The
Watkins Vanilla Story
Watkins Original Double Strength Vanilla
 Watkins
Incorporated, of Winona, Minnesota, is one company that has become famous for its fine
vanilla products. Founded by J.R. Watkins in 1868, Watkins is the oldest direct-selling
company in the world. "Direct-selling" means that the products are not sold in
stores; they are purchased from a Watkins Associate.
According to the best available records, The
J.R. Watkins Medical Company began manufacturing & selling Watkins Vanilla
in 1895. J. R. Watkins dedication to quality was legendary; it was he who, with his 11
fluid-ounce "Trial Mark" bottle, instituted North America's first money-back
guarantee. Watkins
Vanilla, superior in flavor to even the best store brands,
quickly became a staple of the farmhouse kitchen.
Watkins Vanilla gained
international acclaim when it was awarded the Grand Prix with Gold Medal at the Paris
International Exposition in 1928.
Watkins has produced a variety of vanilla products over the past century, the most famous
of which is Watkins
Original Double Strength Vanilla Extract. Watkins Vanilla
starts with the very best whole vanilla beans (no "splits"), all from
Madagascar, & with moisture levels in the optimum range of 21-23%.
A vanilla "perk" is made, just as
with a regular vanilla extract. Once "brewed," it 's fortified with to make the
flavor resistant to degradation by heat or freezing (both possible with vanilla extracts),
& to make the product double-strength. The vanilla is carefully aged, & has a very
low alcohol level (8.25%), which makes it even more heat-resistant.
The result is a product that is not only more
economical than other vanilla extracts, but whose flavor is actually preferred by most
people (its flavor profile is a bit sweeter & more intense than pure vanilla).
Needless to say, it is far superior to any other vanilla. |
