How to use a vanilla pod effectively
Vanilla pods are used in many recipes, but they need to treated in a particular way to be effective, detailed here.
394 K 3.6/5 (80 reviews)
35 min.
Easy
1 pod
1 IngredientLast modified on: February 21th 2011
For 1 pod, you will need:
1 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 9 min.
Resting: 15 min.
Cooking: 10 min.
All in all: 35 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 2 min.
Cut vanilla pod in two, then split each part in two lengthways.
Stage 2 - 2 min.
With the back, not the sharp edge, of a knife blade, scrape out all the small black seeds which contain the essence of the vanilla flavour.
Stage 3 - 2 min.
Add these small black seeds to the liquid of your recipe, here milk for custard sauce (crème anglaise).
Stage 4 - 10 min.
Add pod too, to get the whole flavour.
Bring to the boil, then remove from heat, cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes, so that the milk absorbes the taste.
Bring to the boil, then remove from heat, cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes, so that the milk absorbes the taste.
Stage 5 - 15 min.
It's important to strain the milk afterwards to remove all the bits, especially the small brown fibres of vanilla pod.
To do this, pour the milk throught a strainer...
To do this, pour the milk throught a strainer...
Stage 6 - 3 min.
... to remove them, but use a strainer that is not too fine to allow the small black seeds to pass through.
See in this photo what's left after filtering: skins and brown fibres which would spoil your dish.
See in this photo what's left after filtering: skins and brown fibres which would spoil your dish.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 RDI=0 % | 7 RDI: 0 % |
| Per 100 g | 0 | 10 RDI=1 % | 0 | 50 RDI=3 % | 220 RDI: 3 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 1 pod : 2.65 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Vanilla pod
Like these other recipes: Lemon Confectioner's Custard, 4 pears salad with vanilla, Crème brulée, Apricot jam with vanilla, Vanilla sugar, ... See them all 35
Other recipes you may also like
How to prepare new peas
In spring, when the first peas, known as "new" peas, appear fresh on the market stalls, that's the (fairly short) moment when you can eat them whole, peas and pods, very fresh and delicious. To do this, rather than shelling them, you need to prepare them, and here's how.May 8th 202417 K 30 min.
How to extract passion fruit juice
Passion fruit are rather strange fruit as they do not really have much flesh, but rather seeds surrounded by a fine layer of pulp. Here is a way to extract the juice.March 23th 2011528 K 32.3 20 min.
You should not add raisins to recipes dry
Used straight from the packet raisins are too dry and hard.February 21th 2011267 K4.1 40 min.
Stewed apple (compote)
Here is a very basic but delicious recipe, and the pitfalls to avoid.November 8th 20172.44 M 14.8 1 hour 15 min.
Salmon and spinach quiche
This quiche recipe uses a traditional filling mixture, but adds slices of smoked salmon and blanched spinach.April 17th 2022414 K 14 1 hour 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-07-06)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.