<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Well, it seems I am not the only one confused by the whole vanilla problem.
I use (and eat) Ghiardelli chocolate chips, which the company has guaranteed
are GF (according to the people on this list who have called them to ask.  As
of yet I have not called them.)  I asked how this is possible if their chips
contain vanilla, since I thought that vanilla was extracted using alcohol,
which contained grains.

I received many responses, for which I thank you all.  I got a great
education.  The first point that became clear to me is that there is a
controversy whether alcohol can contain gluten particles after the vigorous
distillation process.  Many people (including some scientists) think gluten
cannot survive.  However, I haven't researched this myself, and I know our
bodies are capable of noticing particles even smaller than machines and
scientists can measure. Although I must admit I have been using vanilla
extracted with alcohol up until this point and have had no ill effects from
it in the least.

The second point I learned was that companies many times do not use vanilla
extract at all, but instead use the whole vanilla beans, which makes things
nicer for everyone.

Then again, many respondants wrote to inform me that manufacturers often use
an alcohol that is corn based instead of grain based when extracting vanilla,
and therefore the extract would be safe fo rme, and Ghiardelli could say their
chips were GF honestly.

Some people encouraged me to use vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds, and
one industrious person suggested that I make my own vanilla extract with
potato vodka.  I might just try it, too; it doesn't sound too hard!  (He
suggested putting 2-3 vanilla beans in a pint-sized mason jar and filling the
rest of the jar with Luksusowa potato vodka.  He says after several days, I
will have a very nice vanilla extract!)

Thanks again to all of you who wrote me and shared your knowledge and
experience.

-Christie in Phoenix