Comments on: Trader Joe’s Top Ten Update: Pluses and Minuses http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/01/12/trader-joes-top-ten-update-pluses-and-minuses/ Recipes from the Go Dairy Free kitchen Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:30:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: GuruJ http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/01/12/trader-joes-top-ten-update-pluses-and-minuses/comment-page-1/#comment-9986 GuruJ Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:05:59 +0000 http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/?p=340#comment-9986 IMHO (now I rant), the bourbon vanilla at TJ's is truly horrible. Maybe because I learned some baking in the Bourbon Islands but the vanilla is hardly vanilla. Its flavor profile (not being sarcastic) is soil. Normal baking makes the vanilla sour and over flavor the rest of the recipe. If you make chocolates and use a grocery store vanilla you will never have great chocolate. They put water in it which seizes the crystals in the sugars & and the fats don't mix. I was a huge fan of the old TJ Tahitian Vanilla for baking with exotic sugars and brown sugar recipes. If you are using the Bourbon (not the alcohol used in it but the region where the vanilla cuttings were transplanted from mexico way back when) from TJ's I beg of you to spend some money, go online get some Rains Vanilla or even worst case scenario Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (overpriced for quality but 100x better the grocery store). Try a few smaller brands that specialize in smaller batches and find what works best for your pallet and recipe book. Also try to get your vanilla as fresh as possible. It's fresh flavor profile is so much better and I swear fresh vanilla works as an aphrodisiac!!! Vanilla gets leathery in only a month or two. Buy in small usable batches or share with families & friends. Your baking will make others think you sold your soul to the devil. Namste IMHO (now I rant), the bourbon vanilla at TJ’s is truly horrible. Maybe because I learned some baking in the Bourbon Islands but the vanilla is hardly vanilla. Its flavor profile (not being sarcastic) is soil. Normal baking makes the vanilla sour and over flavor the rest of the recipe.

If you make chocolates and use a grocery store vanilla you will never have great chocolate. They put water in it which seizes the crystals in the sugars & and the fats don’t mix.

I was a huge fan of the old TJ Tahitian Vanilla for baking with exotic sugars and brown sugar recipes.

If you are using the Bourbon (not the alcohol used in it but the region where the vanilla cuttings were transplanted from mexico way back when) from TJ’s I beg of you to spend some money, go online get some Rains Vanilla or even worst case scenario Nielsen-Massey Vanillas (overpriced for quality but 100x better the grocery store). Try a few smaller brands that specialize in smaller batches and find what works best for your pallet and recipe book. Also try to get your vanilla as fresh as possible. It’s fresh flavor profile is so much better and I swear fresh vanilla works as an aphrodisiac!!! Vanilla gets leathery in only a month or two. Buy in small usable batches or share with families & friends. Your baking will make others think you sold your soul to the devil.

Namste

]]> By: katie http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/01/12/trader-joes-top-ten-update-pluses-and-minuses/comment-page-1/#comment-4346 katie Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:14:21 +0000 http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/?p=340#comment-4346 The bourbon vanilla is the only vanilla I use. It has a very intense flavor that goes great with dark cocoa. And, TJs discontinued my favorite item a while back too - the ginger spreas. Luckily I have 4 jars left from my last trip! The bourbon vanilla is the only vanilla I use. It has a very intense flavor that goes great with dark cocoa. And, TJs discontinued my favorite item a while back too – the ginger spreas. Luckily I have 4 jars left from my last trip!

]]> By: Hélène http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/01/12/trader-joes-top-ten-update-pluses-and-minuses/comment-page-1/#comment-4159 Hélène Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:02:18 +0000 http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/?p=340#comment-4159 I love TJ but we don't have these stores in Canada. Whenever I'm in the States I make sure I make a stop at TJ. Thanks for the list. I love TJ but we don’t have these stores in Canada. Whenever I’m in the States I make sure I make a stop at TJ. Thanks for the list.

]]> By: Meghan http://www.alisacooks.com/2009/01/12/trader-joes-top-ten-update-pluses-and-minuses/comment-page-1/#comment-4049 Meghan Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:48:47 +0000 http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/?p=340#comment-4049 Hey there! I thought of you when I posted this... well not really you but your blogs. Dairy free muffins made from food that would otherwise be thrown out. Check it! http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2009/01/12/waste-not-muffins/ Hey there! I thought of you when I posted this… well not really you but your blogs. Dairy free muffins made from food that would otherwise be thrown out. Check it! http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2009/01/12/waste-not-muffins/

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