If you ever wanted to know about bourbon vanilla...

[CL]

My wife bought Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract today. It says it is 100% bourbon vanilla. So, I got curious and went searching on the Internet. My first guess was it was somehow related to the French Bourbon family. I didn't see that connection, but I didn't look too much farther after I found this link and read that it is a species of the vanilla bean.

Vanilla Bean Facts

Got anything to add, Mr. Chef, er, Jeff? ;-)

[texascarl]

My first guess was it was somehow related to the French Bourbon family. I didn't see that connection,

IIRC, you're right on the money. Tho' the plant is originally from Mexico, what's now labeled as Bourbon-Madagascar vanilla beans came from islands in the Indian Ocean...and at that time they were controlled by the ruling Bourbon family of France.

You can also make Vanilla Bourbon cut two Vanilla beans in half, scrape the seeds and put the bean and seeds into a small jar and cover with 1 cup of good bourbon. Let this sit for a month or so, shake the jar when you remember to do so. Then take out the vanilla beans, let dry and place them in your sugar jar or in a jar of coffee beans where their aroma will flavor the sugar/coffee for Vanilla Sugar or Vanilla coffee.

Use the vanilla flavored bourbon for home mede ice cream, bread pudding, to soak cheesecloth that you use to wrap a fruit cake etc...

[CL]

Thanks.