Do you know that vanilla used to be considered an aphrodisiac?  Well, we know better than that now but it has been proven that the scent of vanilla has a calming effect.  Try hanging a few whole vanilla beans around your house.  Not only will your house smell delicious but the scent will bring a relaxing atmosphere to your rooms.

Cooking with vanilla beans instead of every day extract not only is easy but in most cases will give your recipes a deeper more sophisticated flavor.  For a richer taste you can even combine extract with the bean in recipes.

To cut open a bean, carefully slice lengthwise (either scissors or a knife will do the job) and separate.  Scrape the tiny seeds from the pod.  The seeds from one 6 inch vanilla bean equal approximately 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.  Some recipes call for scraping the seeds from the bean and discarding the rest.  Do not.  The entire bean is filled with flavor and the pod has more than the seeds.  You can cut the bean and use a portion at a time or you can use the whole bean, depending on the depth of flavor you want.  Vanilla beans can usually be used several times.  For instance, if you have put a vanilla bean in a pticher of lemonade or mulled cider or wine, the bean will still contain lots of flavor when the beverage is gone.  Rinse well and dry the beans after using them.  If you have used the bean several times, let it dry out and put the pieces in coffee or sugar.  The bean will give off a delicate flavor for some time.  Don't thow out dry or withered beans, they can be ground up and used in other recipes.

Vanilla beans will keep indefinately in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.  Do not refrigerate as this can cause them to harden and crystallize.

Please don't use imitation vanilla.  It's made from wood and chemicals.  Instead buy your beans from a reputable, experienced dealer with lots of good feedback (like us!).  That way, if you need advise, it will be readily available.