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Tropical Fruit Discussion / Re: Vanilla pompona from seed?
« on: January 05, 2025, 01:53:36 PM »
It’s a good question. I’ve been asked,’how would people ever get started with something like vanilla when the fresh bean doesn’t have any fragrance and you have to go through a lengthy, somewhat complicated process to achieve a result?’
In a vanilla grove, vanilla beans that don’t get harvested will split open and fall to the ground where they frequently process themselves and when that occurs you are going to experience a wonderful vanilla smell.
The fermentation that takes place in the conventional process is not typical of other ferments. Every day for about 3 weeks the beans are set out in the sun or gently dried in a dehydrator, then gathered up and placed in a box overnight. Then the next day they go back in the sun. The time spent, at night, in the box is when the fermentation takes place.
The combination of drying every day is very different from any other fermentation process I’m aware of. Since it’s such a slight fermentation is why I think the beans can cure in the open on the plant.
Peter
In a vanilla grove, vanilla beans that don’t get harvested will split open and fall to the ground where they frequently process themselves and when that occurs you are going to experience a wonderful vanilla smell.
The fermentation that takes place in the conventional process is not typical of other ferments. Every day for about 3 weeks the beans are set out in the sun or gently dried in a dehydrator, then gathered up and placed in a box overnight. Then the next day they go back in the sun. The time spent, at night, in the box is when the fermentation takes place.
The combination of drying every day is very different from any other fermentation process I’m aware of. Since it’s such a slight fermentation is why I think the beans can cure in the open on the plant.
Peter