Sri Lankan Vanilla Beans Whole Grade A Vanilla Pods for Homemade Vanilla Extract, Baking, Ice Cream, Flavoring, & Vanilla Powder (10 Pack)

These 5 whole Sri Lankan Vanilla Beans (Grade A) from Vanilla Bean Kings come vacuum packed, which is great because vanilla deans dry out quickly when exposed to air. These beans are plump and fragrant.While you can rehydrate dried-out beans by soaking them in liquid, they are best when they are fresh.Vanilla Bean Kings is more transparent than most with their sourcing/labelling. If you combine the online description and the info on the package, they list the country of origin (Sri Lanka), a best by date, the grade, moisture percentage, an estimate of bean length. It would also be good if they indicated a more precise harvest date (rather than the general year) and the average vanillin rating.I like to use whole vanilla beans (split and scraped) in cakes, but you can also use them in homemade ice cream, custards or tarts, or you can make your own vanilla extract or vanilla sugar.

I ordered these on June 24, 2022. When received, the "Best by" date is April 20, 2022.These are marked as being Grade A, but they seemed to me more like Grade B that you would use for making extracts.As for the flavor when used in baked goods, it's a good flavor with some notes that are unlike other sources I've used over the years. Of course, this is my first time using Sri Lankan beans.All in all, my only issue is with their being sent to me beyond their "Best by" date.[This is a review for 5 Sri Lankan Vanilla Beans Whole Grade A Vanilla Pods for Homemade Vanilla Extract, Baking, Ice Cream, Flavoring, & Vanilla Powder B09YB725VF]

I've used this in a few recipes, and it's worked out great. The biggest issue is putting the beans away when I'm done with them because they smell so good. These are fresh and moist. They are not in a resealable bag so you'll need a large sealable bag or container. Unless you plan to use it all at once, of course.

Love these vanilla beans. I'm using them to infuse bourbon and tequila via sous vide. It's super easy to do, and takes on ly 45 minutes... instead of the traditional way of waiting days or weeks!

These smell great. I like the taste and they work well to bake with.

These vanilla beans are of a good size and they also look fresh. They are well packaged in a vacuum sealed airtight plastic package. The beans are dark, moist, and healthy looking, with an excellent vanilla aroma. I am looking forward to making some vanilla ice cream with these. These are perfect. We are very happy with them.Addendum June 27, 2022:I just wanted to add that I have just noticed the “Best By” printed on the package. I ordered this on 6/24/2022 and received it a day or two later. I just noticed that the Best By date is 4/20/2022 (lot number is K7391), so this was already past the Best By date when I received this. I am wondering if they mistakenly listed the date it was packaged instead of the Best By date, but if it is printed correctly then these are expired. We will still plan to use them, but would prefer to have received them well prior to the expiration date. I will subtract one star from my original five star rating, because the product sent was already past its expiration date. It is otherwise great.

Maybe I'm just not a vanilla connoisseur, but these were quite bitter without a strong vanilla flavor. The seeds, when eaten by themselves, don't really taste anything like vanilla at all. I've preserved the stalks in high proof alcohol for long-term keeping, as suggested, and they seem to keep well, so their longevity is good. However, even when I first opened them, they simply didn't have a very "good" flavor, just bitter. Personally, I like bitter, but if you're expecting a kid of vanilla flavor you'd get from store extract, think again!

There is a vast variety in types of vanilla beans out there. The five vanilla beans I received were not dried out, which can be difficult to find these days. I wouldn't describe them as "plump" because they were quite flat, but still plenty pliable enough to slice open with a knife.I just used them in making apple butter and it was delicious! It's hard to compare specific vanilla bean profiles without making a taste test using the same recipe with multiple types of vanilla beans side by side. But this smelled like classic vanilla and the beans are of decent quality. I have experienced fresher beans when they're shipped direct from the growers, but as far as retail quality I think this is about as good as you can expect to find.I will note that it seems the "best by" date on mine expired two months before I even placed my order. Hopefully future customers will get a batch that isn't expired. Removing one star for that.