To add vanilla beans, you'll typically either use the seeds inside the pod or infuse a liquid with the flavor of the entire bean. Here's how:
1. Preparing the Vanilla Bean:
- Slit the pod: Use a paring knife to carefully slice the vanilla bean lengthwise down the middle, being careful not to cut all the way through at either end.
- Scrape out the seeds: Lay the opened pod flat and use the back of your knife to gently scrape out the tiny black seeds from inside. These are sometimes referred to as "vanilla caviar."
2. Using the Vanilla Bean Seeds (Vanilla Caviar):
- In batters and doughs: Add the scraped seeds directly to your batter or dough when making cookies, cakes, muffins, or other baked goods. This provides intense vanilla flavor and visible specks, adding visual appeal.
- In creams and custards: Stir the seeds into custards, ice cream bases, or whipped cream for a rich vanilla flavor.
- As a topping: Sprinkle the seeds over desserts like fruit salads or yogurt.
3. Infusing with the Vanilla Bean Pod (with or without seeds):
- In liquids (milk, cream, sauces): Steep the scraped pod (or an entire, unsliced bean) in warm liquid, such as milk or cream, to infuse it with vanilla flavor. Heat the liquid gently with the bean for about 30 minutes, or let it steep in the refrigerator for a longer period (several hours or overnight) for a stronger infusion. Remove the pod before using the liquid.
- In sugar or salt: Bury vanilla bean pods in a jar of sugar or salt to create vanilla-infused sugar or salt. This adds a subtle vanilla aroma and flavor to your baking or cooking. You can add a used vanilla bean pod to a jar of sugar.
- In extracts or liquors: Infuse vanilla bean pods in vodka or other spirits to create homemade vanilla extract or flavored liquors.
4. After Use - Don't Throw Away!
- After using the seeds or steeping the pod, don't discard it! The pod still contains valuable flavor. You can reuse it to make vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, or add it to your sugar jar for a subtle vanilla aroma. Rinse the pod and let it dry before adding it to sugar.
Example:
Let's say you're making vanilla ice cream:
- Split a vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
- Add the seeds directly to your ice cream base.
- Steep the pod in the cream/milk mixture used in your ice cream base while heating it.
- Remove the pod before churning the ice cream.
By using both the seeds and the pod, you maximize the vanilla flavor in your recipe.
