Vanilla Bean

[unclesteve76]

Just finished fermenting a 10 Gallon batch of cider. I'm making this one a spiced cider. I added two whole vanilla beans. I didnt cut, slice or scrape the beans. Just threw them into the cider whole. I've read that its not necessary to cut/scrape the beans when you're adding them to alcohol...but I've also read that's the ONLY way to add them. Starting to get a little nervous. Will i get ANY vanilla flavor from these? I plan on letting the beans (along with a variety of other spices) steep for about a week.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Who suggests adding the beans whole?

The flavor comes from inside the beans, so.....
I'd guess it'll take longer to extract the flavor (more than a week for sure).

In fact I'm making a vanilla extract right now. I cut the beans into small pieces and I have it on a stir plate.

Just pull 'em out, cut into pieces, & put 'em back.

 

[passedpawn]

You need to at least slice them lengthwise.

Vanilla beans are so expensive now. I bought a large amount years ago, and made a ton of extract. I recently went to buy more and was SHOCKED at the cost now. Holy cow. Must be 5x more. At least.

 

[theinterneti]

I was about to point you toward my trusty old site for getting vanilla cheap. saffron.com. BUT -- I went there and instead of the expected $60-80 for a pound they are asking $300!?!



I don't know how I'm going to break this to the wife! She loves having unlimited quantities of vanilla extract on hand. The last receipt I have from 2013, we got a half pound for $35 which would NOW cost $151. Nuts! In 2012 we got a *POUND* of tahitian for just $25! and today that would be $300!?!

Invest in vanilla futures anyone?

EDIT:
Oh, I see that Time did an article on this in June. TLDR: Vanilla a huge pain in the ass to produce. Madagascar is where most beans are grown, and a cyclone took out a large proportion of the 2017 crop. Also, vanilla thieves are a thing in Madagascar.