Behind the Vanilla
I recently read an article in “Living Magazine” by doterra called “Vanilla Dawn” and it was so powerful and interesting I knew I just needed to share with you the amazing species of an orchid- the Vanilla plant.
Specifically it’s about the Madagascar Vanilla- you guessed it – it’s from Madagascar. The vanilla plant prefers partial shade and uses vines to climb with small blossoms that need to be hand pollinated. Vanilla originally native to Mexico needs to have a Mexican bee to pollinate it. Without that bee there’s only a 1 percent chance that the vanilla flower will be pollinated on its own. Then in 1841 Edmond Albius, a young slave, learned how to pollinate vanilla blossoms by hand. His discovery allowed vanilla to be grown in tropical areas around the world.
It takes 3 to 4 years for the vanilla plant to begin producing vanilla beans and it must be pollinated in the morning hours. Each flower will produce a small group of pods that needs to mature for 9 months before harvesting. They are then handpicked and taken for processing and the first step is killing. Which refers to dipping the green pods in a hot water bath for a few minutes to stop development of the pods. The next step is sweating which activates enzymes in the beans that cause them to soften and turn the dark color your familiar with. The pods then rest in wooden boxes for up to 2 days. Then off to drying in the sun for a few hours each day for 10 days. Next step is to finish drying them in a warehouse for 2 months.
Once they are done and dry they will be sorted according to color, moisture content and quality and again stored in wooden boxes for another 2 to 3 months. Finally they are sorted and packaged.
There are lots of different vanilla options out there but a word of caution – make sure it’s actually vanilla extract and not an imitation. There’s a superior flavor when you get the correct stuff. The best way to ensure the flavor and quality is to make your own. It’s incredibly easy!
Thank you for reading!! If you click on the above image learn how to make your own vanilla extract! Thank you for your support. Please comment below if you learned something new.
Homemade DIY Vanilla Extract
Learn how simple and easy it is to make your own Vanilla Extract at home! You just need 2 ingredients plus a jar and a lid and some time and you’ll have your own homemade vanilla extract.
Vanilla Beans + Vodka
Grab MY Favorite Vanilla Beans from Amazon!
Ingredients:
1 – 10 pack of Organic vanilla beans (Madagascar)
1 Pint Jar
Vodka of choice (Enough to fill the pint jar I use Organic)
Directions:
Using a sharp knife slice open each of the vanilla beans (this helps release the flavor quicker, however you could skip)
Place the vanilla beans in the jar, cut in half if needed. Fill with vodka. Using a plastic lid store in your cupboard for about 6 months or longer. You can then remove or strain the vanilla beans and discard. However I have used them a 2nd time and it’s not as strong of a vanilla flavor but it is absolutely acceptable. Note: At this time you may want to start your second batch either using new vanilla beans or the previously used ones so you’ll have enough Homemade Vanilla Extract on hand whenever you need it.
Enjoy! This also makes a great homemade gift!
