The curing and processing of vanilla beans is a long and complicated task and are the essential requirement to sort out different quality grade and secondly to determine the powerful and intoxicating aroma. Before the vanilla is cured, it has to undego four main stages:


(i) scalding: green beans are sorted according to size, maturity, split and unsplit one. They are seperated into different category. Each batch of 30kgs are loaded into a basket to be plunged into a containers full of hot water heated 65 degrees Celcius for three minutes. Whereas the split and lower grade quality are immersed in the boiled water not more than one minute.


(ii) sweating: in order to prevent further fermentation, the warm beans are quickly drained and wrapped in blanket and stored in sweating box. After twenty four hours the blanket are open to inspect and remove beans that are not properly killed. During this process, the beans acquire a deeper brown colour and are pulpuous.


(iii) drying: the third stage is sun drying on slatted platforms ( bamboo or pine construction) or on the ground. All killed beans are spread out on dark blanket at least one hour in direct sun light each day. In order to retain the heat, before rolling the blanket with the beans, they are left 2 hours in the sun before conserving them inside. The same procedure should be repeated more than 3 weeks until the beans become supple and thinner. However the slow drying in aerial shade last longer, it may takes about 2 to 3 months in open air, spreading on racks. Racks should be well - ventilated in the room. During that period, all beans already turned brown - chocolate colour are hand sorted regularly and re-straigthening with fingers a hundred times.


(iv) conditioning: is the final stage where the beans are stored in closed boxes for long period of three to five months in order to allow the most versatile flavour to develop its full aroma and flavor. The beans are sorted into grades and according to their length and ready to bundle and pack for export. The length of the beans will determine the price tag. Our finest and first class grade of vanilla beans supple and without scratches are packed in waxed paper in boxes to retain the magic flavour.

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