Vanilla bean paste is a thick syrup made using vanilla bean pod seeds and vanilla extract. Not only will it make your desserts look pretty (see the vanilla flecks in the frosting photo below), but it will also give them an intense vanilla flavor – think of vanilla bean ice cream compared to plain vanilla ice cream.
The alcohol takes on the vanilla flavor, but it doesn’t have any of the beans nor any thickness. The paste is made using an entirely different process that suspends ground vanilla beans in a viscous solution of sugar, water, vanilla extract, and a thickener. Use vanilla bean paste as a 1:1 substitution for vanilla extract in any recipe.
The paste is made using an entirely different process that suspends ground vanilla beans in a viscous solution of sugar, water, vanilla extract, and a thickener. Use vanilla bean paste as a 1:1 substitution for vanilla extract in any recipe.
Why should I use vanilla extract in my desserts?
Not only will it make your desserts look pretty (see the vanilla flecks in the frosting photo below), but it will also give them an intense vanilla flavor – think of vanilla bean ice cream compared to plain vanilla ice cream. While I would never drink vanilla extract straight up, I have been known to lick my fingers if they get some paste on them.
What bean does ricin come from?
Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury. Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. It can be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it can be dissolved in water or weak acid.
Ricin comes from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) — it is present in the mash that is left over after grinding castor beans into oil. It can be delivered as a powder, a mist or a pill. Ricin is a ribosome-inactivating protein — it irrevocably damages the ribosomes that carry out protein synthesis in cells.
How deadly is ricin poisoning from castor beans?
It can be deadly, but it depends on the dose and route of exposure. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed ricin can be released, however, simply chewing the beans won’t necessarily kill a person. Castor beans are processed to make castor oil, and ricin is part of the waste produced in this process.
Just 1 milligram is a deadly amount if inhaled or ingested, and only 500 micrograms of the substance would kill an adult if it were injected (CDC). Ricin comes from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) — it is present in the mash that is left over after grinding castor beans into oil.