Not So Plain Vanilla
Sunday, May 24, 2009 at 7:50PM The vanilla beans we use in all of our chocolates (mmm, Vanilla Hazlenut!) are from Madagascar and are organic and sustainably grown (of course) without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. 
Where do they come from? The answer will surprise you! Vanilla bean pods come from an orchid (the only fruit-bearing variety of orchid). When these special orchid flowers are are pollinated, often by hand, the vanilla bean will form.
Nine months after pollination the ripe green vanilla bean is picked. Curing is a continuous process of sun-drying the pods during the day, then placing them in wooden boxes for the night. This process takes 6 months as the pod becomes dark and pliable.
Now that you can find these sun-dried vanilla beans in our Organic Bulk Shop, experiment with the following ICE CREAM recipe! Freshly harvested vanilla (you get to scrape the “paste” out of the pod) is one of the greatest tastes your palate can experience!
Lucuma Ice Cream
(Special thanks to aniphyo.com)
1/2 cup lucuma powder
1 cup cashews
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup yacon powder
1 cup filtered water
Blend ingredients and freeze. Enjoy!
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