Hiya, and welcome back to The Vanilla Garden! So, I'm sure someone out there has once wondered why vanilla extract is so expensive. Well, even if you never have, you will by the end of this post! Today, I'm going to walk you through the process of making vanilla extract. From the first flower to the finished product. Here we go!
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Step 1: Hand-pollinate the flowers. First of all, you cant make vanilla extract without the whole "vanilla" part. The vanilla bean orchid's flowers are special. They're incredibly beautiful! …But also incredibly difficult to work with. After budding, they bloom with vibrant colors, and only for a single day. this means the vanilla orchid needs to be carefully watched as to not miss the blooming day. Then, each flower must be hand-pollinated. And, keep in mind, each flower doesn't have to bloom at the same time. I'm sure you see how this is difficult.
Step 2: Wait... Yeah. So, after each vanilla flower is hand-pollinated, they then take 6-9 months to develop into beans!
Step 3: Harvest the vanilla beans. Once the vanilla beans are almost finished forming, you then must have to judge when is the perfect time to pick them. Too impatient, and the vanilla beans won't have fully formed. Too late, and, well, you're going to want those vanilla beans ready as soon as possible. There's still plenty more to do, and it's important not to dawdle!
Step 4: Cure the vanilla beans. This step is crucial! The vanilla beans aren't brown and shiny right when they come off the vine. This isn't to be glossed over, however, it's a very complicated process. First, they get drenched in boiling water for no more than a minute, stopping the ripening process and releasing vanillin, the chemical compound that give vanilla extract it's wonderful flavor. Then, it's a juggle of sun-drying them, keeping them inside, and then more sun-drying. You must perfectly time taking the beans in and out in order to keep the beans on schedule. after that, you rub them to release the essential oils inside of them. Oh, and mold at any point and it's game over. This whole process can take months from start to end.
Step 5: Extract the vanilla. Who would've guessed you need to extract the vanilla beans in order to get vanilla "extract"? In this stage, the vanilla beans are cut with a slit on one side to release flavor. Then, they're drenched in an alcohol, typically vodka, and left to soak, extracting flavor. After a few months, they'll be done.
Step 6: Finishing up. After a few months, when done, the extract is strained to remove the beans and pods, and you're ready for another go. If you're not sleeping for a few years afterwards, anyway.`
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So! That wasn't so bad, was it? Now you know the process of making organic vanilla extract, and, maybe, just maybe, you'll appreciate it just a little bit more in the future.
Thank you for sticking around until the end of this blog post! If you enjoyed it enough, perhaps spread the word of The Vanilla Garden's pure vanilla extracts and make our presence just a little more known. If you have any questions or thoughts about us, you can also reach us on the Contact page. Thanks again!
-Until next time, Chris