Vanillin and vanilla sugar are a powder that consists of many ingredients. The basic aroma and taste are given by natural vanilla contained in small quantities. Vanilla itself is a very expensive condiment, but so that you can use it beneficial features, smell and taste, which improve the aroma of rich dishes, vanilla and vanilla sugar, which are available for our table, are made of it. Vanilla sugar can be made with your own hands.
Types of vanillin
- There are several types of vanillin. One of them is crystalline. He has a real vanilla scent. Crystalline vanillin for a long time retains its beneficial properties, even after a high temperature treatment. Used for baking, making confectionery and ice cream.
- There is a kind of powdered vanilla. It is smaller, in its composition contains more various reinforcing additives and has a more pungent smell. This type of vanilla is suitable for making chocolate. The aroma of such vanilla is already felt at room temperature. It dissolves more easily in water. Such vanillin may have a variety of berry and fruit flavors.
- Liquid vanillin is a mixture of vanillin dissolved in alcohol. It is used for the manufacture of beverages, confectionery and dairy products.
How is vanillin used?
Vanillin is used in perfumery, the manufacture of liqueurs and cooking. In cooking, vanillin should be used in such an amount that depends on the time of preparation of the dish, temperature of preparation, the consistency of the preparing dish. Too a large number of vanilla can give the dish bitterness. When cooking pastry flour dishes vanillin is usually chosen with high resistance to temperature. Vanillin is added to these dishes while mixing all the dry ingredients of the dish. Or you can add at any stage of preparation, pre-dissolved in fat.
Usually from 4 to 9 grams of vanillin is added to 1 kilogram of dough. In the manufacture of chocolate is usually used vanilla in the form of crystals or powder. If you want to improve the flavor of products containing milk base, use vanillin in liquid or powder form. Here on 1 liter of products should be applied from 0.5 to 2 grams of vanillin and vanilla sugar.
Vanillin action
- Vanillin dissolves well in alcohol, hot water and broadcast.
- Vanillin is used to enhance the flavors of dishes, flavoring ingredients.
- It helps to hide or soften the undesirable taste in the dish.
- The aroma of vanilla remains on the hair and skin for a long time, acting soothingly.
- Vanillin gives soft taste and pleasant aroma to drinks. With it, you can improve the flavor in the house.
What is vanilla sugar?
Vanilla sugar is nothing but mixed vanilla pods with sugar or powdered sugar. Sugar takes over all the smell of vanilla on itself, and after vanilla is removed from it. It is more convenient for use in the culinary industry, since it contains almost no additives. If vanilla sugar is stored for too long, the vanilla smell can evaporate. It is used for making cream, creams, fruit compotes, dairy dishes. Vanilla sugar is very suitable for baking, cocktails, coffee. It must be added at the very end of cooking, so that its flavor does not evaporate too quickly.
How to make vanilla sugar with your own hands?
Vanilla sugar can be made with your own hands. To do this, take 1 kg of sugar, powdered sugar and 1 pod of natural vanilla. Try to buy only the longest pods. They are considered the most valuable. Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise. Remove all the seeds, crush them in a mortar and add the icing sugar. After stirring, pour the mixture into granulated sugar, mix again and place the pod in the same place. Vanilla seeds can be added directly to the cream or cream, and to make vanilla sugar, use only the pod. Store the sugar in a carefully closed jar in a cool dark place. Leave it to infuse for 4 days and can enjoy real vanilla sugar.
How to cook "Vanilla muffins"?
Take 400 g of flour for pancakes, 1 tsp of soda, 250 g of sugar, 150 g of butter, 2 tbsp. spoons of vanilla sugar, 2 eggs and 0, 5 sour cream. Mix flour, soda and sugar. Melt the butter and pour in the same. Add eggs, vanilla sugar and sour cream. All this mix gently. The dough should be divided into paper forms, you get about 14 pieces. Bake them at 180 ° C for 15 minutes, until they become golden brown.
What is useful vanilla and vanilla sugar?
