MADAGASCAR BLACK BOURBONGRADE A: GOURMET

• Size: 14 cm to 17 cm
• Moisture: 32% - 35%
• Vanilin content: 1.5% - 2.2 %
• Type: natural fresh bean
• Country of origin: Madagascar
• Shelf-life: 2 years

 Birth of a Precious Spice

"Discover the allure of Gourmet Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans. Handpicked from the lush fields of Madagascar, our Grade A vanilla pods offer an unparalleled flavor profile. Elevate your culinary creations and unlock a world of flavors with the richness of our gourmet vanilla beans."  

Vanilla processing

 1. Growing vanilla

At the heart of our extraordinary Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla lies the intricate process of growing vanilla. Nestled amidst the lush landscapes of Madagascar, our vanilla plantations enjoy an ideal environment with tropical warmth, balanced humidity, and fertile soils. This nurturing setting provides the perfect conditions for our vanilla vines to thrive and produce beans of unparalleled quality.

Our dedicated farmers understand the delicate nature of vanilla orchids and meticulously perform the hand-pollination technique. This labor-intensive process ensures that each flower is pollinated with precision, setting the foundation for the development of exquisite vanilla beans.

As the vanilla vines grow, we pour patience and care into nurturing them for several months. Shielding them from harsh weather and diligently monitoring their progress, we await the moment when the vanilla pods reach the perfect stage of ripeness.

2. Dipping

No more than three days after harvest, the beans are plunged into water heated to 60 ° C to 70 ° C from 10 seconds to three minutes. Timing depends on the size of the beans, whether they have split on the vine, and water temperature. Dipping is performed by a master curer who calculates these variables by feel. 

The outer vegetative skin of the bean is killed by soaking it in hot water to keep it from growing further. This not only kills the skin of the vanilla bean,but also kills other potential pathogens.*Killing* the bean provides stopping growth and releasing the enzymes that begn production of vanillin, the bean’s primary flavor component. 

3. Sweating

As soon as the beans are pulled from the water, workers rush to wrap them tightly in wool blankets, storing them inside a dark, airtight container. Speed is essential to preserve heat and steam. These trigger the enzymes that convert cellulose and starches to vanillin and other complex components that give vanilla its beautifully subtle aroma.

Steaming is the act of letting the vanilla pods from scalding for a given period. Usually it lasts three to four days. In the meantime, the vanilla keeps the same heat received from scalding and always continues to be leather.

At the third or fourth day, we open the box and we go to drying in the sun. Scalding and steaming are successful when all the vanilla pods take on the color of the chocolate. Otherwise, the pods are dotted with chocolate and green color.

4. Drying

Drying has two stages: Sun drying and drying in the shade

STEP 1 - Sun drying  

We first spread a large bag designated here as mat. Sheets are then spread over this bag. These sheets are blankets or pieces of bags cut out and of the same size as the blankets. Employees spread the vanilla in a thin layer on the sheets. This is where the sun drying begins. In the beginning and each day, exposure to the sun lasts for two to three hours. Note that this is not automatic but depends on weather conditions. When the pods are judged to have absorbed the appropriate temperature, we roll up the blankets, transport them back to the box. The casing must always be well lined, without heat leakage. It is in a way the second steaming too. This entire procedure lasts 4 days. And from the fifth day, the vanilla returned to the box is no longer in pods but deposited with rolled sheets or mats while continuing to respect the steaming system.  

 STEP 2 - Drying in the shade

Drying in the shade Drying in the shade, as the name suggests, is not done outdoors like previously but inside the store. It consists of placing and spreading in an orderly manner the vanilla pods on drying racks after making by heads. 

5. Packaging

The packaging of vanilla is divided into 5 successive stages:  

- Bulk sorting 

- Classification 

- Measurement 

- Packaging 

- Storage