Fancy Food Find: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
In the “Fancy Food Find” series, take a closer look at some of the treats on display at the 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show.
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has been crafting the world’s finest vanillas and flavors since 1907, originating in Sterling, IL. Over a century later, the company remains a family-owned operation, currently run by the third generation of Nielsens, and possesses state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at its headquarters in Waukegan, IL, and its plant in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.
The team knows that vanilla tastes best when its natural essence is allowed to shine. Thus, a proprietary cold extraction process gently extracts vanilla’s essential oils, preserving over 300 distinctive flavor compounds present in the beans. The more delicate process takes weeks instead of days, but the painstaking care is worth it: it preserves the subtlest flavors and celebrates the complexity and robustness of the original bean. Moreover, all premium-quality vanilla beans come from the finest growing regions of Madagascar, Mexico, and Tahiti, with origin-specific extracts showcasing the unique vanilla flavor profiles.
Let’s start with the basics: a pure vanilla extract that hails from Madagascar. The cold extraction process used to create the exceptional “all-purpose” vanilla draws out a sweet, creamy, mellow flavor with velvety after-tones. When in the kitchen, one tablespoon of vanilla extract is equivalent to one vanilla bean. The extract shines in dishes both sweet (e.g., cakes, cookies, pastries, french toast, scones) and savory (e.g., tomato sauces, marinades, seafood sauces), glowing particularly in classic chocolate and cream pairings.
Should you be seeking something a bit thicker, the Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste combines the aforementioned pure vanilla extract with real seeds from the vanilla pod. With a consistency akin to molasses, this paste adds the same delicious vanilla flavor without thinning out batters or sauces, making it the perfect choice in glazes for poultry, seafood, or pork. It’s also ideal for sweet recipes, such as crème brûlée, puddings, and ice cream, where you can increase the visual flair of the dish with vanilla seeds. The kitchen conversion is easy: one tablespoon of paste is equivalent to one vanilla bean.
Vanilla may be the most popular flavor in baking, but almond is a close second. Nielsen-Massey’s almond extract is made with the purest oil of bitter almond, delivering an intense, high-quality flavor. The almond extract pairs deliciously well with vanilla, chocolate, maple, and butterscotch, and is especially complementary with full-bodied fruits such as raspberries, peaches and plums. It can also accent salad dressings, sauces, custards, and ice cream. When applied in the kitchen, ¼ teaspoon almond extract and 1 tablespoon of sugar helps the medicine go down results in 1 tablespoon of luscious almond paste for flavoring.
When life gives you lemons, don’t just make lemonade: the possibilities are limitless! Pure lemon extract is rife with bright, zesty flavor. It’s particularly potent in this form, with 1 teaspoon of lemon extract equivalent to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. I slipped some drops of extract into a simple glaze for cake; the extract added a sunny splash of citrus to each bite. Baked goods of all kinds are obvious partners for the ingredient, as are savory concoctions involving herbs (e.g., parsley, rosemary, thyme, garlic, basil), seafood, pork, and chicken.
The team at Nielsen-Massey was born and raised amidst the rich aroma of vanilla, learning the best methods to produce pure flavors, extending the know-how to all of the company’s products, and achieving the best results in edible applications. All of Nielsen-Massey’s products–be it extract, bean, sugar, powder, or paste–are gluten-free, allergen-free, GMO-free, and kosher, making cooking and baking a breeze for any crowd and swoon-worthy with each bite.
— Nicole Woon