Best Flavors and Scents to Complement Vanilla

By Kristie | October 10, 2020 Let’s face it: you’ve probably seen vanilla as a flavor for all kinds of things. Coffee. Ice Cream. Cake. And then there are the vanilla-scented things, like perfume, candles, and essential oils. Oftentimes, other flavors and smells and mixed in, resulting in some interesting — some doubtful — combinations. With…

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Do You Know Your Vanilla? (Part 2)

By Kristie | September 14, 2020 Welcome to part 2 of “Do You Know Your Vanilla”! In this series, we gather all the most popular and pressing questions about vanilla in one place and answer them, just for you. In this post, we’re talking all about vanilla extract, the baker’s best friend. If you’ve read part 1,…

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Do You Know Your Vanilla? (Part 1)

By Kristie | September 14, 2020 Vanilla is one of the most popular flavors in the world. Some people call it plain, but since we sell high-quality, selective batches of vanilla, we’re not one of them. And we have reasons to back up our belief. Vanilla isn’t plain — it’s subtle. In food, it’s meant to…

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Choosing the Perfect Vanilla Beans

By Kristie | July 23rd, 2020 Credit 2020 Creative Commons user 185602672@N05 It’s hard to mistake the distinct aroma of a good vanilla bean. The sweet, earthy scent easily pervades our senses and can even transport us to another time, like childhoods spent baking cookies with family on a cold winter morning. Whatever your connection to vanilla,…

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How to Grow Your Own Vanilla

By Kristie | July 16th, 2020 A spice with as rich a flavor profile as real vanilla doesn’t just happen overnight. In fact, it takes many nights, numbering up to 1,825, since vanilla has a maturation period of up to 5 years. Even after vanilla beans are harvested, they must undergo an extensive curing process…

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Four Health Benefits of Vanilla

By Kristie | June 19, 2020 If you have Vanilla in your cabinet, you know that it tastes and smells great. But you may be wondering — is it healthy? Although the amount we use to add flavor or fragrance is likely too little to add any significant nutritional value, we’re happy to say that…

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How to Store Vanilla Beans

By Kristie | June 10, 2020 People who keep vanilla beans at home have immaculate taste. (Alright, we may be a little biased.) But if you’re one of them, you’re probably no stranger to the cost of quality vanilla beans — they’re a precious commodity. Every bean counts because losing even one to dryness or…

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Vanilla Pods, Extract, Powder, or Paste: Which is Best?

By Kristie | May 29, 2020 As a baker, you want to know which form of vanilla is best for your bakes. When you go to the supermarket or even your local farmer’s market, you can expect to find up to 4 different kinds of vanilla products: whole pods, liquid extract, powder, and paste. Ever…

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5 Ways to Use Vanilla Outside of Food

By Kristie | May 28, 2020 We all know that vanilla tastes delicious. In cookies, cakes, ice cream… the list goes on. (Especially if we “accidentally” add in a little extra.) But food isn’t the only place that’s perfect for vanilla. Do you want your house to smell delicious, even when you haven’t been baking?…

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Know Your Vanilla Beans: Grading, Species, Country of Origin

By Kristie | May 22, 2020 If you’ve ever gone shopping for vanilla beans, you may have had to choose between a variety of labels: Grade A, Grade B, Madagascar, Bourbon, Mexican… the list goes on. You’d be right to be confused — it’s a lot to take in! Here we’re going to break down…

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