Vanilla beans
Vanilla beans are the cured fruit pods of the vanilla orchid, mainly Vanilla planifolia (grown in Madagascar, Indonesia, Mexico, Uganda and elsewhere) and Vanilla tahitensis. Green pods are harvested, then killed with heat, sweated, sun-dried and conditioned over several months, which develops vanillin and the other aroma compounds. Brands buy whole beans by grade, or ground beans and vanilla bean powder for visible specks in ice cream, baked goods and drinks.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Plump, oily beans with higher moisture, often 30 to 35%, sold for retail, pastry and visible use.
Drier, often split or shorter beans with lower moisture, priced for making extract, where appearance does not matter.
Whole beans milled to a paste or powder, or scraped seeds (exhausted or not), used for specks in dairy and baked goods.
Madagascar Bourbon, Indonesian, Mexican, Ugandan and Tahitian beans, which differ in vanillin content and aroma.
Certified organic beans and beans sold with farm or cooperative traceability.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Store beans in airtight glass, foil or vacuum packaging in a cool, dark place, not in a refrigerator, where they can dry out or grow mold. Check stock for mold and for drying, which lowers yield. Shelf life follows the supplier specification, and moisture is the usual retest point for aged stock.
Moisture, vanillin and size differ by origin, crop year and curing, so record moisture and vanillin for each lot and price usable solids rather than gross weight. Keep the grade, origin and crop year with the lot record.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 169.3(a) defines vanilla beans as the properly cured and dried fruit pods of Vanilla planifolia Andrews and Vanilla tahitensis Moore.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 182.10 lists vanilla (Vanilla planifolia or Vanilla tahitensis) among spices and natural seasonings and flavorings that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 169.3(b) sets the unit weight used in the vanilla extract standards at 13.35 ounces of beans with not more than 25 percent moisture, with wetter beans adjusted to the same moisture-free solids.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Waukegan, IL
Family-owned US maker of pure vanilla extracts, pastes and powders and whole vanilla beans, plus a small line of other pure flavor extracts, sold to home cooks, foodservice and food manufacturers.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include gourmet (Grade A) beans, extraction (Grade B) beans, ground beans and seeds, origin and species and organic and traceable. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect moisture, vanillin content, bean size and appearance, microbiology and foreign matter and pesticides, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Store beans in airtight glass, foil or vacuum packaging in a cool, dark place, not in a refrigerator, where they can dry out or grow mold. Check stock for mold and for drying, which lowers yield. Shelf life follows the supplier specification, and moisture is the usual retest point for aged stock.
21 CFR 169.3(a) defines vanilla beans as the properly cured and dried fruit pods of Vanilla planifolia Andrews and Vanilla tahitensis Moore. 21 CFR 182.10 lists vanilla (Vanilla planifolia or Vanilla tahitensis) among spices and natural seasonings and flavorings that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use. 21 CFR 169.3(b) sets the unit weight used in the vanilla extract standards at 13.35 ounces of beans with not more than 25 percent moisture, with wetter beans adjusted to the same moisture-free solids.
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