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Depending on what kind of bean you choose they can be anywhere from 5" -over 7" long. They do not look like coffee beans but look like long brownish pods.

They look like large, shriveled, dark brown green beans. Only they're not green.

Maybe what I should say is, they look like green beans, except they are dark brown and sort of shriveled. There, that's better.

Peggi

I ordered Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, they arrived Saturday and oh my word, the aroma that was coming from the sealed package. It was heavenly !!!! I've seen only 2 types of vanilla beans, Madagascar and Mexican, either will work. Just don't by them through a local grocery store, you'll pay about $6 per bean. You can get them at topvanillabeans.com or ebay. And yes they are about 4" long. By the way, the rum flavor dissipates and is taken over by the vanilla.

I have the vanilla beans. I bought a bottle of Taaka vodka. How do you remove the labels? Do you do this now, or wait until Christams? Sorry for all of the questions. Once I've done it, I'll know what to do next time.

Thank-you ladies for bringing this up. This will save a lot of $$ as we tend to go throguh a lot of vanilla. I like to either buy or make my own plain yogurt and adding a little vanilla to it is wonderful and saves a lot of $$ over buying the small containers that they add fruit to that makes it very high calorie and not so good for you. I now have 10 madagascar vanilla beans on their way and will hit the liquior store later on this week.

are you giving the whole bottle away as a gift? If not no need to remove the bottle label, If you are going to share as a gift then I would go to like hobby lobby or ac moores etc and get smaller glass bottles with a cork, fill the bottles, make a label and attach, then srip a little paraffin wax around the cork to "seal" the bottle. Add a festive ribbon with a recipe attached that will incorporate the vanilla as a bonus!!

Okay... I got some vodka too and now I need the beans.
Do I get the premium or the extract beans???

I bought these and have already recieved them:
http://cgi.ebay.com/10-Prime-Gourmet-Ma ... 0324561176
Now all I need is to go and get the vodka probably tomorrow afternoon while I'm out.

We are metric in Australia and so I found 750 ml easy - mind you I still convert in my head with weights and still think in inches and yards but know that 10cm = 4" and a foot is 30cms approx.

Saying all that this is great information especially as my DS1 just bought an icecream maker, I told him he could have had mine - mint condition - I bought it to make sorbet and now giving it to a GF who will make sorbet for both of us, so thought that was a great deal. I'll now make some of this vanilla and give it to her once it has matured.

Ok I've got to put my 2 cents in.

FIRST...........GREAT POST thank you for this less expensive way to get vanilla.
I bought a gallon from a Hispanic co-worker back in 2005. He bought it in Mexico.
Was really cheap. Seemed like good vanilla.
I've in the past always used the good old Watkins Vanilla. Love that stuff.

But now, I'm going to make my own.

This reminds me of the herbal remedies I make now that I'm learning how to do it.
It's infusing herbs or in this case vanilla beans into an alcohol.
I do this with Echinacea in Vodka to make a tincture for cuts, scrapes etc.
I just finished putting some other herbs into Witch Hazel for a distillate. Lavender being one of them.

If you have trouble getting vanilla beans, try Mountain Rose Herbs.
They are organic vanilla beans. They sell all organics. I buy all my herbs there.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/search ... s&x=22&y=7

The group I'm learning herbs from John gets a little cut if people go to Mountain Rose Herbs from his linked website.
This helps him keep everything FREE on his herbal site. I buy mine through his link. http://www.iwantherbs.com

These vanilla beans may be more expensive (I haven't compared yet) but they are organic. Mountain Rose Herbs is a wonderful company.

I just compared and MRH is
1oz Vanilla Bean organic $10.25 (6-9 beans per ounce)
That's where I'm getting mine. I know they aren't sprayed.
AND YOU KNOW HOW ALLERGIC I CAN BE WITH CHEMICALS.

Mountain Rose Herbs even mention’s the alcohol usage.
Typical Preparations
The whole bean may be used in food, tea, and cosmetics, and is abundantly found as a liquid flavoring extract in a base of alcohol.

Click on the name of product and it takes you to another page for descriptions and usage.
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/vanilla_bean.php

As I'm reading on the Ebay site they say theirs are organic. Not certified because a 3rd world country doesn't acquire a USDA certification. So they probably are due to their cost to buy fertilizer.

Okay.... I got my beans in the mail. But how do I store the ones that I'm not using???

I was told to store mine in a glass jar. The beans were put in a zip-lock bag first then put in the jar and that jar is in a cool dark place.
I wonder what anyone else was told to do???

I hope I did the right thing

Hello Yoya:)

Since the beans are a natural product, you always put items that are from nature so to speak into glass jars and in cool dark places. Sunlight and heat are not good for them.

Everyone of my herbs I bought are in glass jars that I've had for some time. and some are in my pantry and some of the jars are in a black bookcase that is away from the sun. I have a lot of herbs so I don't want to have them damaged. Everytime I make some Hathorne, Red Clover or Dandelion tea (just to name a few) I take them out of the dark storage, grab a few fingers full and back into the pantry they go.

I also have to keep all my Echinacha Tincture when finished making it into dark blue bottles. I have a jar right now that is ready to put into small dropper blue bottles. Just don't have any bottles:) so will have to store in a regular jar and put into my few I have as needed.

You can also place a piece of construction paper in the jar first then place the herbs in there,that will block the light if you have not where to place them in the dark, vanilla bean will grow a mold on them if kept too air tight. so watch them. You can freeze them too. Just not for long periods of time. I have over 200 herbs in my possession and the paper in the jar helps immensely. I get a pack at the dollar store of like 200 sheets and just cut them down and slip them in, it also acts as a good moisture collector for when the jar is opened.

Bottles for tinctures can usually be bought inexpensively at the pharmacy if you ask them they will usually sell them at cost, they are amber in color so as to protect your medications. Lots of times you can get them if a store is closing or moving too really cheap. They come in all sizes and are child resistant(important to families with children who are using tinctures) and light resistant.

Something just 100 proof is illegal where you are? Here in California, Bacardi 151 is legal. It's 151 proof. I've taken straight shots. Not recommended unless you have a bucket the first time you try. It's better as a mixer though.

Pure alcohol is 180 proof. I don't think that's legal anywhere in the US. 151 is pushing it.

Speaking of Alcohol Glad you mentioned it.

Someone told me of a store (warehouse) that is in CA national I think. It starts with a B like Baca or something.
They apparently carry 100 proof. Where do you get 100 proof in CA? I've only found 80.

I need it for my Herbal Tinctures. I used 80 proof but really need 100 proof.
I guess I'd know if I put it down my throat Just herbal remedies is all.

Thanks

it is called everclear and is illegal in most states, southern states sell it. It is not vodka it is just a legal form of moonshine lol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)

As far as I know we can still buy what it known as "pure grain alcohol" here. We My parents used to buy that years ago to make punch for parties. They'd mix a quart of that a gallon of wine and then add floating fruit. I'm thinking it was/is 180 proof?

Yes, everclear, thank babykat

That's some strong punch EmbNquilter. They had everyone tipsy

Where did you order your vanilla beans from?
Thanks,
Autumn

I ordered mine from http://www.topvanilla.com and I got the Madagascar.

Curious, any of you who have made your own vanilla, have you tried using it yet?

I made mine on the first of May, thinking it took 3 months - checked it after 3 months and was only slightly colored (using vodka), have just checked it now and if is a light brown color and smells DELICIOUS!!! - haven't tried it tho.

It takes 6-12 months, I started some last December for this December baking.....it looks perfect so far but I don't open it till the last minute as that lets air in. I have made it before and it always comes out great!!