Vanilla is a climbing orchid that needs a support to grow, such as a cocoa or avocado tree, or even a shrub.
It takes around 3 years after the installation of a cutting for it to produce its first flower. The vanilla flower has within it the two reproductive organs, separated by a small membrane.
Its flowering is very short (one day). It is at this point that manual fertilization must be carried out, which will produce the vanilla stick ready to harvest 9 months later (with an efficiency of about 70%). At this stage, green vanilla, ready for processing, is used.
Heat the vanilla to 65° for about 15 minutes, then place it in an oven and let it cool gently for 24 hours.
Then begins the drying, the most delicate step. The vanilla beans are spread out on racks, massaging them to ensure that the seeds remain well distributed, then the racks are set up for a few hours to dry in the sun and then in a ventilated room in the shade. This process is repeated every day for about two months.
Then comes the refining. The vanilla is bunched in bunches and placed in a closed wooden box, where it will stay for several months to develop all its fragrant capacities. The maturing process lasts a minimum of 3 months, this is the standard for many producers in Madagascar, but in order to obtain a product of optimal quality, we refine our vanilla 5 months.
It takes 4 kilos of harvested green vanilla to obtain 1 kilo of ready-to-eat black vanilla, after a 16-month process.
