Vanilla Bean

Why are Vanilla Beans so expensive?  As a member of the orchid family, the vanilla flower is the only one of 35,000 species of orchids to produce an important commercial product.  The first harvest on the vine does not occur for at least 3 years, giving a maximum harvest after about 8 years.  When the flower on the vine blossoms it must be hand pollinated during the one or two days in which it blooms.  It takes 4-9 months for the vanilla pods to mature and they are picked just as their color changes from green to yellow.  There are different processes for curing the beans, one way is to store them in sheds until they start to shrivel at which point they are transferred to wooden sweat boxes during the day and cooled at night to maintain just the right amount of enzymatic reaction to produce exactly the right color or flavor.

To make your own homemade Vanilla Extract:  Place two Vanilla Beans in 1 liter bottle of vodka or rum, for darker vanilla use bourbon.  Set aside for 30 days.  At the end of one month your vanilla extract is ready to use.

My Store mixes and blends are in-house recipes adapted from old-fashioned, made-from-scratch cooking, but designed for today's busy cook that are fast and easy to prepare. Many of our recipes have been handed down from my mother and grandmother!  You won't find these mixes at your local grocery store! We are confident you won't be disappointed with our products.