ISO dark glass bottles/jars in GTA

[lilaki]

hey chowhounds,

i am planning to make my own vanilla extract. i have heard that using dark glass bottles/jars would work best. the only problem ... where to find them?? i've got tons of clear glass bottles/jars at home and have seen them available in various stores that sell canning/preserving equipment. but i've never seen dark glass for sale ...

the only thing i could think of would be to re-use a dark glass booze bottle (clean it out first!)...not sure if this would be okay for the vanilla?

any ideas?

tks!

lilaki

[topbanana]

You may want to try a pharmacy supply company. They will likely have the amber tinted glass jars.

[lilaki]

excellent idea! tks!

[lilaki]

hi all,

thanks so much for the ideas ... i plan on using a dark rum so i think that should come in a dark bottle (?); if not, then i'll just just clear glass.

[Wahooty]

Dark rums actually often come in clear bottles. I think a truly dark rum may overwhelm your vanilla, though. I like it when mine tastes like rum, but I usually use more of a medium-tone rum so it's not too molasses-y. Havana Club is the only one I know of offhand that comes in a dark bottle.

[lilaki]

oops. i never thought of that. to be honest, i'm not a drinker at all ... i know very little about booze ... i do know that i like rum over vodka ... and most definitely over bourbon. so that's why i thought i'd use rum.

what rum do you suggest i use??

[Wahooty]

Keep in mind you're not going to be doing shots of vanilla extract (at least I hope not), so drinking preferences don't necessarily translate. Vodka will give you the most pure vanilla flavor because it won't contribute any flavor on its own. Stolichnaya is a nice, clean one that should work well. I like to use a rum like El Dorado that has a little age on it (and happens to be on sale right now http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/lcbo/pro... ), but if you add this to, say, yogurt, you're going to taste the rum in addition to the vanilla. I like this, but it may not be what you're going for. A white rum will probably be a little less pronounced, but I rarely drink white rum so I can't suggest brands for you. :)

[lilaki]

hey wahooty,

thanks for the insight.

i hadn't thought about the fact that i'm not drinking it! :) but yes, you're right ... just plan to use my extract in baking (mostly). i have will have beans + paste so i can use that in yogurts and puddings etc ... where i don't want the boozy flavour.

i'm probably not the right person for this since i am so ignorant about alcohol...i really don't like the taste of vodka but never thought about the fact that it wouldn't impart a flavour in the extract.

looks like i gotta do more research. :)

thanks!!!!

[Wahooty]

You might think about buying a couple of different small (375 mL) bottles and experimenting to see what you like. That way if you choose something that you end up not liking, you're not stuck with a huge bottle and wasted beans.

[funfoodie]

I have my homemade vanilla extract in an old Grolsch "swing-top" green beer bottle.

[Kagemusha]

Ideas? Sure. Ignore the urban legend advice. All my primo vanilla extracts live happily in clear glass in a dark, cool cupboard.

[Wahooty]

That's exactly what I do - re-use a booze bottle. I mean, you're making the extract WITH booze, right? Depending on the booze, it shouldn't even really require cleaning. They also conveniently come in various sizes.