Sugar Free Vanilla Extract?

[SarahO]

I have discovered that my favorite brand of vanilla extract contains sugar. As does every brand I have been able to locate at gourmet stores and online. I have a recipe for making your own vanilla extract, but it's supposed to sit for 2 months before use. And I need it to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving!

Does anyone have a source for pure vanilla extract that does not contain sugar? I can't understand why this is so hard to find. Surely there are lots of people who appreciate good cooking but don't eat sugar.

[Karen]

I'm assuming that cream is an ingredient in your pie so what you can do is infuse half a vanilla bean in the cream. Slit the bean first then warm it in the cream. Let the bean sit in the cream until the cream is cool then scrape the seeds out into the cream.

Frontier Herbs (http://www.frontiercoop.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=041200&Category_Code=bfla) extracts contain no sugar. I use the maple flavour and buy it a natural foods store.

IMHO, the proportion of sugar in vanilla extract is so minimal that I wouldn't worry about it.

Karen

[SarahO]

Thanks for the tips Karen! I will check and see if Whole Foods carries Frontier brand. Also I just called Penzey's ( http://www.penzeys.com ) and their vanilla has no sugar. I like them, have ordered from them before.

I hear what you are saying about such a small amount of sugar not being a problem. I'm just trying to be careful. My "diet buddy" at work eats things with small amounts of sugar (like salad dressings, worcestershire, etc) all the time and the weight is just falling off him! That used to really annoy me but I'm getting over it :)