Are you looking for the best way to store vanilla beans and wondering how long they will last? This solely depends on the brand of vanilla beans you’re buying. However, you may get good-quality vanilla at affordable rates.
There are many ways you can preserve vanilla beans in a very simple way to enhance the shelf life of vanilla.
A Vanilla Bean: What Is It?
The pod-shaped fruit that develops on a climbing orchid of the vanilla plant is called a “bean” or vanilla. In the native habitat of vanilla, which is Central and South America, hummingbirds and small bees fertilize vanilla orchids, yielding these pods.
Six to twelve inches long, vanilla pods hold hundreds of tiny seeds that adhere to the pod walls and impart vanilla flavor to dishes. Both the pod wall and the sticky glue that envelops the beans give a vanilla taste.
Home cooks can add a little vanilla flavor to a variety of dishes, such as cake batter, crème brûlée, and buttercream frosting, by cracking open vanilla pods and scraping off the seeds.
What Is the Duration of Vanilla Beans?
If you store the vanilla beans properly, vanilla beans can last up to two years, but for optimal flavor and freshness, use them within eight months of purchase. It is important to store your vanilla beans at room temperature in an airtight container in a cold, dry location.
If you keep the beans in the refrigerator, they may dry up and may even develop mold, making them useless.
How to Keep Vanilla Beans in Storage
Vanilla beans should be kept cold, dark, and out of direct sunlight in a glass jar or the vacuum-sealed packaging they arrived in. When purchased at the grocery store, vanilla beans are typically packaged in a glass or plastic container.
However, once the container is opened, the beans tend to dry up quickly. After opening the original packaging, place your whole vanilla bean pods in a glass jar and cover them with wax paper or a paper towel.
Every few weeks, open the container containing your beans to let the air out. This will help the beans last longer by eliminating excess moisture and reducing any humid conditions.
As an alternative, you might cut dried vanilla beans in half crosswise and keep them in the refrigerator in a little jar with high-proof alcohol like rum or vodka. The vanilla pods will become soft after two weeks, making it possible to extract the seeds without a knife.
Techniques To Store Vanilla Beans
Step 1: One-year storage in a jar with an alcohol base
Vertically arrange your vanilla pods in a glass jar (recycled or “Le Parfait” jars) filled with an alcoholic base (vodka, gin, or rum). Your pod should only be 2 to 3 cm high, or its ends should be in contact with the alcohol base.
Your pods will last for several months in this manner. It is adequate to use 7cl per 10 vanilla bean. Once you’ve utilized all of your vanilla beans, you can use the remaining vanilla extract to flavor your recipes.
In the USA and the West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe), vanilla extract is made from beans that are steeped for several months in a white spirit, typically 50°c rhum agricole. Frequently, the outcome is remarkable, and the
Step 2: Freeze your vanilla beans for several months
This method is frequently employed by professionals in the culinary industry who purchase multiple kilograms of vanilla beans. Their ability to counteract the significant inflation of vanilla prices, prevent stock-outs, and maximize margins through economies of scale is their edge.
The supplies that I visit with my numerous chocolate and ice cream customers are now stored at -20°C in freezers. Some people may argue that purists avoid doing this because it prevents vanilla scents from developing.
By the time your order arrives, the majority of the fragrances in your vanilla bean will be at their strongest. You can find vanillas with unique and nuanced notes thanks to David Vanille’s distinctive long traditional maturation procedure.
Step 3: for a few weeks, in a jar with as little air as possible
Perfect if you want to utilize your beans soon because they will ultimately dry out and lose their moisture. Don’t be afraid to recycle your jam, asparagus, and other jars for this.
If your vanilla beans have dried out in your sauce, milk, or white spirit base, you can rehydrate them. Bulk bourbon vanilla exporter has the best quality vanilla beans that stay for long.
Storage Requirements
One Tupperware container, glass vial, or airtight glass jar.
One sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper:
Store your vanilla bean in an airtight glass or Tupperware container after wrapping them in plastic wrap or wax paper.
To keep the vanilla bean from drying out, be sure to remove as much air as you can from the jar. We have glass vials that are 8″ long that are ideal for holding vanilla bean.
Depending on the variety of vanilla, the plastic stopper guarantees an airtight seal that can keep up to 5-7 vanilla bean fresh for up to 8–12 months. We have the ideal option if you’re searching for a way to keep a lot of vanilla bean.
Location of Storage:
Vanilla bean should never be kept in the refrigerator. Your beans will get dry when refrigerated, and too much moisture may encourage a mold that is unique to vanilla. We advise keeping your airtight container in a dark, cold area, such as the basement or pantry.
Playing:
Regular airing of vanilla bean is recommended. All you have to do is take the beans out of the container every few weeks to allow the air to circulate for ten to fifteen minutes.
Life Span:
When properly stored in optimal conditions, vanilla bean can be kept for up to two years. We advise purchasing in quantities that you plan to use in the next six to eight months.
Vanilla Beans That Are Moldy or Dry:
You can rehydrate your dried-out vanilla bean by soaking them for several hours in warm water or milk. Do not confuse “frost” appearing on your vanilla bean with mold. As the beans dry, the vanillin within them moves to the surface, giving rise to the formation of vanillin crystals.
These edible crystals have a glossy appearance. Kindly dispose of the vanilla bean if you believe they contain real mold.
Conclusion:
Our vanilla beans are greasy, malleable, and extremely fresh, in contrast to the dried-up and fragile ones you may get from your neighborhood grocery shop. Madagascar Bourbon vanilla Exporter can help with the quality supply of vanilla bean.
We take extra precautions to protect the moisture and quality of our vanilla since we rotate our inventory frequently and don’t leave it on the shelf for extended periods of time.
In order to keep the vanilla fresh, you need to store them properly. A vanilla bean’s shelf life can range from six months to two years if it is stored properly. However, if you plan to keep them for this long, you must store them properly and under perfect circumstances.
