10 Organic Madagascar Whole Vanilla Beans, Grade A Pods, Premium Vanilla Beans for Making Extract & Baking - Cook’s

I wanted to give it a while before reviewing to make sure my extract had time to develop. That way, I feel I can provide feedback that was more complete than just saying that the caviar tasted great (which, it did). Now that it's been a couple of months, I think I can say that without a doubt, these beans are great no matter how you use them. They arrived vacuum sealed; all air had been evacuated to prevent oxidation of the vanillin and other components that make up a vanilla pod. Even before breaking the seal, the smell of vanilla was very strong. I opened the package and was immediately surrounded by that distinct aroma of fine Madagascar vanilla. I threw the bundles on my scale and was pleased to find that I had received a slight excess of the 16 ounces ordered. These were predominantly long pods Very few of the little 4-5" baby pods and lots of the 7-8" ones. They were plump and you could tell they were appropriately dried to the correct amount of moisture. We immediately sliced one down the middle and ran a knife edge across the flattened pod to scrape off the caviar, of which there was plenty. Crème brulee was the ultimate test and no one was disappointed. There's nothing like being able to tell your guest that you used actual vanilla pods in your recipe instead of store bought extract. It works wonderfully in vanilla ice cream as well. Just be sure to save the pods for making your own extract. In my case, I wanted 2x vanilla extract. So into 3.5 liters of inexpensive grain neutral spirits (cheap vodka) we added the partially scraped pods, all 16 ounces of them. This was placed in a cool dark spot to age. We will of course allow it to age longer but so far, after 2 months, the extract is fantastic. The color is rich, the aroma is heavenly, and the taste, even early, is already beyond any store bough extract I've ever had. Knowing that it can only get better is an added benefit. I could go on but for now, Ill leave it at... yes, we are satisfied. I might be easy to please but I'm also fairly critical and tend to write detailed reviews when I am very happy or very unhappy. You wont go wrong here if you order the full pound of pods. I cant speak for ordering by the bean...

These vanilla beans are excellent. I didn't know there was a difference between the store bought in a jar and fresh. These are very aromatic, easy to split open and are very fresh. They are a nice size too. I kept them stored sealed in the original package and they lasted at least 6 months until I ran out. This is my second order and I'm sure it won't be my last. Extremely pleased.

Excellent beans, plump and plenty of seeds. Great aroma and flavor, and great value.

Fresh vanilla beans used to make my own version of extract. Product was vacuum sealed and very fresh smelling when opened.

High quality, vanilla beans. Nicely packaged, moist and plump!

Somewhat full vanilla beans smell like candy. They have a milk chocolate aroma which I found a little strange for vanilla. Some beans are flat containing small amount of caviar. Weight of vanilla beans in this 8oz package = 214.72g or 7.57oz. First time buying this Cook's brand for vanilla extract. Will probably try another brand for next batch. Looking for the fuller beans. Good bean expiration date. Will be ready about Christmastime this coming December. Great for gifts for the cooks in the family.

Great buy! A huge savings compared to grocery stores where I paid $10 for one bean. They smell wonderful and I use them to make my own vanilla powdered sugar, etc.

Great vanilla beans as I use to make vanilla extract using 100% Smirnoff or New Amsterdam vodka for a great flavor and profile. The size of the bean is fine as you’re making extract and when done put in your sugar for vanilla sugar it’s a double win. The appearance and ease of use go hand in hand as I said a double win.