Large Tahitian Vanilla Beans - Vacuum Sealed Grade B Vanilla Pods - Rich, Creamy Flavor & Aroma - Ingredients for Baking, Homemade Extract, Paste, Brewing, Coffee, Cooking - 5-6", 20-Pack

These are fresh and smell great. Can’t wait until my vanilla extract is ready to use.

These are 5+ stars. These are Tahitian Vanilla beans. Not Madagascar. In the description it refers to them once as Madagascar. They are not nor are Tahitian and Madagascar beans the same. Tahitian beans are more floral and delicate in flavor. Madagascar have a rich full bodied woody flavor.I have been making my own vanilla extract for about 3 years now. I normally use Tahitian vanilla beans. They are less expensive than the Madagascar beans. There is a difference in flavor profile, but for me even before I started making my own I was not particular to what type of vanilla bean was in my extract. I believe I get a wonderful vanilla flavor from the Tahitian vanilla bean so I am good with them!Opening the bag, I can smell the aroma of the vanilla bean.Taking one out, I am very happy with the quality. Grade B vanilla pods are good for extracts. These are Grade B but still softer and plumper than other Grade B vanilla pods. They are not your average drier harder to slice Grade B vanilla bean.Slicing one open- it slices very easily. The ends are soft and pliable. The vanilla is easily scraped from the inside of the bean.This is a bean that I would continue buying. The quality is excellent for a Grade B vanilla bean.In making vanilla extract from it:I use 10 beans to approximately 10 to 12 ounces of vodka. I have tried using bourbon before. It doesn't extract the vanilla as well though I did enjoy the flavor. The higher the proof of alcohol the better the extraction.Because the Grade B vanilla bean is usually drier, I cut the beans on the bias. This exposes much of the inside without having to scrape or cut along a dry bean itself. These are so soft, moist and plump I find myself slicing down the middle and scraping the vanilla out. Cutting the vanilla bean and adding all into the bottle. My bottle is a swing top dark glass bottle. I add the bean and the vodka. Set it on a dark shelf and I forget about it for 6 months. I have made vanilla extract so many times now that I know when I need to start making my next batch so I never run out.Right now, I have 4 bottles going from different beans I have tried. My hopes are to gift it to others this year.

Photo with soda can for scale. This come with the sticker on them that says if there's any mold you should email them. I did not notice any mold on the ones that I got but it is y something you need to look at before you use these.These are softer and more moist than most of the B grade vanilla pods that I have previously bought. They are actually pliable in that you can bend them; they're not completely dried pods.I usually to make my own vanilla extract by simply soaking them in cheap vodka for 6 months to a year. Generally I've been told that you should use A grade beans when you're actually cooking with them directly. However there s is no reason to pay extra for a grade beans if you're planning on making your own vanilla extract.

These are Grade B which means they have a moisture content of 20% (Grade A is 30%). These are a good quality – slightly more dry than the Gourmet A Grade. I make my own vanilla extract & these will be good for that purpose.One of the benefits to this grade of vanilla bean is that they are less expensive & can be a very good value if you get a good batch from a good seller.This is the recipe I use for vanilla extract: 8 vanilla beans (1 ounce)1 Cup vodka (I like Kirkland vodka from Costco)Cut the beans in half, lengthwise & scrape out the seeds, cut the pods into 1” pieces & place all in small saucepan. Add vodka, cover & cook over med-low heat until hot/steamy (2-3 minutes). Leave lid on if you cook on gas – could ignite!Pour into clean glass jar with tight lid, let cool completely & then cover & store in a cool/dark place for 6 weeks – up to 10 weeks (gives you stronger/better extract). Shake the jar gently once or twice a week.Strain thru 2 coffee filters over a measuring cup & then transfer to a clean jar/bottle with tight lid. Extract keeps on the shelf indefinitely – it may just lose potency after a year or two.

I was unfamiliar with Tahitian vanilla beans so I did a little online research. They are a hybrid created with bourbon vanilla beans (used for Madagascar vanilla) and a less common vanilla bean variety found in Belize and Guatemala.The overall vanilla flavor is excellent and there are subtle delicious notes like the caramelized sugar I detected with this variety. Grade B vanilla beans, like these, are usually referred to as extract quality.This is because they are thinner than grade A and have a lower moisture content but these are quite pliable. Another reason they are good for making extract is the flavor is more concentrated. Splitting the beans vertically and adding to alcohol is simple and details are readily available online.But, if desired the beans can certainly be removed from the pods for other uses it just requires a bit more effort. To estimate shelf-life the date on this vacuum sealed bag is two years in the future but dates will vary. After opening the unused beans should be tightly sealed--if possible vacuumed sealed. Excellent.

In the past I made my own vanilla extract with Madagascar Vanilla Beans, so I decided to try it with these less expensive Tahitian vanilla beans. Unfortunately, these have little traditional vanilla fragrance. So I am not optimistic about the finished result. If I had to do it over again, I would order Madagascar vanilla beans and recommend investing more and get the ones from Madagascar.

Very skinny beans. I've only purchased vanilla beans once before (and last time they were 'grade A'), so maybe it's not a fair comparison, but I'm a bit disappointed in the size. I purchased them to make vanilla extract...so I hope there is enough actual girth to the bean to make a decent extract. We'll see! As for flavour...I can't yet comment on that.