On Aug 23, 2004, at 2:44 PM, Julia Randolph wrote:
It's used in miniscule quantities in recipes, at least in comparison with other ingredients. Even if you buy a huge bottle at the warehouse club (say, something on the order of a liter or so), you're still not using a lot in comparison with what you're mixing it into.
Not only that, but many things that contain vanilla (or peppermint) extract are baked or otherwise heated after the alcohol-containing ingredient is added, so the amount of alcohol per serving is not only miniscule, it may be non-existent.
The alcohol in Vanilla Extract is, at least in the USA, legal requirement: FDA regulations require at least 35% alcohol, but there does not appear to be an upper limit. I was told by my grandmother that it was not unusual for women who wanted to get high (but didn't want to drink the so-called hard stuff) to take a hit off the vanilla bottle from time to time. I guess they got baked without having do to any baking...
Dave
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