Mexican vanilla

[ajluze]

Does Mexican vanilla fall into the alcohol category? Just wondering if there is a limit or if vanilla is banned. Thanks!

 

[gatordoc]

We bought 4 large bottles in Cozumel and brought it back on board without issue.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

It's not a beverage so there are no limits to bring it back on the ship. Just remember that if you buy bottles larger than 3 ounces, they will have to go in your checked luggage if you are flying home.

 

[Mimirdh]

I wanted to buy some vanilla in Mexico too. Any recommendations on where to shop? Hoping it will be less expensive than in the states.

 

[Pamlur]

The less expensive it is, the lesser the quality.

 

[geoly1]

I bought vanilla beans my last time in Mexico & made my own with vodka & about 6 months

 

[Mimirdh]

I'm a pastry chef and use vanilla on a daily basis. I love the idea of making my own but don't have 6 months to wait.

 

[ajluze]

Thank you so much for the responses. My daughter is a baker and wanting to get some while we are there. She is very happy to hear that she can buy it and bring it back.

 

[Bonnie1222]

If you wanted to buy beans is there anything special you should look for? I've never bought beans before.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Check the labels on the vanilla. If it contains coumarin, it's imitation vanilla.

http://www.vanillaqueen.com/vanilla-from-mexico-central-american-and-the-caribbean/

 

[FigmentSpark]

Check the labels on the vanilla. If it contains coumarin, it's imitation vanilla.

http://www.vanillaqueen.com/vanilla-from-mexico-central-american-and-the-caribbean/

Thanks for the article. I read it, then checked what I have in my pantry. I'll be making some new purchases before my next baking project.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

I HIGHLY recommend vanilla from Los Cinco Soles. It is a reputable store that has pure vanilla. It's the only place I buy mine. It is on the main street called Melgar, north of the port. You can also buy some at the store called Mega on Melgar as well. I never have because I have heard that some of it is good and some not. The cheap vanilla in the tourist stores are not necessarily PURE vanilla. Read the labels. It's a must.

 

[Sun_soakin]

I just ran out of this huge bottle of vanilla my uncle bought me from mexico years ago. It was Molino Real mexican vanilla blend with the picture of the vanilla beans and flower on the front. Not pure, but tastes so much better in my recipes than pure vanilla does. Not sure if it's toxic or not, but I need another bottle or two.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I just ran out of this huge bottle of vanilla my uncle bought me from mexico years ago. It was Molino Real mexican vanilla blend with the picture of the vanilla beans and flower on the front. Not pure, but tastes so much better in my recipes than pure vanilla does. Not sure if it's toxic or not, but I need another bottle or two.

Pure Mexican vanilla is fabulous. (I get it off ebay.)

 

[MickeyEarrings]

I wanted to buy some vanilla in Mexico too. Any recommendations on where to shop? Hoping it will be less expensive than in the states.

While we were on the WBPC this spring, we got vanilla in Puerto Vallarta at the Walmart, as Capt. Ken Puckett recommended. It cost the equivalent of $2 US. The next day we saw the very same product (same size and brand) at a tourist trap in Cabo San Lucas for $10

 

[FigmentSpark]

Does vanilla go bad? Do they have a best before date and you should throw it out after that?

 

[Msmit002]

Does vanilla go bad? Do they have a best before date and you should throw it out after that?

No, not that I have experienced. The 35% alcohol content is pretty good insurance as well as the fact that it doesn't really contain any macromolecules that are prone to spoilage. Can it lose some of it's 'oomph'? Perhaps. But my experience has shows the opposite. If some of the alcohol manages to ever-so-slowly evaporate, the solution as a whole is more concentrated.

Short answer: don't worry about it. I bought a huge bottle from a warehouse store and it lasted me years without issues.