Vanilla Pods - Bourbon from Madagascar

It's time for you to try real, all-natural vanilla for the first time. The opposite of "plain vanilla," premium Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans offer one of the most alluring and complex flavour profiles on the planet.

Vanilla beans from the Northeast corner of Madagascar are considered the premium vanilla gold standard. The region's climate and soil offer ideal growing conditions, and the region's skilled farmers maintain a time-honoured tradition of growing and curing quality vanilla beans by hand. We offer 14-17cm and 18+ cm pods and the option to buy certified organic varieties. Each vanilla bean is cultivated and cured by expert farmers on our farms in Analirojfo and hand-selected for freshness and rich fragrance.

HOW DOES IT TASTE?

Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar are dark and creamy, with floral, sweet, earthy undertones of dried dark fruits, oak, and leather all at the same time. Madagascar Vanilla has higher concentrations of vanillin (the dominant flavour compound) than vanilla sourced from elsewhere.

HOW IS IT USED?

Slice open a vanilla pod lengthwise, and you'll find thousands of tiny, fragrant seeds, sometimes called vanilla caviar. You can add vanilla caviar to cake batter, cookie dough, frosting, sauces, syrups, and more. While most people use vanilla caviar in their recipes, the pods themselves have a lot of flavour, too. You can use the pods to infuse milk or cream with vanilla flavour or make vanilla-flavoured maple syrup.

(split)

DESCRIPTION  

The vanilla bean is considered the fruit of the vanilla plant, an orchid plant which grows in the form of a dark brown bean pod that is long and skinny and that is grown in tropical climates.  A good vanilla pod should be flexible and slightly moist. 

The “specks” that are found on the inside are what give vanilla their flavor and aroma, containing the natural compound vanillin. 

Cultivated and cured by expert farmers onsite at our farms, each vanilla bean is hand-selected for its freshness and rich fragrance. 

HEALTH BENEFITS 

Vanilla, apart from being a flavouring agent, it has a significant positive affect on your overall health as well. Many health promoting elements such as vitamins, minerals, essential oils and complex sugars are present in vanilla.

Vanilla contains vanillin that acts as an antidepressant and has a powerful aroma that helps reduce stress, anxiety and left the mood effectively. The smell of vanilla also lessens crying in newborns.

It is proven that vanilla is full packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. And due to the fact that it has fewer calories and carbohydrates than sugar, it can be used to reduce your sugar intake.

COOKING TIPS 

With a sharp knife slice down the center of the pod and gently remove the seeds by running your knife along the edge, but make sure not to drag the knife too firmly as this will remove the woody elements and fibers. And while the seeds are going to have the majority of the flavor, the pods are still fragrant. Depending on your dish, you can use the seeds, pods or both.

The vanilla seeds on their own are ideal for dry applications where extra liquid in a recipe is undesirable. They are also preferably used in recipes that require the flavour to be blended, whipped or mixed vigorously during production. Meanwhile the pods are perfect for infusing milk, cream and adding flavour and scent to sugar.  You can easily substitute vanilla extract with vanilla beans in any recipe. One vanilla bean is roughly equivalent to about 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

CUISINES & DISHES

Popular Uses:

• Sweet: crème anglaise, crème brûlée, custards, puddings, yogurt, gelato, and ice cream
  
• Savory: glazes for poultry, seafood and pork
  
• Drinks: Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Vanilla Bean Iced Coffee, Vanilla Infused Rum, Sangria, Cream Soda Floats, and Amaretto Sours
  

STORAGE

Wrap your vanilla beans in either wax paper or plastic wrap and store in an airtight glass or Tupperware container and store them in a cool dark place.

It is not recommended to refrigerate your vanilla beans as it will impact the quality of your beans and may actually become unusable.