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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.

368K 74 3.7

Last modified on: February 21^th 2011

Keywords for this recipe:

For 1 pod, you will need:

1 1 vanilla pod
Total weight: 3 grams

Change these quantities to make: 1 pod 2 pods 3 pods

Change measures: Metric

Metric weight Metric volumes

How long does it take?

Time required for this recipe:

Preparation	Resting	Cooking	Start to finish
9 min.	15 min.	10 min.	34 min.

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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.

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...

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.

Source

Home made.

Nutritional information

Whole recipe
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
2 Kcal or 8 Kj	0 gr	< 1 gr	0 gr
0 %	0 %	<1 %	0 %

Per 100 g
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
52 Kcal or 218 Kj	0 gr	13 gr	0 gr
3 %	0 %	1 %	0 %

Per pod
Energetic value	Proteins	Carbohydrates	Fats
2 Kcal or 8 Kj	0 gr	< 1 gr	0 gr
0 %	0 %	<1 %	0 %

% are calculated relative to a Recommended Dietary Intake or RDI of 2000 k-calories or 8400 k-joules by day for a woman (change to a man).

How much will it cost?

For 1 pod : 2.63 €

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: You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Paris flan filling, Chantilly rice pudding, Confit Victoria pineapple with honey and spices, Pears in red wine with blackcurrant , Caramelized pear custard tart, ... All

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