Vanilla with its smell has a calming effect on the body. The smell of vanilla will help in the treatment of some serious diseases. He will tame anger, eliminate anxiety and irritation. The smell of vanilla can relax, help with insomnia, relieve anxiety, will have a stimulating effect on the body and lift the mood. Vanilla, which is the main component of vanillin and vanilla sugar, is an antioxidant, antidepressant and anti-carcinogen.
Vanilla sugar can be replaced by vanilla essence (instead of 20 g of vanilla sugar, 12.5 g of vanilla essence will be needed) or vanilla extract (10-15 g of vanilla sugar will replace 1 tsp of the extract). But if you do not have any of the above, you can generally ignore vanilla sugar as an ingredient: the dish will turn out without it, but it will not please you with a subtle vanilla aroma.
What is better to buy: vanilla, vanillin or vanilla sugar?
If you at least sometimes bake something at home or prepare desserts, you probably buy vanillin, vanilla sugar or vanilla. Or for now, just thinking about it. What is the difference between these supplements? What to buy and what not to? Let's see, smell and decide - and all in one small article!
Vanilla - This is a beautiful plant, the pods of which have a stunning aroma, and therefore are very highly valued. I think that at least once in your life you have been able to sniff natural vanilla or the products in which it was. Well, if not, I strongly advise you to buy and try. There is only one lack of natural vanilla: it is very expensive. A bag of vanilla pod weighing 2-4 grams costs 70-100 rubles! As a rule, vanilla can be found in middle-class supermarkets and above. 
Vanillin - It is the main component of vanilla, responsible for the characteristic "vanilla" flavor. Roughly speaking, it is a concentrated flavor of the very essence of vanilla. Of course, it can be obtained from natural vanilla, but then it will cost a lot of money. Therefore, it is usually synthesized vanillin in laboratories. And it is called a flavor identical to the natural vanillin. However, vanillin sold in bags is not always labeled as “flavor identical to natural”. Sometimes you can read "Ethyl vanillin", which is essentially the same. 
It is worth noting another feature of vanilla: it is a very "strong" additive. The recommended dose of vanillin for 1 kilogram of dough is just 1 gram. If you add it too much, then the baking will have a specific bitter taste, and the aroma may become frankly intrusive. Well, in creams and desserts that are not baked, crystalline vanillin is generally not recommended to add.
Where the best option would be vanilla sugar.
Vanilla sugar can be obtained in two ways. First, mix natural ground vanilla with sugar or powdered sugar. Secondly, mix with artificially obtained vanillin with sugar. Vanilla sugar, cooked in the second way, is more common and cheaper. But it is worth buying the first option: with natural vanilla. A bag of such natural vanilla sugar costs 25-40 rubles for 10-15 grams. The most common brands that produce such an additive - Dr. Oetker, Kotanyi. At the same time, Dr. Oetker also has a budget option, with vanilla instead of natural vanilla.
Vanilla sugar has a relatively low concentration of vanilla, so that it can be used in much larger quantities than vanillin. On the other hand, it ends pretty quickly. And here we come to another option - vanilla sugar, cooked by yourself.
From the purchase of vanilla string it is quite possible to make it yourself. From one vanilla pod, you need to thoroughly clean the contents, add it to a couple of tablespoons (about 40 grams) of sugar or (better) powdered sugar and leave in a closed container for a week. If you want a more intense concentration, you can take more vanilla or less powder. If less intense, add more powder.
Anastasiya Panait
Anastasiya Panait Photo
Vanilla sugar is easy and simple to make at home! Having such flavored sugar at hand, you will no longer buy synthetic vanillin or, every time you prepare pastry masterpieces, puzzle over how to diversify and flavor the dish - it is enough to replace all or part of the usual sugar with vanilla, prepared according to this instruction, and divine unforgettable vanilla flavor to your dish is guaranteed!
Natural vanilla sugar is ideal for making biscuits, flavoring ice cream, flans, all sorts of creams and desserts; It can be used for sprinkling cookies, buns and other small pastries, and even add to compotes!
