The green vanilla pod does not become the fragrant black bean you use in pastry by itself. It takes six consecutive steps over three months, plus an ageing period of 3 to 6 months in wooden crates, to reach the aromatic profile a chef expects. Every gesture matters.
Six consecutive steps over three months
Harvest
Between July and September, the pods are harvested when they turn slightly yellow at the tip. Too green, they will not develop their aroma; too ripe, they will split during preparation.
Scalding
Immersion in 63 °C water for a few minutes (blanching / killing). This shock stops the vegetative life of the pod and triggers the enzymatic reactions that will release vanillin.
Sweating
The blanched pods are wrapped in blankets and stored in wooden crates for 24 to 48 hours. Heat and moisture continue to work on the aromatic compounds.
Sun drying
Every morning, the pods are laid out on cloths in the sun for a few hours. Every evening, they are wrapped again to sweat overnight. Rhythm: 3 to 4 weeks.
Shade drying
Slower ageing under ventilated shelters for approximately two months. Residual moisture drops from over 50% to 30-38% (Gourmet grade) or 27-33% (TK grade).
Final sorting
By hand, one bean at a time. Length, flexibility, colour, splitting: five commercial grades are then defined (Gourmet A, TK, Red Europe, Red US, Mexican variety).
Three baskets, two hours, fifty kilos
Final sorting is done by three trained sorters in Virembina village. In two hours of work, they classify fifty kilos of cured beans. This gesture cannot be automated: only the eye and hand of an experienced sorter can distinguish a supple pod from a stiff one, a Grade A from a TK.
Every batch, every village, every week
Every sorted batch is assigned a unique traceability code: village of origin, harvest week, measured vanillin content, sorter name. This information appears on the packaging pouches shipped to our clients.
Frequently asked questions
Why is vanilla black when the fresh pod is green?
The dark colour comes from enzymatic reactions triggered by scalding and continued during sweating and drying. These reactions transform glucovanillin (colourless) into vanillin (the aromatic molecule) and pigments (which darken the pod).
Why is sorting manual and not automated?
Because grading criteria (flexibility, sheen, absence of splitting, aromatic intensity) rely on the human eye and touch. No industrial machine can distinguish a Gourmet from a TK reliably enough.