How to Split Vanilla Beans
Many recipes call for vanilla bean seeds, but are you making the most of your vanilla bean pod and scraping out the seeds correctly? keep reading for how to split vanilla beans and uses for vanilla beans.
What Desserts Use Vanilla Beans?
Just about every dessert out there call for vanilla extract, but what uses vanilla beans specifically? Really anything that uses vanilla extract can use vanilla bean seeds, however it isn’t always the best use of your money to use it everywhere. Any dessert or pastry that specifically and primarily vanilla flavored would benefit from a real vanilla seeds such as creme anglaise, ice cream, pastry cream, and any vanilla custard. I have used it in vanilla bean cookies and cakes and vanilla bean glazes and sauces. Don’t waste your time or money with desserts where vanilla is not the or one of the primary flavors.
What are Vanilla Beans?
Vanilla beans are the fruit of an orchid plant and thrive in tropical climates. It is a long, dark brown pod filled with thousands of teeny tiny seeds that are filled with vanilla flavor. There are 110 varieties of vanilla orchid plant, however one that provides with the world with 99% of the vanilla beans. For more information on the interesting processing of pollinating and harvesting, check out this Spruce Eats post!
What are the Types of Vanilla Beans?
There are several different types of vanilla beans with different flavors depending where they come from. The most popular is Madagascar known for rich and creamy flavor. In fact, seventy five percent of the world’s supply come from Madagascar. There is also Mexican with a bold and smoky flavor and Tahitian which is sweeter and has a fatter pod. In addition we have Ugandan with a strong flavor, Papua New Guinea which are soft and aromatic, and Indian with a more chocolate flavor.
How to Split Vanilla Beans
Hold one end of the vanilla bean with a finger on your non-dominant hand, and using a pairing knife pierce the vanilla bean in the center close to your finger. Do not pierce all the way through, just through the top half of the pod. Slice down the length of the pod, again, not slicing all the way through. Open up the vanilla bean pod, exposing all the seeds, then crape out the seeds using the back of the pairing knife. Use just the seeds or the seeds and the pod. Also, you can scrape several times to get everything.
Uses for Vanilla Beans
Now that you know how to split vanilla beans, what the heck do you do with those pods!? When I use vanilla beans, I just like to use the seeds because I like to use the pods for other purposes and flavorings as there are many uses vanilla beans.
- Vanilla Extract: Use leftover pods to make vanilla extract by soaking in vodka for several months. You can reuse pods after every batch.
- Vanilla Sugar: Keep a container with granulated sugar and vanilla bean pods. Continuously reuse the pods as you use up the sugar.
- Vanilla Oil: Steep vanilla bean pods in oil you use for baking for added vanilla flavor. Allow to cold steep in a sealed container for at least a month.
- Vanilla Powder: Dry out the vanilla bean pods and spin in a spice grinder until fine. Use in addition with your sugar for additional vanilla flavor.
- Vanilla Syrup: Boil one part water with one part sugar with your vanilla bean pods until flavorful and use in cocktails, hot chocolate, soda water, and other drinks.
