To use a vanilla bean, split it lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife, then steep the seeds and the pod in a hot liquid. Once rinsed and dried, the empty pod can still flavor sugar or an extract.
Before You Start: Choose a Supple Bean
A good vanilla bean bends without snapping and has a slight sheen: those are its aromatic oils. Our Black Gourmet beans measure 15 to 22 cm and are sold vacuum-sealed so they stay supple. If a bean is a little dry, you can still use it: see below.
1. Split the Bean
Lay the bean flat on a cutting board. Hold one end and, with the tip of a small, sharp knife, slit it open along its entire length without cutting it in two. You’ll end up with two halves joined at the end, filled with a black paste.
2. Scrape the Seeds
Run the back of the blade along each half, pressing lightly: the seeds come away as a small, sticky paste. They are what give a custard or an ice cream its little black specks. Add them straight to your mixture, or first mix them into a spoonful of sugar so they disperse better.
3. Steep the Bean
Much of the aroma is also in the pod itself. Drop both scraped halves into the milk, cream or syrup, bring it just to a simmer, then cover and let it steep off the heat:
- 15 to 20 minutes for a custard sauce (crème anglaise) or a pastry cream;
- 30 minutes or more for an ice cream base, which benefits from resting overnight in the refrigerator afterward;
- cold, a whole night in cream for a richly flavored whipped cream.
Remove the pod before cooking or whipping the mixture.
Using a Vanilla Bean in a Cake
In a cake batter, you don’t steep: you use the seeds. Scrape half a bean to one bean for a batter serving 6 to 8, then mix the seeds into the sugar or butter before adding them: they’ll spread more evenly. If the cake is served with a cream or soaked in a syrup, steep the scraped pod in it afterward.
4. Reuse the Empty Pod
A steeped pod hasn’t given everything it has. Rinse it, let it air-dry for a day or two, then:
- tuck it into a jar of sugar: in two weeks, you’ll have homemade vanilla sugar;
- add it to a bottle of homemade extract that’s still steeping;
- blend thoroughly dried pods with sugar for a fragrant powder.
Using a Dry Vanilla Bean
A bean that has gone a little stiff has mostly lost moisture on its surface. To split and scrape it, wrap it for a few hours in a damp paper towel inside a sealed bag: it will turn supple again. For an infusion, an extract or vanilla-infused rum (rhum arrangé), use it as is: the liquid draws out its flavor very well. A very dry bean can also be blended with sugar to make vanilla sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you always need to scrape out the seeds?
No. For a subtle infusion, the split pod is enough. The seeds bring a more intense flavor and the black specks typical of real vanilla.
How long does an opened vanilla bean keep?
Once the pouch is open, wrap the beans in parchment paper, then place them in an airtight jar: they stay fragrant for several months. See our guide on how to store vanilla beans.
Can you replace a vanilla bean with vanilla caviar?
Yes: vanilla caviar is made of the seeds alone. It saves you splitting and scraping, but doesn’t bring the aroma of a steeped pod.
The Vanilla for This Guide
To get started, a pouch of 5 beans or 50 g of Black Gourmet is enough for several recipes. For regular baking, the 100 to 250 g sizes cost less per kilo.