Vanilla Beans - Why Our Kitchens Need More of Them

I am mildly obsessed with vanilla and I do not mind admitting it at all. I love everything about vanilla, no matter the form in which it presents itself; be it in its purest whole form, in a vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract. It smells absolutely delicious and also makes other foods taste fabulous, and who wouldn't appreciate that fact?

I feel that the reasons stated above alone are good enough reasons for why there should be more vanilla beans in our kitchens. However, I will continue to explain why I truly believe this to be the case.

There is no excuse not to have sampled Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans, for not only do they stand out for they are long, slender and have the most gorgeous rich flavor and aroma, but nowadays they are also the most common vanilla beans out there on the market – so get out there and buy some!

Out of all the agricultural products in the world, vanilla has got to be the most labor intensive of them all. All you need to do is look at what people actually go through to grow it; every single thing is done via hand from the vanilla cultivation and its pollination to the harvesting. Therefore we owe it to those people that are growing the whole vanilla beans to support them in their efforts and get more of those beans to our kitchens.

With such a wonderful and heavily time invested product it would be an absolute shame if we did not celebrate it more. Those beans like the Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans have the smoothest, richest, not to mention the sweetest, flavor so it would be a crime not to include these flavors within our pastries, cakes and cookies.

Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans are well known for their qualities amongst pastry chefs and bakers, and it is now long past the time when non- bakers should recognize their fabulousness! These whole vanilla beans have an excellent reputation and please believe me, are well worth their price.

If we had more of the beans themselves, we would be able to produce so much more than the norm in our kitchens. We could expand our amateur cooking styles by learning how to produce pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder, which is one of my favorite products that I have ever produced. I made the powder from my favorite ground down Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans.

For those with a sweet tooth, vanilla should be a must have in the kitchen, for it is absolutely indispensable when flavoring sweet foods. If that is not enough detail to persuade you then try imagining some of your favorite deserts, perhaps a crème caramel, crème anglaise or custard and ice cream without vanilla...not a thought I like to linger on.

You will find that vanilla has a hand in all of those above, whether or not someone has used whole beans themselves or authentic vanilla extract. In fact, these days many good cooks always flavor their sugar with the vanilla beans they happen to have left over, or have used a few times beforehand. They can then have ready prepared vanilla sugar infused by Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans, all ready to roll their fresh cookie in.

Now how about the fact that out of all the 350 species of orchid, the vanilla flower is the only edible product - that in itself is amazing and should make the vanilla bean a worthy ingredient to have in your kitchen at all times. The amount of effort that goes into making whole vanilla beans into the aromatic loveliness that they are is tremendous and should be applauded.

The truth of the matter is that vanilla beans are far superior, with so much flavor and aromatic qualities, to so many other foodstuffs, that they are continually growing in popularity, so you should stock up before losing out on your favorite vanilla variety.

Finally and perhaps saving the best point till last – vanilla is an essential ingredient in chocolate. I'm sure I don't have to focus too much on the fact that chocolate is a much loved product throughout the world but the truth is, it would not taste half as good without the inclusion of authentic vanilla extract produced from beans like Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans.Top of Form

Article By: Sarah Neil