Even despite the high cost of vanilla pods, to make vanilla sugar at home is a very profitable and economical business! A pound of fragrant and, importantly, natural vanilla sugar will be enough for you for a long time!
We will need:
- cutting board
- bank
- cap
Materials:
- granulated sugar
- vanilla pod
Step-by-step instructions on how to make vanilla sugar:
Take a good vanilla pod, put it on a clean, dry kitchen board and with a tip of a sharp knife, run along the pod, from the top, where it is bent (stepping back about 1 cm from the beginning) to the very end. You need to cut only one side, the bottom should remain intact.
Now with a knife we divide the vanilla pod in the place of the cut, as if opening it. Gently, but carefully, with a knife edge, brush off vanilla seeds from the walls of the pod. They have a black color, an oily structure and are very, very small. The seeds are the main value of the pod!
Now add fragrant black seeds to granulated sugar. Remember - one vanilla pod is enough to flavor 500 grams of sugar!
Thoroughly mix the sugar so that the seeds are evenly distributed in it. Do not throw away the hollow pod! Cut it across into 2-3 pieces and also immersed in sugar! Vanilla sugar should be stored in a tightly closed glass or ceramic jar, periodically shake the jar of sugar, and after 4 days you can already use it!
A few attributes that can distinguish the high-quality vanilla pods from the pods, which have a lower value: - A good pod should be from 15 to 25 cm in size; - it is necessary to have a rounded shape; - to be slightly oily to the touch; - have a dark brown, black or black with a white crystal coating color.
Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the whole world! Vanilla powder, vanilla essence, vanilla extract and vanilla sugar are produced from natural vanilla. It tastes natural vanilla bitter. It is used not only in cooking, but also in the field of medicine.
How much is vanilla sugar (average price per 1 kg.)?
Moscow and Moscow region
Vanilla sugar is widely used in baking bakery products (pies, buns and rolls) and in the manufacture of cakes. Based on the name of vanilla sugar, it is a product based on plain white sugar and vanilla.
Vanilla is considered one of the most popular spices, which is used in almost all world cuisines. At the same time, vanilla is a rather expensive spice. Vanilla plant is difficult to grow, because To achieve the desired quality you need to spend a lot of effort, time and money.
Vanilla grows in Central America and Mexico, Madagascar, Indonesia and China. Often in cooking use cheap vanilla substitute, which is called vanillin. The substitute is very similar to real vanilla, but the taste and aroma of dishes with vanilla is very different from those prepared with the addition of real vanilla beans.
Vanilla and vanillin can be used not only in cooking and in baking. Manufacturers of perfume and medicines often use vanilla and vanillin in their products.
Currently, the following types of vanillin are produced - crystalline, powdered and liquid vanillin. Powdered vanillin is used in the production of vanilla sugar and added to chocolate.
Liquid vanillin is used in the manufacture of confectionery (sweets). Crystalline vanillin due to its specific properties is widely used in bakery products. At high temperatures, crystalline vanillin does not lose its taste and therefore baking does not lose its vanilla content.
For the production of vanilla sugar, they take ordinary sugar and grind it into powder, only then add the extract, vanilla pods or vanillin. According to this technology, sugar takes over the taste of vanilla. The result is a delicious vanilla topping, which can often be seen on buns, cakes or biscuits.
Vanilla sugar is also added to the dough in order to give the cake a unique vanilla taste and smell. Vanilla puddings, vanilla creams, vanilla fruit smoothies and even dairy dishes with vanilla flavor. In all this yummy vanilla sugar is used.
Vanilla sugar is used in the preparation of various sweets. It is convenient to use, durable, does not lose its taste under the influence of high temperature and gives baking a unique flavor. To save time, the modern housewife should always have a bag of vanilla sugar on hand. Find out how to prepare it and how you can replace vanilla sugar.
