Here are the 6 stages:
- Harvesting. Beans are carefully cut from the stem using a sharp knife.
- Killing/Blanching. The outer vegetative skin of the bean is killed by soaking it in hot water to keep it from growing further.
- Sweating.
- Drying.
- Grading.
- Transportation.
What is the production of vanilla?
Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice after saffron because growing the vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive. Nevertheless, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume production, and aromatherapy.
Production.
| Country | Production (tonnes) |
|---|---|
| All others | 816 |
| World | 7,614 |
| Source: FAOSTAT |
Does vanilla need to be processed?
It is essential that vanilla be properly cured in order to obtain the desired aroma and flavor from your vanilla beans. Processing vanilla beans is a matter of supporting both the vanillin development and the slow drying of the bean in order to preserve it.
How is vanilla produced and sold?
The beans only begin to develop their signature vanilla aroma and flavour after being cured and dried, and they need to be quickly sorted and graded before being sold to a curing facility. Curing the vanilla beans takes several more months, and involves multiple steps that are all done by hand. Kilning.
What is vanilla curing?
At harvest the green-ripe vanilla beans have very little aroma. To create the aroma you must ‘cure’ the beans. Vanilla beans have zero market value unless you cure them – the value of the vanilla is its aroma. Curing is not a drying process – it is a careful process involving fermentation, sweating and slow drying.
Who is world’s biggest producer of vanilla?
Madagascar
The biggest producer of vanilla is Madagascar (2900 tons), followed by Indonesia (2300 tons), China (885 tons), Mexico and Papua New Guinea. There are only 15 countries in the world producing vanilla.
What conditions does vanilla need to grow?
Basic requirements Vanilla is a tropical plant and will grow best in warm, humid climates at temperatures between 21 and 32°C (33.8–89.6°F). Vanilla requires a soil rich in calcium and potassium and will grow best in a soil which is light and well-draining, with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
Why is alcohol used in vanilla extract?
This allows the flavour compounds from the pure vanilla bean to infuse into the alcohol/water mixture, which then forms the pure vanilla extract. While vanilla beans can be extracted without alcohol, it is very slow, ineffective and results in a lower quality vanilla extract.
Should vanilla extract have alcohol?
By definition, yes there is alcohol in vanilla extract. According to the FDA, vanilla extract is a mixture of vanilla scent and flavor characteristic, and alcohol. To be exact, the FDA requires an ethyl alcohol content of at least 35% for a product to be considered vanilla extract.
How do you thicken vanilla extract?
If you do not have corn syrup, you can use any other inverted sugar, such as glucose as well. These are natural thickeners so they make the paste thick. Honey / Agave Syrup – When making vanilla bean paste, I often use honey instead of making sugar syrup.
What country has the best vanilla extract?
Madagascar
Madagascar — Produces the majority of vanilla beans and has a strong, high-quality flavor that’s a good option for baking or freezing.
How do you process fresh vanilla beans?
Once ripe, the four stages of curing can begin.
- Stage 1: Dipping. No more than three days after harvest, the beans are plunged into water heated to 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit from 10 seconds to three minutes.
- Stage 2: Sweating.
- Stage 3: Drying.
- Stage 4: Conditioning.
- Perfection.
Where does the best vanilla come from?
Combined with the hot, humid climate and rich soil, hand pollination by the country’s skilled and patient farmers has enabled Madagascar to become the world’s top vanilla producer in both quantity and quality.
Which vanilla curing method is the fastest method?
Quick curing is the process of quickly drying green vanilla in industrial ovens. Green beans aren’t sorted by hand to determine quality, thickness and length – they are roughly machine-chopped and oven dried.
How long does it take to cure vanilla?
When the vanilla bean turns ripe, the farmers plunge the beans in scalding hot water to stop the ripening; they dry and process them, using sweating boxes, blankets, racks, and ovens; and slowly cure them in the sun for six to nine months to bring the moisture content down to around 30%.
How vanilla pods are cured?
One way to cure and dry vanilla pods is to follow these steps: Step 1. Put pods into 80 degrees Celsius water for 30 seconds. Take out and leave to drain for 15 minutes.
What is the difference between Madagascar vanilla and regular vanilla?
Madagascar vanilla
Also called bourbon vanilla, Madagascan vanilla comes from the same plant and has the same basic flavor notes as Mexican vanilla. The only significant difference is that in Mexico, the plant is pollinated by a bee and in Madagascar, humans need to pollinate the flower, leading to its higher price.
Why is vanilla expensive?
Vanilla extract comes from a plant that is very finicky and difficult to grow. Additionally, most are grown in Madagascar, which has experienced a number of storms in the last five years that have destroyed crops. Both of these factors heavily affect the price a consumer pays for pure vanilla extract.
What makes Madagascar vanilla so special?
Vanilla’s leading flavor is due to the presence of vanillin, an organic compound that delivers those signature sweet, warm, and creamy flavors. Madagascar vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin than beans from other countries, another reason why Madagascar vanilla beans are so richly flavored.
How much water does a vanilla plant need?
Water the plant consistently to keep it evenly moist but allow the top 2 to 3 inches (5-8 cm.) to dry out between watering. Vanilla orchid care does require vigilance for spider mites and mealybugs.
Can you eat vanilla leaves?
Edible parts of Vanilla Plant:
The leaves are used as a flavouring, they have the scent of vanilla. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.