What do to with Vanilla Beans?

So you bought some high-quality vanilla beans from the Vanilla Bean Project. Great. Now, what do you do with them? Having vanilla beans in your pantry is like having money in the bank. Fun to think about and filled with endless possibilities.

Okay, so here we go.

1. Make your own vanilla extract. Easy to do and fun. You can use your vanilla bean to make your own customized vanilla extract. Vanilla made by you and BOOM! You are now an artisan producer of small batch vanilla.
2. Anything where the taste of vanilla can really shine. Split open the pod and scrape out all that delicious vanilla goodness. We love it in a panna cotta, homemade pudding or in an over-the-top vanilla cake.
3. Bring back custards. Homemade custards used to be more popular. This soothing and old-timey dessert needs a modern update. Sign us up and invite us over when you make some.
4. It’s all about those specks. Using a vanilla bean provides the specks that kick up even the most simple recipe up a notch. Imagine basic sugar cookies with the addition of real vanilla beans.
5. Making your own ice cream. Perfect. We have the vanilla. You make the ice cream.
6. Poaching anything. Pears are a classic dessert but adding vanilla beans to any sweet poaching liquid is always a good idea. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches. Look out summer fruit, we are going to poach you and serve you for dessert.
7. Make vanilla sugar. Stick a pod in your vanilla canister and you have lovely vanilla sugar. Perfect for all your baking.

Hope these ideas spark your imagination and inspire you to put your newly purchased vanilla beans to very good use.