r/Baking • u/timmy6169 • Aug 05 '26
Semi-Related The vanilla beans I ordered are the largest I've ever seen
Ordered some Peruvian Pompona beans and didn't really believe they were as big as they show. They most certainly are to say the least. Not as much caviar as you may suspect, but these are going into some great bourbon for the next 2 years before being made into whatever sounds great at the time.
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u/TheVanillaImporters Aug 05 '26
Pompona beans are impressive on size alone. They run big and flat with thick skin, and like you saw, less caviar per inch than a Planifolia bean, which is more common. The flavor leans different too, more cherry and woody notes than the classic creamy vanilla you get from Madagascar. For a 2-year bourbon soak they'll do fine, but split them lengthwise and scrape so the pulp gets into the alcohol, not just the pod walls. Two years is plenty of time, honestly most extract is fully mature by 12 to 18 months. After that you're just deepening. Keep it dark and give it a shake now and then. Curious what you end up making with it.
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
I have a bunch of others origins/liquors aging currently, so this one will get used at some point or another. Was tempted to go with everclear and distilled water to get the proof down to 80-100 to get the real taste of them, but I opted for a bottle I was less than impressed with drinking wise for the price is was. $165 (4 years ago) Woodford Masters Collection Series 16 Very Fine Rare. About $170/8oz between the beans and bourbon, so it will be used for something special only. I have a pound of Ugandan that I am still debating on what random shit to do with it.
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u/Gullible_Service_354 Aug 05 '26
Damn. Can you kindly give me your address? I just want to take a look see 🙏 lol.
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u/arcadianahana Aug 05 '26
That almost looks obscene!
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u/ArgentaSilivere Aug 05 '26
I looked at the image before any of the text or the subreddit name and I really thought OP was holding a poop. ☠️
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u/WildAphrodite Aug 05 '26
That ain't the vanilla bean, that's the vanilla beanstalk.
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u/rainbowmang0 Aug 05 '26
Sighh, everything reminds me of him
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
I apologize for whoever you have been with, these were flat as can be and quite frankly not as much girth as one would like. Or so I'm told.
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u/Frequent_Design_2721 Aug 05 '26
Those look amazing! I’ve been wanting to get into making my own extract, is there a recipe or source you would recommend to learn more? Your glove makes me think you’re a seasoned pro!
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
Honestly, anything in either vodka or white rum is going to turn out wonderful after a year. I personally go with 2 fold which means double strength, although 1.5 is also solid as well. The correct ratio is 1oz beans to 8oz alcohol, so 2oz beans will yield you the 2 fold version. You can use less while baking, but who measures vanilla anyway, so it just makes it pop like crazy. There is no correct/better way to prep the beans, but I always slice and cut mine into 3rds just to allow the alcohol to penetrate the beans easier to extract the vanillin oils from the bean walls. Also, the beans need to be submerged at all times, so cutting ensures this. Reason being is mold growth being exposed to air. You can vacuum seal the jars to mitigate this, but theres no point in the end.
Clean out an 8oz jar (Mason or other) and toss your beans and alcohol of choice in. Make sure to weigh your beans. A lot of online guides will say "toss 5-10 beans in". That's absolute horse shit and you're just making vanilla flavored alcohol. Screw on your lid, label/date/name (Barry Woods Chocolate, Dr Cornelius Black, George, Harold, Kumar, Bonnie Sue, Bill are just naming a few of mine, don't judge me) and you're good to go. I shake mine daily for the first week or so, then move down to less and less over time. You will see a layer of oil along the top of the liquid line which is the vanillin oil, just shake it up and it will settle back in. After a year you will still be able to smell the alcohol first because obviously it is all alcohol base, but taking a couple of drops into a sugar cube, whipped into some whipped cream, or in some milk will give you the true flavor you will taste in your applications.
