Plainly Vanilla

By Sonia R. Martinez

The term ‘vanilla’ is used commonly as a synonym meaning plain or basic. Nothing is further from the truth! Vanilla is a rich and complex ‘spice’ used in almost all parts of the world.

Vanilla originated in Mexico and was in use centuries before Spanish contact. It’s a flavor derived from the bean pods of the vining Vanilla planifolia orchid plant. The name vanilla is the Anglicized version of the Spanish word vainilla, which is the diminutive of vaina, which in turn, means pod.

The Spanish took pods and vines back home from their New World travels, and eventually, vanilla-producing orchids were being grown in other parts of the tropical world with perfect vanilla-growing weather. Vanilla has been grown commercially on Hawai‘i Island for more than three decades with one major grower and several smaller ones.

If you’ve ever wondered why vanilla beans are so expensive, it’s because they are labor intensive and a time consuming effort. After saffron, vanilla beans are the second most expensive spice in the world and can be literally worth their weight in gold!

It can take five years to produce one single vanilla bean for market. A newly planted vine can take up to four years to produce its first blooms. The light creamy green blossoms open only one day a year and need to be hand pollinated during a four-hour period that one day.

The beans start forming after the blossoms fade, and take several months to reach the perfect stage to be harvested. Not all of them reach maturity at the same time, so harvesting is done daily for several weeks.

The beans are blanched after harvesting, sun-dried for a few months, and then can take up to three more months to reach their peak.

When selecting vanilla beans, the best quality will look thick and plump with a nice gloss on their surface instead of ones that look like dried sticks.

There are several ways you can make your precious vanilla beans stretch for several uses. One of them is making your own vanilla extract.

About 95% of the commercial ‘vanilla products’ in the markets are artificially flavored with vanillin a synthetic substance derived from lignin (a natural polymer derived from wood pulp during paper making process), or ‘laced’ with coumarin instead of the pure vanilla bean. Making your own vanilla extract is simple and one way to ensure you are using a pure product.

The easiest way is to insert a few beans in a large, clear glass container filled with food grade alcohol. Many people use vodka, but I prefer a dark, fruity rum as it gives your vanilla a smoother, deeper, and richer flavor with the natural ‘sweetness’ of the rum.

Some instructions ask you to chop the vanilla bean; I don’t. I use at least five beans per cup and split one of them open and leave the rest whole. I leave the beans in the extract when done and don’t filter it, although it’s alright to do so.

I start a new batch when my bottle shows only about 1/2 to 1/4 inch of vanilla left (depending on how much vanilla I feel I will be using in the next few months) so I always have a good strong batch on hand. You can reuse the beans in the next batch (add some fresh ones too) or if you remove them and use fresh each time, you can use them to make vanilla sugar.

If you use vanilla beans that have been previously used for making vanilla extract, make sure the beans are thoroughly dried before you put them into the sugar, or they will develop mold.

I dry my used vanilla beans by leaving them out on the counter on kitchen or tea towels and let them air dry completely. Turn them over a couple of times to make sure all sides are dry.

For every two pounds of sugar you pour into a plastic or glass container that seals tightly, add one or more beans by sticking them into the sugar. I add a few to mine, since I like a strong vanilla flavor. Seal and leave for about a month. Use the vanilla sugar for sweetening hot or iced tea, coffee, in baking, or sprinkle over oatmeal or fresh fruit.

A few years ago, I learned a simple little trick during a cooking class taken at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company in Pa‘auilo. To make fresh corn taste even sweeter, the trick is to add vanilla!

Sweet Sautéed Corn with Vanilla Bean

Shuck and clean the fresh ears of corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Sauté the corn in a skillet with a pat or two of butter, and add a vanilla bean that has been split; you can scrape the seeds and add them to the corn also. I also like to add a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

If you don’t have a vanilla bean, use vanilla extract. For the equivalent of about six ears of corn, use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and stir to blend well.

Try it next time you make your favorite fresh corn pudding—you won’t believe how good it tastes!

Oh, and by the way, if you use a vanilla bean with your corn, remember to rinse it, let it air dry, and you can use it again by placing it in your sugar bowl or jar. ❖

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Contact writer Sonia R. Martinez: SoniaTastesHawaii.com.