Vanilla is a climbing orchid that needs support to grow, such as a cocoa tree, avocado tree, or even a shrub.
It takes approximately 3 years after planting a cutting for it to produce its first flower. The vanilla flower contains both reproductive organs, separated by a small membrane.
Its flowering period is very short (one day). It is at this point that manual pollination must be performed, which will produce the vanilla bean ready for harvest 9 months later (with an efficiency of about 70%). At this stage, green vanilla is obtained, ready for processing.
The vanilla is blanched at 65°C for approximately 15 minutes, then placed in a conditioning room to cool gently for 24 hours.
Then begins the drying process, the most delicate stage. The vanilla pods are spread on drying racks, massaged to ensure the seeds remain well distributed, then these racks are placed for a few hours to dry in the sun, and then in a ventilated room in the shade. This process is repeated daily for about two months.
Finally comes the curing. The vanilla is bundled and placed in a closed wooden box, where it will remain for several months to develop its full aromatic potential. Curing lasts a minimum of 3 months, which is the standard for many producers in Madagascar, but to obtain an optimal quality product, we cure our vanilla for 5 months.
It takes 4 kilograms of harvested green vanilla to obtain 1 kilogram of black vanilla ready for consumption, after a sixteen-month process.