The most sought after spice
Vanilla sugar is a product that is a mixture of granulated sugar and vanilla powder. Vanilla is considered one of the most popular spice substances and belongs to the category of expensive spices. It turns out that vanilla is a sprawling long vine. From its fruits and get vanilla powder. But getting vanilla is not so simple: an exotic plant is very capricious in its care. The greatest difficulty in growing the “fragrant” liana is the pollination of its flowers. To get vanilla, you must go to Madagascar, to Mexico, Central America, China or Indonesia. It is there that grows this exotic plant.
Types of vanillin
Often housewives try to replace vanilla sugar with vanilla. However in food Industry, in order to save, the spicy product is often replaced by a cheaper counterpart. It is called vanillin. For aromatic properties, it is practically no different from vanilla. But the taste of baking, to which real vanilla sticks are added, is much higher than that of buns with the addition of vanillin. In addition to the food industry, vanilla is widely used in the manufacture of perfumes, cosmetics and many medicines. Vanillin is used in cooking. It happens 3 types: powdery, liquid, crystalline. The first kind - vanilla powder - is used to make vanilla sugar; It is also used in the manufacture of chocolate. Liquid vanillin is widely used in the confectionery industry: it is added to candy. The third type of spicy product is used in baking. 
Vanillin in cooking
For the preparation of bakery products, vanillin or sugar based on it is used more often. A bag of vanilla sugar usually contains 2 grams of product. It should be remembered that in large volumes spicy substance gives the dish bitterness. In 1 kg of dough, 4–9 grams of vanillin is usually added. In dairy products, to improve their taste, add 0.5-2 grams of vanilla sugar. Spices are added to dishes and pastries at the very end of their preparation so that the aroma does not evaporate too quickly. Vanilla powder is used not only to enhance the flavor, but also to soften undesirable taste in dishes. Vanillin is perfectly soluble in hot water, ether, alcohol, and it gives soft taste and incomparable aroma to drinks.
How to make vanilla sugar?
At home, you can easily make vanilla sugar. The recipe of its preparation is as follows. You need to take 2 vanilla pods and 1 kg of granulated sugar. It is better to buy long vanilla pods, as they are considered the most valuable. Sugar should be poured into a deep container, and vanilla cut into small pieces. Two ingredients should be thoroughly mixed and tightly closed with a lid. Capacity must be put in a cool dark place (you can in the closet). "Insist" sugar should be at least 3 weeks, after which it can be used as needed.
Vanilla sugar recipe: method number 2
If there was no bag of vanilla sugar at home, and there is no time to cook it, you can use its substitutes. So, how to replace vanilla sugar? For these purposes, usually used ordinary vanillin. A pinch of vanillin can replace 2 small spoons of vanilla sugar. But in order not to always look for the answer to the question of what can replace vanilla sugar, it is better to cook it yourself and in the future use as needed. In the 1st recipe, sugar and vanilla need to insist 3-4 weeks. The following method does not require such time-consuming. 
You need to purchase a long pod of natural vanilla, a bag of powdered sugar and granulated sugar (1 kg). From the vanilla pod should get all the seeds and carefully crush them. After that, they need to add icing sugar and mix everything well. The resulting mixture must be poured into granulated sugar and put vanilla pod there. The container should be well closed and stored in a dark place for 4 days, after which you can enjoy fragrant vanilla sugar.
What can replace vanilla sugar?
Baking with the addition of vanilla, always turns fragrant. But often spicy substance is not at hand. What can replace vanilla sugar? For these purposes, vanilla essence can be used: 12.5 grams replaces 20 grams of vanilla sugar. You can add a unique flavor to baking by adding 1 small spoonful of vanilla extract to the dough. But more often housewives use ordinary vanillin for cooking. Some add cinnamon or cardamom instead of vanilla sugar. But in this case, the resulting dish will not please the owners of the house with an incomparable vanilla flavor. 
What is useful vanilla sugar?
