The Kate Tin Grade B Individual Vanilla Beans
Product Information
✓1 x 2g Grade B Vanilla Beans
✓Sustainably sourced through Direct Trade
✓Naturally grown on small-scale farms in Uganda
✓Intense vanilla flavour and fragrance
R25,00
Product information
Individual Grade B Vanilla Beans
✓ Grade B vanilla beans are also known as 'extract' vanilla as they are most often used to make vanilla extract.
✓ Grade B beans are shorter, duller, and drier (20% moisture) with a reddish-brown colour and aren't as pliable as Grade A.
✓ As they are drier, Grade B beans have an intense vanilla flavour that's more concentrated however it takes longer to infuse this flavour into the final product.They are therefore best used in making products where you need minimal additional moisture content; if you're grinding the entire bean into the product or are going to allow the flavour to develop for a long amount of time.
GRADE B uses: infusing into alcohol, grinding directly into chocolate, sweet-making, making vanilla sugar or vanilla extract.
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.
