so the other day, my bf pulled out his dehydrator after over a month of not using it, and he found a single vanilla bean that had gotten left there after i ran my vanilla beans through the dehydrator.
this vanilla bean had just been sitting on a shelf in the dehydrator, in a corner of the garage, for maybe 2 months?
but! the most interesting part is that i'm pretty sure during that time period, it had developed vanillin on the outside! (see pic 1) i'm pretty sure that that crusty yellowish stuff is vanillin.
according to vanillapura.com/blogs/vanilla-… :
"Vanillin crystals, sometimes called "givre" (French for "frost") or "vanilla frost," are naturally occurring crystalline formations of vanillin—the primary flavor compound that gives vanilla its signature aroma and taste. These sparkling deposits appear on the surface of premium vanilla beans as a result of meticulous curing and aging processes.
When you see these white, needle-like crystals glistening on your beans, you're witnessing pure vanillin that has migrated to the surface and crystallized."
now, my own beans that i took home and kept in a plastic container have not developed vanillin (pic 2).
as i was trying to figure out whether this actually was vanillin, i came across this suggestion for drying vanilla beans after the initial cure:
"Indoors on dehydrator shelves placed on a laundry rack or wire shelf"
(from: vanillery.com/how-to-cure-vani… )
so i guess that's accidentally what happened.
now i'm wondering if i can simulate these conditions for the other beans and whether there's a chance they might still develop vanillin 🤔
Vanillin Crystals on Vanilla Beans: Sign of Quality, Not Mold | VanillaPura
White crystals on your vanilla beans? That's vanillin—the ultimate sign of perfectly cured, premium vanilla. Learn how to identify crystals vs. mold and why they indicate exceptional quality.VanillaPura Pro (VanillaPura)
