Comments on: Time for Vanilla Beans, Again http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/ a good girl's notebook of her culinary world Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:01:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Fresh » A Day Out with Kat and Kitten. Does that include lunch? I hope so! Yay Lunch!!! http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-107774 Fresh » A Day Out with Kat and Kitten. Does that include lunch? I hope so! Yay Lunch!!! Wed, 07 May 2008 09:03:48 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-107774 [...] to Brownie Points for this [...] [...] to Brownie Points for this [...]

]]> By: lori http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-103665 lori Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:01:33 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-103665 as stated above, it's WHO you buy from. There are a couple very reputable vanilla bean sellers who have even received top kudos from egullet mavens. I've been buying my beans off ebay for a couple of years now and have been very pleased with the quality. You look for high feedback, as near to 100% as possible and selling pretty much exclusively vanilla products. as stated above, it’s WHO you buy from. There are a couple very reputable vanilla bean sellers who have even received top kudos from egullet mavens. I’ve been buying my beans off ebay for a couple of years now and have been very pleased with the quality.

You look for high feedback, as near to 100% as possible and selling pretty much exclusively vanilla products.

]]> By: Art http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-70861 Art Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:45:40 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-70861 One should be careful of eBay vanilla purchases such as this. I think that this is a good example of why as well. I recently came back from Tahiti from a vanilla buying expedition. There are only eight people in Tahiti who are licensed by the government to cure vanilla for export. (Thus effectively, there are no "secret sources".) The price of the vanilla beans directly from the curerer is $250/kilo or $113/lb directly in Tahiti. So, if the price is lower than this it is not real Tahitian vanilla and the retail price would be more in line with 2-3 times the price paid to the vanilla cure-er. More likely than not, the vanilla beans purchased are from New Guinea where they also grow the same variety of vanilla orchid and where much of the inexpensive vanilla has recently been originating from. Unfortunately, they have a slightly different way of curing their vanilla in New Guinea and so the flavors are not quite what may be achieved from true Tahitian vanilla. On the other hand, if you are enjoying the vanilla you still have something wonderful. Working with vanilla beans (even those from New Guinea or similar origins such as Indonesia) is still much better than working with extract. If you would like to read about my recent trip, I have it posted here: http://www.amanochocolate.com/articles/tahiti-trip-report1.html -Art One should be careful of eBay vanilla purchases such as this. I think that this is a good example of why as well. I recently came back from Tahiti from a vanilla buying expedition. There are only eight people in Tahiti who are licensed by the government to cure vanilla for export. (Thus effectively, there are no “secret sources”.) The price of the vanilla beans directly from the curerer is $250/kilo or $113/lb directly in Tahiti. So, if the price is lower than this it is not real Tahitian vanilla and the retail price would be more in line with 2-3 times the price paid to the vanilla cure-er.

More likely than not, the vanilla beans purchased are from New Guinea where they also grow the same variety of vanilla orchid and where much of the inexpensive vanilla has recently been originating from. Unfortunately, they have a slightly different way of curing their vanilla in New Guinea and so the flavors are not quite what may be achieved from true Tahitian vanilla.

On the other hand, if you are enjoying the vanilla you still have something wonderful. Working with vanilla beans (even those from New Guinea or similar origins such as Indonesia) is still much better than working with extract.

If you would like to read about my recent trip, I have it posted here:

http://www.amanochocolate.com/articles/tahiti-trip-report1.html

-Art

]]> By: Steven Parker http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-50899 Steven Parker Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:19:13 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-50899 Laura you have never purchased vanilla on Ebay, what do you know. I am sitting in a room with some vanilla beans vaccume packed and I can still smell them all over my house. Ebay does not sell the items, individuals do. And for you to say the quality is not any good means you are speaking from your butt. I have added a link for some quality vanilla beans, they are delightful in every way. Laura you have never purchased vanilla on Ebay, what do you know. I am sitting in a room with some vanilla beans vaccume packed and I can still smell them all over my house. Ebay does not sell the items, individuals do. And for you to say the quality is not any good means you are speaking from your butt. I have added a link for some quality vanilla beans, they are delightful in every way.

]]> By: Laura Stark http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-20045 Laura Stark Sat, 16 Dec 2006 23:49:35 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-20045 I wouldn't recommend the vanilla beans off eBay, considering that they are mostly the cheap Tahitian vanilla beans with very little Vanilla flavor and a bitter taste. Try a reputable source online like http://www.beanilla.com and try some of the Madagascar beans. I have tried eBay and Beanilla Vanilla and the beans don't even compare. Yes, they are cheaper on eBay but you get what you pay for. I wouldn’t recommend the vanilla beans off eBay, considering that they are mostly the cheap Tahitian vanilla beans with very little Vanilla flavor and a bitter taste. Try a reputable source online like http://www.beanilla.com and try some of the Madagascar beans. I have tried eBay and Beanilla Vanilla and the beans don’t even compare. Yes, they are cheaper on eBay but you get what you pay for.

]]> By: MoM http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-14289 MoM Wed, 22 Nov 2006 05:13:04 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-14289 I'll bring the eggnog...or at least the stuff to make it! <ul> <li><em>Woohoo! --McAuliflower</em></li></ul> I’ll bring the eggnog…or at least the stuff to make it!

  • Woohoo!

    –McAuliflower

]]> By: cookiecrumb http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/comment-page-1/#comment-14268 cookiecrumb Wed, 22 Nov 2006 02:54:12 +0000 http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/#comment-14268 Hah! I did that too. A quarter pound, in my case, for um... five, six bux? Made me so happy. xxx Hah! I did that too. A quarter pound, in my case, for um… five, six bux?
Made me so happy.
xxx

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