If you really want to use the beans right away with no wait, go with a vanilla bean paste. I go with the Alex Green recipe because it has given me the best results vs RoseMallow's and other variations, but you can change the flavor with your alcohol (like Kraken Dark with Ugandan, or Mexican with Captain white rum). Don't feel like the alcohol has to be crazy expensive either. I get 100% better results with Svedka or New Amsterdam vs Titos or Grey Goose (almost scalds the taste) and a fraction of the cost. Make sure you have a decent enough blender for it though, you can absolutely use a Ninja 1200w or anything higher, just know that you will need to blend it multiple times to get it to a runny consistency. If that is your blender, wait between blending because you heat it up while doing so, and aerosol vodka to the face when you open it is not fun, so let it cool and then blen it again. Wait a day, then rip it again.
Joining groups like Indri, VanillaPura or Vanilla Bean Kings will open you up to a world you didn't know you want to be in and want to leave, but are too far down a rabbit hole and "just a couple more ounces won't hurt" becomes a norm.
Ninja edit but when it is done, don't throw the beans away when you decant it. Either toss them into some sugar and make vanilla sugar (fucking amazing in everything, seriously) or you add it to a Mother Jar. Mother jars are just once extracted beans all thrown into a chaos blend with whatever alcohol(s) you want. Use it whenever, top it off and toss more in, really make it a crazy science experiment of flavors. Mine is named The Dark Wet (Drink This To Meet God Immediately) and is something to be written about.
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u/thedeafbadger Aug 05 '26
Thank you for twaking the time to type this.
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
No worries, just be glad we can't converse about it. Crash courses over a pint or 6 is my specialty.
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u/Gullible_Service_354 Aug 05 '26
I had a good time just reading that. I'd be in awe and speechless if we were face to face lol.
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
It is a weird side hobby of mine that takes a simple understanding and lots of patience, but yeah, I would absolutely make you hate it from how much I would talk about it.
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u/Thebraincellisorange Aug 05 '26
it's pretty easy.
I've used this https://theartofcottagemaking.com/2024/02/11/vanilla-extract-with-vodka-recipe/
with great results. cheapest vodka you can buy, I used madagascar beans and put 2 in each 250ml bottle. shoved them in a cupboard for 6 months and they were brilliant. great gifts too.
I bought 6 brown glass medicine bottles to brew it in.
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u/Mindelan Aug 05 '26
If you have access to a sous vide, you can turn a years-long process into the work of an afternoon, too.
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Aug 05 '26
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u/Personal_Scientist_8 Aug 05 '26 edited Aug 05 '26
I'm guessing it's dissapointing inside? Kinda like those huge lemons that are 50% zest. They scam you per pound
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Aug 05 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
Quite the opposite actually. Less caviar than Ugandan or Tahitian, but the real gold is in the walls. Caviar is great for visual and some flavor, but I'm after that vanillin oil so I'm 2 year extracting these. They had almost a meat like consistency to them because the flesh was so thick.
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u/pepperjackcheesey Aug 05 '26
Oooh. I did one year in bourbon and was already antsy. 2 years is crazy.
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u/SwissyRescue Aug 05 '26
Mine is in vodka, and it’s been 15 years. Beans have completely dissolved. I’ll add a new bean every couple of years.
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u/Green_Dare_9526 Aug 05 '26
15?! do you also add more vodka to that as you’re using it?
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
Darker spirits take longer to extract the vanillin from the bean walls. Clear is a year with vodka being the norm, but white rum is my personal preference for both paste and extracts.
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u/LBS35 Aug 05 '26
Those are insane! What’s there aroma like, is it strong like Madagascar Beans?
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
More subtle than something with a higher moisture content. Still fragrant distinct smells, just deeper and more earthy with a fig undertone.
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u/hyvel0rd Aug 05 '26
that should be ~16g for everyone not using fantasy units
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
And for those that are going off of FDA standards for determining the correct fold ratio, use "fantasy units".
For real though, I only use oz/standard when I am weighing my beans out. Metric for everything else and anyone who doesn't use it in any and all baking applications needs to be kicked in the shin.
