Vanilla planifolia was introduced to the Spanish in 1516 by the Aztec people who had been using it for chocolate beverages and as a medicinal plant. From the time the Spanish first tasted it they where hooked. They brought it back to Spain and introduced it all over Europe. The French adopted it and the king's greenhouses were the first to host vanilla plants.
However no matter how hard they tried the plants remained sterile. The flowers bloomed but never gave beans. To bear a fruit, the flower had to be pollinated, and natural pollination only occurs in Mexico, thanks to the melipone bee only found in Mexico.
A simple and efficient artificial hand pollination method was introduced in 1841 by a slave named Edmond Albius on Bourbon Island (Reunion) and is still in use today.
The flower is a hermaphrodite (both male and female), but there is no self-pollination because of the rostellum. Therefore it needs to be hand pollinated, flower by flower. The flower's life span is only hours. And usually between June and October.
To pollinate take the flower in one hand. Then with a splinter lift the stamen and move the stigma back and bring the male and female organs (anther and stigma) together. Once fertilised the flower withers and the ovary develops into a a pod called a "bean". The bean is mature after 9 months. From green it becomes yellow then brown. The bean should be left to harvest only when it has gone through all steps of maturity.
Preparation is made in three stages:
- After the picking, beans are put in the shade, washed and dried.
- They are put under the sun during the day and during the night wrapped in cloth for sweating. Their humidity ratio falls from 80% to 50-55%. The beans become flexible and have oily skins.
- The last process is air-drying in the shade.
There are strict controls on quality through all stages of the process: picking, preparation, packaging and export. There are special committees who control beans. They classify The beans and send them out for marketing. You can purchase beans of different grades/qualities.
Once you have your beans there are many different things you can do with them. Making your own Vanilla extract is one of them.
Here's How.
You will need:
24 Vanilla Beans
80 proof Vodka 750ml bottle
For my first try at making vanilla extract I used this recipe. You can make it in bigger batches if you like. I used Smirnoff premium triple distilled vodka 80 proof. You need to have a vodka that's at least 35% alcohol. You will also need at least one ounce of vanilla beans (around 8 beans) per cup of alcohol. A 750ml bottle of vodka is 3 cups which means you will need 24 beans. Take the beans and split them down the middle and scrap out the seeds. Place the seeds and the cut bean into the bottle of vodka.(you will have to remove some of the vodka) Replace the cap on the bottle and shake. Now all you have to do is wait. Place the bottle in a safe place and let it age for at least 6 months. Shake the bottle periodically you can even smell it on occasion. After 6 months you have Vanilla extract. Make sure you get another batch started right away so you don't run out.
