That's so vanilla. Think again! Today I'm sharing a tip every beginner baker should know: how to use the vanilla bean. If you’re really serious about stepping up your baking game, the best thing you can do is use real vanilla beans to enhance your dishes. Whole vanilla beans have a more complex vanilla flavor than vanilla extract. Take it from me, sometimes just plain old vanilla, is exactly what you need. Discover countless ways to intensify the flavors in your baked goods and more when you take the time to use the mighty seeds of the vanilla bean. 

Keep reading to see how you can step up your kitchen game…

1. the vanilla bean

Vanilla is one of the world’s most labor-intensive + expensive crops around. The vanilla bean is actually the fruit of an orchid plant, that blossoms for only a few hours each year (hence, the high price point!). Grown in Madagascar, Java, Mexico, and Tahiti, every plant must be hand-pollinated.  The beans are harvested, also by hand, and cured for 3-6 months, during which time they shrivel to one-quarter their original size and develop their characteristic aroma.

2. every region differs in flavor

The majority of vanilla available on the market hails from Madagascar, with Mexican and Tahitian versions filling out the remainder. and Indonesian vanilla bare the most vanillin, the signature flavor in vanilla beans. Which makes vanilla from these regions. a bit more hardcore. Mexican vanilla contains half the vanillin - but has a unique smoky + fruity flavor. Tahitian vanilla also has less vanillin, but is prized for being more delicate and sweeter in flavor (just a bit floral).

3. look for plump + shiny beans

Available in specialty shops and some supermarkets, whole vanilla beans should be shiny, brownish-black, and moist. You want the beans to feel plump (not dry) and have a shiny appearance. Beans that are desiccated, dull-looking, or brittle are too old and will be hard to scrape out the beans inside.

4. how to scrape seeds from a vanilla bean

Scrape those pods! Split the vanilla bean open from tip-to-tip with a sharp paring knife. Using the dull side of your knife, scrape the vanilla beans from the pod.  Starting at the top and working down, scrape the seeds out. Voila: vanilla bean seeds! Some people like to call the seeds "vanilla caviar" because, well clearly, the actual vanilla bean seeds resemble caviar! 

5. use your seeds immediately! 

Vanilla bean seeds can be mixed directly into your recipe along with the rest of the ingredients, no other preparation required! When you serve your recipe, you'll see the tiny black flecks of vanilla bean dispersed throughout (that's also the telltale sign that someone is cooking with real vanilla beans and not just vanilla extract!).

6. use your vanilla pods

 For baking, we're usually most interested in the tiny seeds inside the vanilla pod, but the pods themselves have a lot of flavor, too. The used, scraped-out bean pods can actually be used to infuse milk or cream, sugar, or even spirits, like bourbon or rum with subtle vanilla flavor. 

7. make vanilla sugar

Place the bean pods, rinsed and dried, in a jar with sugar to give the sugar a mild vanilla flavor. Use vanilla sugar for added flavor when baking, in your favorite drinks, or sprinkle it over fruit! 

8. how to substitute vanilla beans for vanilla extract

Vanilla beans have a much stronger flavor than extract, so you don't need to use as much. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, you can swap it out for 1/3 of a vanilla bean, about a 2-inch piece. If your recipe calls for a whole vanilla bean and you only have extract, you need to use three times that, or 1 tablespoon.

9. storage

Store vanilla beans at room temperature away from heat or sunlight, like in a cupboard. Beans will slowly dry out over time, even if kept sealed in their original packaging, so use them while they're still at their best.

What are your favorite baking tips?

Let me know in the comments!

Xo, Kassy