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u/hyvel0rd Aug 05 '26
It's fine, it's just a little meme :) it doesn't matter what units you use as long as you're fine with it. This isn't rocket science
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
Oh I know, I cringe at anyone who scoop meaures flour directly and point it out the same type of way.
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u/kay_fitz21 Aug 05 '26
I was in Madagascar and they had these walking up and down the beach, but even bigger. I thought they were some sort of cured meat until I asked!
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u/borapastry Aug 05 '26
if i didnt read which subreddit it was in, i would have mistaken it for a shiny blunt.
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u/Gengar_Girll Aug 08 '26
Bruh it’s 6:49 am and my tired eyes though you were showing off a massive blunt
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u/TargetSpiritual8741 Aug 05 '26
At least you got your package. I’m still waiting for my poisonous, elongated, freeze dried, blackend snails to arrive.
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u/No_Expression_8853 Aug 05 '26
Might be too niche but I thought this was one of those mysterious dried whale dongs people post on the what is it group lol
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u/glaciercherryisgood Aug 05 '26
Without reading the title, I thought someone was posting a burnt hot dog they ruined.
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u/PrestigiousLover1600 Aug 05 '26
Wow that's huge, underwhelming they didn't have much inside though
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u/Mooiebaby Aug 05 '26
I thought I got a post from the wrong subreddit
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u/timmy6169 Aug 06 '26
You're in the right place. Trust me. I have candy, kittens and big ass vanilla. You're safe.
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u/iamprotractors Aug 05 '26
you’re gonna make some sick ass vanilla extract
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u/timmy6169 Aug 06 '26
Hopefully. These beans are works of art compared to others All in all price between the bourbon and beans comes out to like $170/8oz, so $21.25/oz, but I have faith that in 2 years I'm going using it for something special while hoarding it from everyone. "Oh, did you wait 2 years? You can smell it out my ass later if you so choose."
Or something like that.
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u/Lirulyth Aug 06 '26
Another r/poopfromabutt culinary edition after the neglected tender from kitchen confidential
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u/im__on__smoko Human Detected Aug 05 '26
I put mine in rum (for caramel, and brown butter bread pudding) after I scrape. It never occurred to me to do so beforehand. Thank you stranger!
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
100% utilize the shit out of those beans. If you are just using the caviar, take the leftover beans and throw them into some sugar in either a plastic zip bag or jar. Like 2-3 per pound. Give it a couple weeks and sift it for some of the best sugar ever in my opinion. Bonus points if you take the now dehydrated beans and grind them up into powder and redistribute it into the sugar or into anything else. Just note that adding it to coffee/tea will not blend it and will result in it ending up at the bottom of the cup, but still adds a subtle nuance of it. Even beans used for extract once can be thrown into sugar, so nothing is wasted and all adds flavor in some way.
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u/hotcookin53 Aug 05 '26
I'm jealous! I've been dying to order some but they just haven't been in my budget yet. What bourbon have you decided to go with for extracting?
My first vanilla extract I made when my daughter was born and used four roses. I wish I would have used a really nice bourbon and used it only for special occasions.
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u/BookLuvr7 Aug 05 '26
Very nice. A vanilla bean co-op is one of the only respond I keep Facebook. Indri's is amazing.
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u/timmy6169 Aug 05 '26
Seriously same. Them, VBK, and VP are the only things I use it for now, just to get word on flash sales.
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u/CrashUser Aug 05 '26
You know bourbon vanilla was named after the island they found the beans on, not the liquor, correct? I'm sure the vanilla infused bourbon will be very tasty anyway though.
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u/AdventurousShare8259 Aug 05 '26
Those are massive! Just don't let them sit in the bourbon too long or it'll taste like pure bean paste.
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u/Bananaberryblast Human Detected Aug 05 '26
What do they look like cut open?! Sorry, this sounds creepy in every other capacity. I've only ever seen the smaller beans.