How to “shock” vanilla beans in boiling water to stop growth before curing
Briefly boil harvested vanilla beans for about 1 minute to shock them and stop growth before drying/curing.
They describe putting the beans into a pot of boiling water for roughly a minute, then turning off the heat and removing them. They note that overcooking can cause splitting and that color changes as they heat.
The short version
- Aim for ~1 minute in boiling water.
- Cooking too long can cause splitting.
- Beans may lose shine and change color as they heat.
What you need
- potLarge enough to submerge pods
- stove/heat source
- tongs or slotted spoonoptionalHelpful for removing slippery pods
How to do it
- 1
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Watch this step - 2
Add the vanilla beans to the boiling water.
Handle carefully so you don’t drop or lose pods.
Watch this step - 3
Boil for about 1 minute to shock the beans.
Don’t cook longer; they warn it can lead to splitting.
Watch this step - 4
Turn off the heat and remove the beans.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Boiling the beans too long
Keep it to about a minute; remove promptly to avoid splitting.
Why it works
A short hot-water treatment halts enzymatic/biological activity and starts the curing process without cooking the pods to the point of damage.
Learn next
How to split a vanilla bean to expose the seeds for extract
Slice a fresh vanilla pod lengthwise to expose the seeds, then cut it in half so it fits in the jar before adding alcohol.
How to make homemade extracts using alcohol (basic method)
Put the flavoring ingredient in a sealable jar, cover completely with pure vodka (alcohol), seal, shake, and let it infuse in a cupboard for several weeks.
Refresh vanilla extract by topping up with vodka when the jar is half empty
When your homemade vanilla extract gets down to about halfway, refill the jar with more vodka and keep shaking periodically to extend its use.
Make homemade vanilla extract with vodka and vanilla beans (jar method)
Cut vanilla beans into pieces, cover with 80-proof (or higher) vodka in a jar, then steep in a cool dark place while shaking periodically until richly colored.