This auction is for the following type of vanilla bean:

   Vanilla Products USA is the Number One eBay Seller for Vanilla Beans!

We ship worldwide!  International orders welcome (1 pound = 454 grams, 1/4 pound = 113 grams)! 

We are the best supplier of vanilla beans and vanilla products on eBay!  We offer great products, great prices, great service, and fast shipping.  Domestic vanilla bean orders go out the same or next day after payment has cleared (regular PayPal payments are instant, but if you use an eCheck through PayPal it will take a few days to clear).

Our supplier is one of the largest importers of vanilla beans in the United States (over 100 tons per year), so you can always be assured of quality and availability of product.  We offer vanilla beans from around the world, not just one country. 

Please visit our store and view our store pages to learn how to make your own extract, cooking with vanilla beans, and read about our extended shipping discount.

Satisfaction Guaranteed

If you are unhappy with your beans, send them back for a full refund within 30 days.

Packaging of Vanilla Beans

We use a commercial quality vacuum sealer to seal your vanilla beans in FDA approved plastic 3 mil bags. 

Storing Vanilla Beans

Vanilla beans should be kept in a cool, dark place in an airtight, air-free container.   Upon receipt, we suggest that you triple wrap them in plastic freezer bags, squeezing as much air out of the bags as possible.  Properly stored, they will keep indefinitely, but we suggest using them within one year for the best flavor. 

Do not refrigerate or freeze them.  However, don't worry about them getting cold while being shipped - it is long term cold storage that needs to be avoided.

Differences in Vanilla Beans

Planifolia beans, commonly known as Madagascar Bourbon, is the taste most people are familiar with.  Vanilla Extract that you would normally buy at the supermarket is usually made with Madagascar beans.

Tahitian beans also contain heliotropin, an organic compound that imparts a sweet, floral, fruity flavor.

For Madagascar and Tahitian vanilla beans, there are two grades that are most commonly available to the consumer.  The better grades are sometimes referred to as Gourmet, Prime, or Grade A.  These are the beans that professional chefs prefer for cooking and contain more moisture than the extract grade beans, and are oily.  The extract grade beans, sometimes referred to as Grade B, are fine for making extract or cooking.

Beans Per Pound

For Gourmet, Prime, or Grade A beans, about 100 to 120 beans per pound for the 6 to 7 inch length.

For extract grade in the 6 to 7 inch length, there are about 140 to 160 beans per pound.

These figures are approximate and vary by batch.

About Certified Organic

Virtually all vanilla beans are grown organically in third world countries.  Quite simply, the vanilla bean farmers can't afford fertilizers and pesticides.  In addition, due to the remote areas that vanilla is grown, there isn't the infrastructure to bring in the fertilizers and pesticides.

Some sellers on eBay advertise Government Certified Organic Vanilla Beans or Certified Organic Vanilla Beans.  The beans in question do not meet the definition of certified organic under US law.  Under USDA rules, in order for a seller to sell or label vanilla beans as "Certified Organic",  their supplier must be certified by a USDA Certifier and belong to the National Organic Program (NOP).  A certificate from a foreign government does not meet this criteria, nor is it even close to the same thing.

True organic certification involves regular certified independent inspections of the actual plantations from planting, harvesting, curing,  packaging shipping, and handling by resellers.  Traceability and organic compliance is maintained from the grower to the end user.  All parties involved must have written procedures that have to be approved and audited by the certifier that must be followed.

At this time, Vanilla Products USA does not carry USDA certified organic vanilla beans, although all of our beans are grown organically.  We can acquire certified organic vanilla beans in larger quantity.

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