Many say that vanilla sugar is vanillin. But it's not right. Vanilla is only the basis of sugar and because of this it has a lot of useful properties. First of all, vanilla aroma has a calming effect on the human body. Spicy smell can help get rid of many diseases. Vanillin helps with insomnia, cramps, allergies, arthritis, fever, hysteria. Vanilla scent tames anger, reduces anxiety, irritation, helps to relax. Vanilla stimulates the body and improves mood. It is also an antioxidant, antidepressant, helps to activate brain activity and normalize digestive processes. Few know that vanilla is also an aphrodisiac. From all of the above, it is clear that it not only gives an incomparable flavor to dishes, but also benefits the person. But in order that the tastes of the prepared food be at a high level, it is better to use natural vanilla and sugar based on it.
"Vanilla muffins"
This delicious aromatic dessert can be cooked in 20 minutes. To prepare it you need to take:
- 125 gr. butter;
- 3 eggs;
- 300 gr. flour;
- 1.5 small spoons of baking powder;
- a pinch of salt;
- 75 ml of milk.
First you need to mix the sugar and butter. It is necessary that the oil was at room temperature. Next, add the eggs and mix everything well. After that, we pour flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, salt into the mixture and mix it all up. Last but not least, pour in the milk. It should make a thick, sticky dough. We prepare baking dishes and put paper baskets there. Each basket filled with dough half. Next, put any filling (chocolate, pieces of fruit or berries) and pour it with dough. Bake "Vanilla muffins" need at a temperature of 175 ° C. When baking is reddened, it can be taken out of the oven. "Vanilla muffins" turn out elastic, and the filling is perfectly combined with the test. Baking is really fragrant and very tasty. And if you put the vanilla muffins in an airtight container and leave them overnight, then the next day they will be even tastier. Vanilla dessert is great for a family holiday or a children's party.
The refined taste of vanilla ice cream, liquor, milkshake or cream for the cake becomes softer and more refined, and the unique aroma of fresh pastries will be even richer if you add vanillin to these dishes during cooking. What is it, why confectioners and ordinary mistresses love it so much? This issue should be well understood in order to learn how to apply all the useful properties of the product in practice.
Oh, what a fragrant vanilla!
Vanillin owes its unusually spicy aroma to the fruits of a plant growing in South America. Vanilla is a “relative of the orchid”, grows on vines and has yellow-white flowers. After they fade away, green pods remain, on which white crystals form on drying. This is the real natural vanilla.
The first mentions of it are related to the Aztec tribes. Indians added spice to their traditional drink - hot chocolate. The first European to taste vanilla was Christopher Columbus. It happened at the beginning of the XVI century. Since then, the spice came to Europe and has become widely used in cooking.
Harvested green vanilla pods have no smell. And only after drying in a certain way do they acquire a refined spicy aroma, refined taste and brown tint. It takes about a month to dry the vanilla fruit. And to understand that the pod is dry and ready to use, you can on the appearance on the surface of slightly noticeable white crystals. Dried natural vanilla can retain its beneficial properties, taste and aroma for over 30 years.
What is vanillin?
Natural vanilla pods are a very expensive spice that could not be used in the manufacture of confectionery and bakery products on an industrial scale. Therefore, at the end of the 19th century, its artificial analogue called vanillin was synthesized. What it is?
Vanillin is a white crystals obtained in the laboratory by artificial means. At the same time, wood or paper is most often used as a raw material for the production of vanillin. This spice has a rich bitter taste and not as refined aroma as that of natural vanilla. But at the same time it is inexpensive and therefore it is used in industrial production in this form.
Vanillin and vanilla sugar: what's the difference?
Unlike artificial flavoring, it can have a more natural composition. It is produced by mixing vanilla pods with regular sugar or powder. Vanilla is left in the sugar for a while, then taken out - and flavored sugar is ready. But sometimes manufacturers are trying to reduce the cost of the product, this primarily affects its quality. In this case, it is not natural vanilla that is added to the sugar, but the identical natural flavor — ethyl vanillin.
