Vanilla Beans in New Zealand – Complete Guide
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What is the difference between Grade A and Grade B vanilla beans?
Grade A beans are generally:
Plumper and more flexible
Higher in moisture
Soft and easy to split and scrape
Usually have a more attractive, glossy appearance
Excellent for baking, desserts, ice cream, custards and other recipes where you use the whole bean
Also suitable for making vanilla extract
Because they contain more moisture and look better, Grade A beans generally cost more per bean.
Grade B beans are generally:
Drier and less plump
Lower in moisture
Often have more visual imperfections
Still contain plenty of vanilla flavour compounds
Particularly well suited to making vanilla extract, vanilla sugar and vanilla infusions
How many vanilla beans do I need to make vanilla extract?
7 Beans will make 2 batches of 250ml of extract. Thats 500ml in total!
How long do vanilla beans last?
We put two years best before date on our beans. Since they are cured vanilla beans are very shelf stable if stored correctly.
How long has The Little Vanilla Pod been in business?
We have been around since 2019! Proudly based in the Waikato and happy to be a New Zealand small business!
How should vanilla beans be stored?
Our beautiful vanilla beans are not dried out like some beans that you may have purchased. To care for these more moist vanilla beans please keep them in a container with a little airflow.
What are pacific vanilla beans?
Vanilla that is grown in the pacific is usually planifolia or tahitensis variety. Planifolia is more flavorful so that is what we stock.
What do our customers say about our vanilla beans??
Check out our great reviews!