bean paste is that you have to use a little bit more in your baking for it to get the vanilla taste of an extract. The reason I continue to use this, rather than extract, is because it does not have the alcohol flavor of an extract. PLUS, it is more aesthetically pleasing in baked goods. You can see the little flecks of vanilla in the stuff you bake, so it adds a little extra pizzaz :).So if you can't afford real vanilla beans, this product is a great alternative.

This is such a wonderful product. Much better flavor than regular natural vanilla extract, yet much less tedious than scraping vanilla bean pods and steeping them. With the convenience of a liquid extract and the flavor and seeds of real vanilla pods, this paste is truly the best of both worlds. While I typically don't use this valuable paste instead of extract in recipes that will be baked, such as cookies or cakes, I ALWAYS use it when flavoring buttercream frosting, pudding, creme brulee, panna cotta, and ice cream. The results are beautiful with the flecks of vanilla bean seeds and delicious with authentic vanilla flavor.

A better description of this product would be "syrup" rather than paste since it is pourable rather than a soft solid you normally equate with a paste.The substitution rate of this paste is the same as the amount of extract called for in a recipe, so there were no problems converting the amount to use in my recipes. The advantage vanilla bean paste has over the more familiar vanilla extract is that the paste contains vanilla bean seeds that can be attractive when used in things such as icings, cakes, and cookies.The flavor of the paste is fine, comparable to my usual extracts; I could detect no noticeable difference in flavor of the final product made with the paste over the extract. So far I've used the paste in ice cream, frosting, and cupcakes. With the amount of paste that I used in each product, the tiny amount of bean seeds were barely noticeable in the finished products. You really have to look closely to see them.One thing I noticed is that it's more difficult to measure and use the paste than extract because it's harder to get all of the paste out of the measuring spoon. It clings to the spoon so that you have to scrape it out, which can be tricky if you're using a small sized measuring spoon.All of this taken together, unless I'm using a recipe that specifically calls for the paste for visual aesthetic reasons, I'll probably stick to using my favorite extract for most recipes. The extracts are easier to measure and give the same tasting results as the paste with the added benefits of the extract being easier to find and more cost-effective per use.On the occasions when I do opt for vanilla paste, this LorAnn product is a good quality choice.

I wasn't really impressed with this product. Flavor is just okay. Quite a bit of alcohol and not up to par with Nielsen Massey. It's an investment, but I am going to go back to the 32 oz from Nielsen. It's the best product I have used. I won't purchase this again. Any savings in money is lost in quality. If cost is the most important factor, then this can work.