I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever pulled out their stock of flavorings and went, "wow, I have absolutely no idea what to do." Sometimes it's hard to come up with an idea or a recipe. Other times I feel like the Bobby Fischer of DIY and it just comes to me. Here's a few tips of things I do to help overcome!
1. Start tasting! Sometimes I find that it's just more of not knowing what I'm into at the moment. It's like when you're hungry but nothing sounds good because none of it is that one unknown item your mouth has decided it wants. To help with this I will start taking a taste of each one by one. Set aside any that struck you as anything more than just, "yep, that's strawberry, or guava, or ...." If you come upon one that really strikes your fancy then run with it! If none of them particularly sing out at you and you've made it through your whole stock then it's time to move to the ones you set aside. Re-evaluate each one, but this time try and think about what it is specifically about that flavor that is interesting you at the moment, maybe the tartness of a berry flavor, the pop of a juicy peach, or the creaminess of a custard. Whatever it is you should be able to identify something in common with a couple of the set-asides, when you do, run with it!
2. Maybe you already have an idea of what you want to do, but just aren't sure where to go with it. That's no problem at all. Knowing what you want to be the centerpiece of any flavor is half the battle. When I'm in a situation like this I usually jump to using a couple of flavor charts like this one http://bakeitright.com/flavor-charts to keep moving ahead. They're chock full of ideas, especially when you start to chain complimentary flavors together. Pick a couple of compliments to your main attraction(s), then maybe even a couple of compliments to those. Next thing you know, you're knee deep in ideas and are about to pull the ol' plastic out and finance your favorite flavoring supplier.
3. If you're really knee deep in the shit, and are just generally lost. Then there's two things to do. The first fall back on a pre-existing recipe, but maybe see if you can throw in a twist of your own to get the creative juices flowing (pun intended). This can be anything from checking out the many many recipes listed on the forums, or even some reliable household recipes. Like a Pina Colada. The second; don't mix right now. It's that simple. If nothing is coming to you, and nothing sounds good, don't force it. This will just really increase the odds of you making something you find to be lack luster or worse, downright disgusting.
Thanks for the read! Share your thoughts and techniques!
1. Start tasting! Sometimes I find that it's just more of not knowing what I'm into at the moment. It's like when you're hungry but nothing sounds good because none of it is that one unknown item your mouth has decided it wants. To help with this I will start taking a taste of each one by one. Set aside any that struck you as anything more than just, "yep, that's strawberry, or guava, or ...." If you come upon one that really strikes your fancy then run with it! If none of them particularly sing out at you and you've made it through your whole stock then it's time to move to the ones you set aside. Re-evaluate each one, but this time try and think about what it is specifically about that flavor that is interesting you at the moment, maybe the tartness of a berry flavor, the pop of a juicy peach, or the creaminess of a custard. Whatever it is you should be able to identify something in common with a couple of the set-asides, when you do, run with it!
2. Maybe you already have an idea of what you want to do, but just aren't sure where to go with it. That's no problem at all. Knowing what you want to be the centerpiece of any flavor is half the battle. When I'm in a situation like this I usually jump to using a couple of flavor charts like this one http://bakeitright.com/flavor-charts to keep moving ahead. They're chock full of ideas, especially when you start to chain complimentary flavors together. Pick a couple of compliments to your main attraction(s), then maybe even a couple of compliments to those. Next thing you know, you're knee deep in ideas and are about to pull the ol' plastic out and finance your favorite flavoring supplier.
3. If you're really knee deep in the shit, and are just generally lost. Then there's two things to do. The first fall back on a pre-existing recipe, but maybe see if you can throw in a twist of your own to get the creative juices flowing (pun intended). This can be anything from checking out the many many recipes listed on the forums, or even some reliable household recipes. Like a Pina Colada. The second; don't mix right now. It's that simple. If nothing is coming to you, and nothing sounds good, don't force it. This will just really increase the odds of you making something you find to be lack luster or worse, downright disgusting.
Thanks for the read! Share your thoughts and techniques!