Hi I quit growing vanilla due to the rampant growth,Seems to be necessary never got a flower until round 10 feet of growth even then it was a shy bloomer. I found the variagated form less hardy in all respects to the green plainifolia. They are very easy to root by almost any method but if you really want flowers you'll have to allow it to run rampant . As long as it's warm and humid they are happy.. My main objection was they took up way to much space. gary

I was always surprised when they did the taste test for vanilla at America's Test Kitchen and the tasters couldn't tell the difference between real or imitation vanilla. Grainlady - America's Test Kitchen amended their conclusion about real vs. imitation vanilla with another vanilla taste test. They divided the test very specifically between baked goods and milk/pudding tests. In the milk/pudding tests, imitation vanilla fell to the bottom of the rankings. In baked goods, they found that "flavor and aroma compounds in vanilla begin to bake off at around 280 to 300 degrees. Cakes rarely exceed an internal temperature above 210 degrees; cookies become much hotter as they bake. As a result, pure vanilla kept a slight flavor advantage in the cake--but not in the cookies." Their conclusion was "If youâÂÂre only buying one bottle of vanilla for cooking, baking, and making cold and creamy desserts, our top choice is a real extract. If you only use vanilla for baking, we have to admit thereâÂÂs not much difference between a well-made synthetic vanilla and the real thing. Speaking to pastry chefs, we learned that many buy an arsenal of vanilla extracts, using cheaper imitation for baking and pure for confections made with moderate or no heat, such as puddings, pastry cream, and buttercream frosting." Their overall winner was the McCormick's Pure Vanilla.

Is this the recipe you used, Cindy? It does look a bit too eggy, but I think 6" of vanilla should be about right for that amount of cream and milk: 2-1/3 cups whole milk 2-1/3 cups heavy cream 1 whole vanilla bean (about 6 inches in length) 3 large eggs 4 large egg yolks 1-1/8 cups sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use the blunt edge to scrape out the "seeds." Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to beat until the mixture is thick, smooth, and pale yellow in color (similar to mayonnaise), about 2 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk/cream mixture and discard. Measure out 1 cup of the hot liquid. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. When thoroughly combined, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk/cream mixture and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl, stir in vanilla, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard, and chill completely. Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. I only have 5 eggs at the moment, and so I guess I will make the recipe I posted before and use 5" of vanilla bean, unless I go to the store before I decide to make it. I do think that all recipes calling for vanilla bean should specify inches, since the ones I got in the store were very short.

Vanilla Enchantment is more expensive, but it's organic, sustainable and I think Fair Trade. I've gotten them from bulkfoods.com too, cheaper. Penzey's is a good choice for me because we actually have a store in Grand Rapids and I save the shipping. Annie