Small batch vanilla products rooted in Montana

Aug. 13—Growing up Meggen Wilson’s mother valued hosting guests while serving a home-cooked meal. It was a passion instilled in her that she has since begun sharing with others online.

Originally from Tangerine, Florida, Wilson moved to the Flathead Valley in 2002. She started her blog, Pine and Palm Kitchen, in 2017 sharing recipes and food travel stories.

As part of her endeavors, she makes homemade vinegars, shrubs, vanilla and cleaners at home using local ingredients. It was something she wanted to see if others would like.

And they did, she says with a smile.

Thus began her latest project, Wild Montana Foods, which offers small-batch vanilla bean products.

“I really wanted to lean into making everything extremely local,” she said while cutting vanilla beans in a kitchen at Dancing Spirit Ranch just outside Whitefish to make into a vanilla paste.

Vanilla beans are at the heart of Wild Montana Foods, a main ingredient that Wilson uses in almost all her products. To create vanilla extract, the process includes combining vanilla beans with alcohol and giving it time to soak.

“I found honey that works, spirits that work and I get the beans from co-ops based in the Rockies,” Wilson said, talking about her vanilla extract-making process. It took her a while to get the formula down, she said, until she found the sweet spot.

Wild Montana Foods offers vanilla bean paste, vanilla maple syrup, vanilla extract and spiced vanilla extract, vanilla sugar and espresso vanilla sugar.

The spiced vanilla extract includes cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to provide a light spice to the vanilla flavor. To make the vanilla sugar, vanilla beans are dried in the sun and infused into the sugar for 30 days, creating a delicate sweetener to add to a favorite beverage or use in baking.

Different from other vanilla extracts, Wilson makes her vanilla with honey, rather than corn syrup or glucose syrup. The honey, sourced locally from Great Northern Honey Company, paired with a custom spirit produced by Glacier Distilling Company, helps elevate the natural notes of vanilla that come through in the beans.

Every batch of vanilla extract ages for 12 to 18 months

Wilson says that the vanilla extract elevates any baked goods or recipes. Vanilla acts as an enhancer, she said, so it’s important to use good-quality vanilla beans. Wilson sources her beans abroad, her current batch from Madagascar, although she said that vanilla beans from Uganda are her favorite because of their richness.

She remembers…