Fresh Vanilla Pods
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Grade A Vanilla Pods (Vanilla planifolia)
Fresh, Grade A vanilla pods, each vacuum-packed. Grade A is the gourmet grade: high moisture content, plump and oily, pliable enough to wrap around a finger, and heavy with seed. The moisture carries the aromatic compounds, so a fresh pod releases its scent when the vacuum is broken and gives up its seeds as a thick black paste rather than a dry scatter.
The flavour develops after harvest, not on the vine. Pods come off the plant green and almost scentless; the aroma is built during curing — scalding, sweating, sun-drying and slow conditioning over several months. Every flower is hand-pollinated and every pod is hand-picked and hand-graded.
Choose your origin below.
Madagascan Bourbon
Madagascar grows the majority of the world's vanilla. The flavour is rich, creamy and sweet, with warm notes of butter and caramel and a long, rounded finish.
Peruvian
Peruvian vanilla sits between the creamy richness of Madagascan Bourbon and the more floral, fruity character of Tahitian vanilla. The flavour is sweet and creamy with spicy undertones. The pods are larger, so a single pod goes further.
How to use
Split a pod lengthways and scrape the seeds into your preparation, then add the spent pod to the liquid to infuse further. Used pods can be dried and ground into vanilla sugar, or steeped in spirits to make extract.
As a guide: a Madagascan pod flavours around 250ml of custard, ice cream base or crème anglaise; a single Peruvian pod, being larger, flavours around 500ml.
Ingredients: Vanilla pod (Vanilla planifolia), Grade A
Storage: Store in an airtight container at cool room temperature, away from direct light. Do not refrigerate. Well-stored pods will keep for several months.
