The Kate Tin Gourmet Individual Vanilla Beans
Product Information
✓1 x 4g Gourmet Vanilla Beans
✓Sustainably sourced through Direct Trade
✓Naturally grown on small-scale farms in Uganda
✓Plump and juicy Gourmet Grade A
R40,00
Product information
Gourmet (or Grade A) is the cream of the crop when it comes to vanilla beans! These premium-quality pods are plump, juicy and have a high moisture content of 30-35% which makes them perfect for chefs, bakers and anyone wanting to create beautifully fragrant desserts, ice creams or pastries. Each resealable bottles comes with 2 plump vanilla beans and is designed so you can use the bottles to make your own vanilla extract (see ‘How to use it’ below).
I’ve sourced these premium beans through a direct trade partnership with a group of passionate vanilla farmers in Uganda who were eager to improve the quality of their vanilla beans by working closely with someone who understands quality, flavour and knows what they are looking for – me! We’ve worked together to tweak their hands-on process and the results are a vanilla bean that’s packed with flavour, is oily, and has an incredible aroma.
How to use it:
Gourmet vanilla beans are a precious investment but their intense aroma can go a long way – with a few of my clever tips!
First use: Split the vanilla bean open with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds inside. Use the seeds to infuse cream desserts like panna cotta, ice cream, pastry creams and whipped cream. Let the flavour shine by avoiding adding other ingredients that might mask vanilla’s delicate aroma.
Second use: Place the scraped vanilla bean into a bowl or jar of sugar and leave to infuse for 1-2 days. Vanilla sugar is perfect for sprinkling over doughnuts, shortbread or spooning into your morning coffee.
Third use: Return the scraped vanilla bean to the bottle it came in and fill with a clear alcohol such as vodka. Leave to stand in a dark place for 2-3 weeks and you’ll have your own extract!
Note: for a no-alcohol version, simply fill with a sugar syrup made by simmering 1 part sugar in 1 part water.
Fourth use: Thought your vanilla bean had no flavour left? Wrong! Place it on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven set to 180C. Toast for 5 minutes or until dried out. Allow to cool then blend the whole bean until fine. Burnt vanilla powder is delicious in nougat, fudge, frostings or sweets.
Try this delicious recipe:
Storage info:
Contrary to a lot of vanilla beans which are vacuum packed, this is actually not the best way to store it. We package ours in wax paper which allows the vanilla to breathe.
When you receive your vanilla beans, leave them bundled in the wax paper and place them in an airtight glass jar. Store in a cool, dark place – like a cupboard. Please don’t refrigerate or freeze vanilla pods – the cold and moisture will make them mold.
Open the jar every 6-8 weeks to allow excess moisture to escape and the beans to ‘breathe’ then rewrap them and place them back in the jar.
Vanilla beans don’t last forever and it’s best to use them within 6 months of purchasing as they do tend to lose their potency.
