FAQ

Ideally a glass container such as a small mason jar, in your pantry away from light. A thick food grade zip-loc bag is fine. Plastic wrap will not do the job over the long term. You can refrigerate but freezing is not recommended. White streaks, or essential oils may appear on the surface. This is normal. Properly stored, good quality vanilla beans can last for many years.

Vanilla is a fruit that grows in clusters on a vine. Within the clusters there are varying lengths. Very short beans are usually culled for lower grades. Typically, vanilla beans range between 13cm and 20cm in length. Over 16cm is considered premium, however if the vanilla is mature and well cured, shorter beans are just as effective.

Gourmet quality, or Black vanilla, has traditionally been supplied to the consumer, food service and the cooking professional’s trades. It is a whole non-spilt vanilla bean, significantly higher in moisture content than industrial vanilla which is available in several grades and categories. Industrial vanilla accounts for approx. 85% of world-wide production and is the driving factor for vanilla prices in general.

A vanilla bean at maximum maturity will sometimes split while still green/yellow on the vine or during the curing process. Although rarely available to the consumer, split vanilla is an excellent quality and is extremely popular with ice cream and dairy manufactures because of its sweet profile and high vanillin content. Split vanilla beans are more reddish in color than whole vanilla beans and in the past were called “red foxies”.

Vanilla bean farming is very labor intensive with many stages of intense manipulation almost always by hand. The typical cycle for growing vanilla from the moment of planting is 5 years. Even after the first vanilla flowers appear there is a further 12-16-month period of vanilla pollination (by hand), maturation, harvesting and curing. When there is a shortage of vanilla the time lag to increase production is so great, prices often spiral out of control driven mostly by industrial demand. Quality will often decrease when prices rise, depending on the origin of the vanilla. After 5 years a flood of new vanilla production brings prices down very quickly. Vanilla extract prices usually follow shortly thereafter.

There are two types of vanilla species cultivated commercially, Planifolia, primarily from Madagascar, Indonesia, Uganda and the Comoros Islands and Tahitensis, primarily from Papua New Guinea and French Polynesia. There are also several pockets of artisanal vanilla production at origins such as Mexico, Costa Rica, India, Tonga, etc. Each vanilla from each species and origin has its own unique flavor and fragrance profile. The most critical factors that determine quality for all vanilla are maturity and proper curing methodologies.

Unfortunately, until you taste it, you cannot. Although there are specific regulations as to how pure vanilla extract is made, virtually any quality vanilla bean can be used, sometimes resulting in very poor weak flavored vanilla extract. Unfortunately, there is much deception and outright food fraud when it comes to vanilla extract. There are some well reputed brands that can be trusted, but the best way to guarantee the quality of your vanilla extract is to make it yourself.

It is very simple. The normal ratio for regular strength vanilla extract recipe is 100g (3.53oz) of finely chopped(.5cm/.2inch) vanilla beans (best quality possible) per liter (33.8oz) of extractive (a clear neutral alcohol such as vodka works best). For a more concentrated extract use more vanilla beans. Gourmet or black vanilla will yield a darker more viscous extract. A blend of gourmet and extraction grade works very well. Seal the chopped vanilla beans in a glass jar with the liquid and let sit in a dark space. Shake vigorously every few days. The extract will darken quickly. In 4 weeks taste the extract…it should be ready but will only get better with time. After another 4 weeks remove the vanilla and strain by twisting in a cheesecloth. There will be some liquid lost in the vanilla beans which can be used as compost or air freshener. This should yield about 700ml or just under 24ozs of excellent quality pure unadulterated vanilla extract. It will be not be clear like most store-bought extracts, but vastly superior in quality. You can even leave a few pieces of vanilla in the extract which will only enhance it further over time

Regulations governing the manufacture of vanilla extract are practically non-existent outside of North America and Europe. Unscrupulous vendors will take advantage of the association people often make between vanilla and exotic tropical destinations. On a global scale vanilla bean prices are usually very consistent. If a vanilla extract is available at a fraction of the cost you would expect to pay it is highly likely the extract is either synthetic or outright fraudulent in composition.