Types of vanillin
The product in question is crystalline, powdered and liquid. The state of its application depends on the state of this spice.
Crystal vanillin is the most fragrant and retains a spicy smell for a long time, even after heat treatment. It is used in baking bakery and confectionery. It is a food additive with a pronounced strong taste. That is why crystalline vanillin is recommended to be added only during baking.
Powdered vanillin on structure reminds powder. It has a sharper smell, it contains artificial flavor enhancers, and sometimes even fruit flavors. Easily soluble in water. Used in the preparation of hot chocolate and various drinks.
In the form of aromatic essences, liquid vanillin is produced. What it is? This is an alcohol solution that is used in cooking, perfumery, in the preparation of beverages.
Vanillin has a calming and relaxing effect, so it is often used in the manufacture and car.
How to use vanillin in baking?
Traditionally, vanillin is used in cooking. But when cooking dishes should be borne in mind that this is a spice with a pronounced taste. That is why it is important not to overdo it so that the culinary masterpiece does not become bitter.
Synthesized artificial vanillin has a very rich taste. One sachet weighing 1 gram will be enough for 1 kilogram of flour. When using vanilla sugar, the proportions are slightly different. In this case, for 1 kilogram of flour or 1 liter of liquid, take a bag weighing 8-10 grams. When preparing drinks, milkshakes or ice cream, it is better to use liquid vanillin. vanilla essence or extract. It is enough to add 1-2 drops of liquid vanilla in the dish, and it will get a pleasant spicy flavor.
What to replace vanillin? If you want to get a subtle, mild taste of natural vanilla, then you should give preference to vanilla sugar.
Useful qualities of vanilla
Often when preparing a dish to get a good result, it is required to hide the unpleasant taste or to remove it, as well as to give the product a unique flavor. In this case, vanillin flavoring will come to help the hostess. It dissolves well in a liquid medium, alcohol and water, and it is in this state that the flavor of vanilla is revealed more fully. In addition, the spicy smell has a calming effect on the body, helps to relax and
Vanilla sugar at home
If vanillin is obtained in the laboratory by artificial means, then vanilla sugar can be made independently at home. It's enough to take 1 long vanilla pod, 1 kilogram of granulated sugar, a little powder.
For the preparation of vanilla sugar, the vanilla pod is cut in half lengthwise, the seeds are removed, ground in a mortar to a state of powder and mixed with powdered sugar. After that, the resulting mixture is combined with sugar, vanilla pod is added there and all together is sent to a dark storage place for 3-4 days. After a specified time, the dietary supplement is ready for consumption.
To get flavored sugar, one vanilla pod will be enough, and the seeds can be used to make some kind of dessert.
Unfortunately, natural flavoring cannot be stored for a long time due to the fact that the pleasant smell quickly disappears. To flavor longer, add it to the dish is at the end of cooking.
Difficult choice: vanillin or vanilla sugar
Before you buy a flavored additive, you should know how to distinguish a natural product from that synthesized in a laboratory. After all, in fact, vanilla sugar and vanillin are the same, the difference is only in the way they are prepared. Of course, vanillin can be obtained from natural raw materials, but on the shelves in stores to meet such a product is almost impossible.
When buying vanillin, you should carefully read the label on the label. If the product contains a flavor identical to natural, or ethyl vanillin, then this product is synthesized in the laboratory. It is packaged usually in bags of 1 gram. It is this flavor additive that is most often used by pastry chefs in baking due to the low price of it. One packet of vanillin costs about 3 rubles.
Vanilla sugar is sold in bags, packaged in 8-15 grams. As part of such a dietary supplement, sugar and ground seeds of vanilla pods or ethyl vanillin must be indicated. The latter option has the same qualities as artificial vanillin. The price for it ranges from 8-10 rubles. Vanilla sugar with natural vanilla aroma is more expensive - about 30 rubles for a bag weighing 15 grams.
When preparing a culinary masterpiece at home, it is better to give preference to a product with a natural composition, and to leave artificial substitutes for mass production.
