Vanilla Bean Magic

Whether from Madagascar, Tahiti, Mexico or Indonesia, vanilla beans are pricey, and rightly so as they grow on finicky orchid plants and have to be pollinated by hand. Due to their expense, treating them like the precious resources that they are is a top priority. Here are some of the many uses that are out there and suggestions on how the beans themselves can be reused to extend their value.

The obvious use for me, and the one that got me interested in using vanilla beans in the first place, is homemade extract. There are as many ways to make this as there are cooks, so use creative liberty and experiment. Here are some tips to start out with:

• It typically takes 3 - 4 weeks minimum for extract to mature
• Keep in a sealed container in a cool dark place and shake it up every couple days
• Light alcohol, such as vodka, light rum or everclear, is best to start with
• Higher alcohol content yields stronger extract
• Bourbon or Madagascar vanilla beans smell creamy and intensely sweet like liquor, they will give the standard vanilla flavor
• Mexican vanilla beans have a spicier and woodier scent with hints toward nutmeg or clove
• Tahitian vanilla beans tend toward fruitier scents
• Indonesian vanilla beans are smoky and earthy in scent
• The ratio of beans to alcohol is flexible, 5 - 7 beans to a 750 mil bottle is suggested, also 1 bean to 1 cup for smaller volumes of extract
• Always slit the beans for more intense flavor
• Leave the beans in even after use and simply add more liquor to refresh the extract as it is used up
• If you have extra beans try different liquors as a base. I've tried dark rum, brandy, and coconut rum

In Europe vanilla sugar is often used in place of extract. This can be made by slitting a bean open, scraping the seeds into 2 - 3 cups of sugar, then chopping the bean into 1 inch pieces and adding it to the sugar as well. Store for two weeks in an airtight container. Vanilla sugar made this way will last about a year. This is awesome in drinks and for dessert decoration. The beans are completely reusable after the initial period also, although they can be left in to intensify if desired.

For a fantastic energy drink try Almond Milk made with the following:

• 2 cups water
• 2 whole dates
• 1 banana
• 1" piece vanilla bean (reuse from the vanilla sugar or extract)
• cinnamon stick or 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 oz shelled almonds (about 40)

Blend until creamy, which should take about 2 minutes. Makes 2 servings.

Spruce up cheap alcohol with vanilla beans! Add a couple to scotch or whiskey that could use a boost. Even cheap tequila could benefit from this. Vanilla beans are originally from Mexico after all. Porter and Stout can also benefit from vanilla beans. Ideally add a small piece to the bottles when brewing.

I love vanilla yogurt, but am always frustrated with the ingredients added to most brands. Lots of unnecessary sugar or corn syrup there. Vanilla seeds can be added to plain yogurt to get around this. Delicious, healthy, and goes well with fruit additions too. This also leaves the pods for other uses.

Add a vanilla bean piece to tea bags or coffee grounds in storage for delicious home made french vanilla without the chemical aftertaste often found commercially. I've found that I can cut the sugar added to most beverages and recipes with the addition of real vanilla and not notice a difference in sweetness. Try keeping a piece of vanilla bean in a purse or small pill bottle. When a sugar craving strikes, take a deep breath or two of vanilla and see if the craving doesn't back off.

Around the holidays many drinks can be made extra festive with the addition of a vanilla bean or two. When added to mulled cider, wine, punch or lemonade, the bean will still be flavorful afterward. When used for eggnog, cocoa or other creamy drinks the flavor will suffer more. Consider using the beans to flavor any alcohol to be added instead to keep the bean in better reuse condition.

To reuse vanilla bean pods and pieces, simply rinse and dry them, then store in a cool, dry airtight container. Unused beans can be stored in the refrigerator, but this is not ideal as they may harden. A cool dry place is better. Dried out beans and pieces can be rehydrated by soaking in warm liquid or oil and are fine to reuse as long as they still have vanilla scent left in them.