Vanilla Beans
Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques
Personally I add the whole bean, it is a very small amount anyway I would only use between 1/6 to 1/3 of a bean to 1 kg of chocolate. The whole pod contains the flavouring so you would be throwing out some flavour - you just need to use more to get the same effect. The whole bean is fine to eat Askinosie is doing a rustic bar with pieces of vanilla bean embedded in the chocolate. I think for puddings and baking the reason you don't use the whole bean is because there is no way to micronise it as there is in chocolate making. I have made ice-cream from beans and some strands from the vanilla bean have been left in by accident - it doesn't ruin it but I personally don't like big bits in my ice-cream. Correct me if I am wrong but I would imagine that vanilla bean paste you can buy from the shop is whole beans ground up; pre-micronised for your cooking pleasure. HAve you ever made two batches one the way you do it and the other just putting the bean in and grinding - I would be interested to see if there was any difference in flavour profile.
AndreaOK, just have to add....it also seems that the prettier the woman, the harder it is to be taken seriously as a professional. But for men the more handsome they are the better they are treated.
