thank you for all the information! I do a lot of baking and buy my vanilla in the biggest size they have so I wanted to make sure I got the best one. @Trena, I think I might try that!
Brand names aside, treat this as you would a savory application; stock, butter, etc. Low sodium (or better, none) is always preferred; it allows YOU to control the seasoning of the final dish. Baking/pastry is no different. Sugar is no different than salt; it should be used to season and enhance flavors, not to be the only thing you taste.
Go with no sugar; you be the one who decides how much sugar goes into your dishes.
It's all about marketing. Straight vanilla extract isn't exactly tasty on its own, mainly due to the alcohol content. Hence the sugar. Once it's diluted down in actual use, the sugar doesn't matter either way.
In my baking classes I always have my students compare McCormick's with Nielsen-Massey's Bourbon-Madagascar. The Neilsen-Massey wins every time. for more than 20 years.
CI did tested the extracts diluted in milk (8:1 milk:vanilla)& vanilla pudding plus the top rated versions in yellow cakes, and vanilla cookies. The N-M is also one of their recommended products.
just an added note, I wanted to get a large bottle for baking at BJ' and one i Madagacar vanilla, which has less alcohol content and also has fructose, or McCormick which had a higher alcohol content and no sugar.
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Go with no sugar; you be the one who decides how much sugar goes into your dishes.
It's all about marketing. Straight vanilla extract isn't exactly tasty on its own, mainly due to the alcohol content. Hence the sugar. Once it's diluted down in actual use, the sugar doesn't matter either way.