Curing

Hand curing vanilla beans is an intricate, detailed process that takes months. 

Everything has to be just right – from harvesting and selecting the right beans, through more than 50 process and quality-control stages, to choosing the right packaging.

The lengthy curing process to turn the green beans into the dark, aromatic vanilla pods we know takes between four and nine months. While curing, the bean ferments and develops more than 100 different aromatic compounds.

In the first step the green beans are blanched in 60–70°C water for about 3 minutes. This makes the pods pliable and halts further growth. This is known as “killing the bean”.

Immediately after blanching, they’re wrapped in warm wool blankets. Over the next 48 hours, the pods begin to brown and develop a sweet aroma—a result of fermentation, which triggers the development of flavor compounds.

In the second step the beans are then laid out on mats to dry in the sun for 2–3 hours each day for six weeks—but only when the sun isn’t too intense. At night, they’re wrapped again in blankets to protect them. Over these six weeks, the pods lose up to half their weight, while developing their aroma and color.

After sun-drying, the pods are moved to shade drying on open racks to allow airflow.

In the final step the pods are stored for two more months in wooden boxes, wrapped in wax paper. It’s during this final stage that the pods develop their full flavor profile.

Dryness Levels of Vanilles Elisa

Generally we offer vanillas with one of three levels of dryness. Each level has different characteristics and a different appeal.

The first level of dryness we offer is known as a “TK” cure. At approximately 30% humidity, the “TK” or “TK Noir” offers a balanced vanillin-to-moisture and a fully developed aromatic expression and flavor. Good vanilla with this cure dries as it ages and may also have off-white or sugar-like vanillin crystals on the surface.

The next level of dryness is known as “Rouge” or “Red”. Rouge is normally between 22-25% humidity. Strong sunlight drying conditions in the SAVA region mean that the bean husk reacts and becomes reddish in colour. Subtle differences in taste exist between TK Noir and Rouge, and these have become a matter of preference. American pallettes seem to prefer the Noir, while European palates tend to prefer the Rouge.

Lastly, sometimes we source high quality beans that are classified as “Very Dry” (between 15-20% humidity). These may be very brittle and hard and shrunken in appearance but are bursting with flavor. These beans may be deceptively empty in smell because they have dried and closed all of the pores on their skin and cannot “breathe”. But we do occasionally find exceptional harvests with this cure, and from time to time they make their way into our catalog.

“Gourmet” or "Grade A" beans

We suggest steering clear of the so-called “gourmet beans” often found on Amazon. These are also sometimes marketed as "Grade A" beans (which is meaningless because there is no such rating standard).

Unscrupulous vendors often leave too much moisture in the beans, since excess water means more money for a product that is sold by weight. These so-called “Gourmet beans” are usually vacuum packed to appear juicy.

Unfortunately, however, these beans have not expressed their full flavor, are unstable, are in critical need of vacuum to biologically and aerobically stabilize and carry a high risk of mold as a near certainty within a month. 

In addition, these “gourmet beans” tend to emanate a vague and nondescript phenol medicinal smell, from the benzenoid crystal inside the young, immature bean having turned into phenol rather than into vanillin crystals. Discerning chefs would do well to give these a pass, despite their often attractive prices.