Compared to spices and vanilla you find at our local grocery stores or big box stores, what’s the difference in the pricing?

Well, big name brands that have been around for a long time, also look for mass production methods, and how to keep their costs down, so their profit margin is higher.  We at Gourmet Vanilla ‘n’ Spice, are more concerned about our products quality.  We’re focused on the very best possible for our customers. 

You may have read simple quick tiny batch ideas off Pinterest.  So why do we make ours different?  Aren’t these ideas / recipes just as good, or at least good enough?  Perhaps, if you’re looking for low price.  But, remember this… “You get what you pay for”.  This especially is relevant with larger bottles of Vanilla at low prices being sold by locals in Mexico.  Although Mexico does raise vanilla beans, this crop is worth a fortune.  What they sell to tourists, is synthetic, even carcinogenic.  Oh, but yours has a “Pure Vanilla” label.  Yes, and Mexico has NO regulation for labeling products.  So, they can claim anything on their product labels, and not admit to anything being added, or synthetic.  

We never use the dried up, thin, grade B vanilla beans.  We prefer the plump, oily, full of caviar Grade A vanilla beans.  We never use bottom shelf, cheap alcohols.  We use what’s been tested to produce quality vanilla’s, these top shelf brands may cost more, but again, it makes the vanilla so worth it.

We don’t boil our vanilla, long steeped 12-18 months, shaken, in a dark location, for the richest vanilla.  We don’t rush out vanillas either.  Some vanillas we even add a piece of the vanilla bean into the bottle.  Most all of our vanillas you’ll see the specks of caviar to the bottom.  Just shake the bottle to incorporate the caviar into the vanilla extract, to add this desired specks into your recipe.

Just as different alcohols will produce different tastes, so does the many different vanilla beans, they produce with bold smoky flavor great in marinade, glaze on meat, in coffee, chili, BBQ sauce.  And there are the sweeter, fruitier flavors in vanilla beans, great for ice cream, baking, sweets, candies, smoothies, so yes, what you choose for what your purpose is, is very important.  You don’t just grab cayenne pepper when your out of cinnamon, so why not have a few flavors of vanilla’s in your spice cabinet also.

So, if your familiar with the formula for homemade products, they say take your cost & double it for your wholesale price (covering your time), and double that price for your retail price.  Well, I’m sorry but when your working with expensive vanilla beans and spirits, you would have vanilla extracts priced out of range for nearly anyone to afford.  So, we’ve taken the costs (vanilla beans, alcohol, bottles, labels) and added ¼ that cost for our profit margin, nothing is doubled.  However, double or triple the batch will also add to the cost of the end vanilla extract.  Still, you have a bargain with the price being lower than it should may be at.

What about Tonga, Hawaiian, Samoan as these vanilla beans are $50-$60/ounce (ounce being 2-3 beans on average), taking a dozen or more beans per batch.  Yes, these are our top line, investment extracts.  They are also the elite, best vanilla extract you can find.  What about Madagascar?  Well, this is a highest produced vanilla bean, most common because there is so much Madagascar for the market.  And what of Mexican, especially if buying cheap from Mexico is synthetic, artificial extract.  Well, as stated before, Mexico does produce vanilla beans as a crop, and they are similar to Madagascar, easy to come by, nothing spectacular.  We’d like to encourage you to try a variety of vanilla’s for an assortment of uses and recipes.  Then please, give us a review (bottom of the front page of the website).  Remember, you do, “get what you pay for”… cheap means just that, poor quality.  The better your ingredients are, the better you’re recipe will turn out.  Let our Gourmet highest quality vanilla extracts (and other flavorings and spice blends) be the “secret ingredient” in your recipes.