You Should Skip Buying Vanilla Extract At Walmart

Anyone who's ever baked anything in their life knows the importance of vanilla extract. According to HuffPost, experts say vanilla extract breathes life into other ingredients in your recipe. It's as essential to baking as salt is to cooking, and the imitation stuff simply will not do, Bake From Scratch declares. When buying vanilla extract for your pantry, don't skip perusing the labels. If the bottle has any indication that its contents are imitation vanilla flavor instead of vanilla extract, move on to the next. If it's not the real thing, it likely contains unsavory chemicals that can infuse your bakes with bitterness. 

Real vanilla extract is expensive, but it's an investment in the quality of your baking outcomes. Of course, the most cost efficient way to keep vanilla extract in your pantry is to make it yourself. A homemade vanilla extract recipe requires only vanilla beans and a bottle of brandy. But this baking staple is so common that most grocery stores keep it stocked in the baking section. Typically, you'll find a range, from imitation to pure extract. Walmart's no different, but you'll want to avoid the pitfalls of buying this ingredient at your local superstore, LifeHacker warns.