Recipes

[coffee drinker]

While shopping at Costco, I was shocked at the price.  It was $24.99 for a 16 oz. bottle.   I checked my bottle which was purchased at Costco in 2012, and it cost $6.75.  I know prices do increase, but I do not think it was $24.99 at Christmas time. Does anyone know why it got so expensive?

[mustang66lady]

@coffee drinker

I believe there is a shortage of Madagasgar vanilla beans.  Was 20.00 as kilogram and now is 200.00/kilogram.  This was predicted several months ago and I stocked up then.  Don't know if purchasing the vanilla bean itself and a bottle of alchol to make your own will be more cost effective or not as the bean will be expensive as well.

[coffee drinker]

Wow, what a shocker.  I still have about 1/4 of the bottle left.  I may just pick up a bottle of vodka, drink it and I won't worry about vanilla prices.  Seriously, I haven't noticed bakery prices increase.  Sure, there's just a tiny bit in recipes, but if we can be charged more, we will.

[phoenixbrd]

Yes, I purchase the vanilla powder also and it is pricey, but delicious.

[VaBelle35]

I received an email from Penzey's about this  months ago about stocking up before the price sky rocketed.  I bought 2 large bottles of double vanilla to tide me over.

I should have also bought a bottle of Costco at the time as I use that for work baking.  It's very good and "good enough" for work people.  I keep the Penzey's double vanilla for personal baking.

[Harpa]

Price increases are usually because of a poor harvest due to adverse growing conditions. That did happen a couple years ago, but I haven't heard of anything recent.

But regular market prices are very high, anyway.

It's also time for me to purchase my Madagasgar vanilla beans that I get from the local farmer's market. He sells them @ 2.50 a pop, so I always come away with a handful, get my bottle of bourbon, and go home and make my own.

I wonder if his price per bean is still the same...?

[Dusty1]

I bought 1/2 lb of Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans 2 years, ago & made a large batch of vanilla. I saw the warnings about the price of vanilla beans, but didn't think much of it. I paid $28.30 for my 1/2 lb in January 2015. The price for those beans today are $182.75. 

I remember I got about 60 some vanilla beans in that 1/2 lb. 

5 Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans are $26.95 today.

These prices are on beanilla dot come. The vanilla beans are really nice & it made wonderful vanilla. 

I may buy enough for a smaller batch & my friends will have to fend for themselves. I probably won't be sharing my vanilla.

[blackhole99]

I bought vanilla beans online a few years ago and made my own vanilla too. I don't remember how many beans I got, but I used 20 beans in 1.75 L of vodka. I still have about a third of the bottle left, does vanilla go bad?

[Harpa]

---

@blackhole99 wrote:

I bought vanilla beans online a few years ago and made my own vanilla too. I don't remember how many beans I got, but I used 20 beans in 1.75 L of vodka. I still have about a third of the bottle left, does vanilla go bad?

---

Not in all that vodka!

The longer the infusion, the better!

I make mine in 375 ml bottles, (so much smaller) and stuff about 8 slit vanilla beans in there. (I always have to take an oz. out first.) A bottle that size gives me about a year's worth of baking.

[kibbi]

I noticed the price skyrocketed too. I went to BJs to get a bottle when I ran out but didn't get it because of price increase.  The same as you said. The last bottle I bought 2 years ago was around 12 dollars. I decided I can live without real vanilla.