Can I filter out vanilla bean seeds?
When I scrape out the seeds out of my vanilla beans and simmer them with milk or incorporate them into batter, they always leave little tell-tale black dots in the finished product. Is it possible to filter them out somehow and is it something commonly done in the professional kitchen? I don't think I remember seeing these dots in restaurant desserts. It's not critical, but I'd rather my panna cotta be pristine white :-).
Best Answer
A chinoise will not--I speak from daily experience--filter out vanilla seeds. A coffee filter would, but my question is: why on earth would you bother? It's annoying to do (and depending on what the product is, filtering through a coffee filter would ensure you lose other things), and seeing actual vanilla seeds in the final product tells your guests that you are using real vanilla beans, not extract.
Professional kitchens do not, generally speaking, attempt to remove the seeds for the reasons noted above.
@stephenmacdonald, most dessert recipes that call for a fine mesh strainer do so because there is the possibility of chunky things ending up in the product. In the case of that recipe, I would guess it is to prevent chunks of undissolved gelatine from ending up in the final dessert.
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Do you have to remove seeds from a vanilla bean?
Using Real Vanilla Beans in a RecipeWait to scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod until you're ready to use them. They can be mixed right in along with the rest of the ingredients \u2014 no other preparation required. When you serve your recipe, you'll see the tiny black flecks of vanilla bean dispersed throughout.Why do you remove the seeds from a vanilla bean?
When you're making something that calls for vanilla beans, you want to use the whole thing. However, it helps to split and open the pod, and then scrape the seeds out, so they can easily disburse in what you're mixing. Put the bean on a cutting surface. Using the tip of a paring knife cut the bean lengthwise.How do you remove vanilla bean seeds?
To remove the seeds from the bean, simply use a paring knife to slice the pod in half. Then, use the back of the knife to scrape the seeds away from the pod. What's more is that the empty pod can also be used. Stick it in a jar of sugar, seal, and let sit for a week.How many times can you reuse vanilla beans in homemade vanilla?
Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch. When I siphoned off the vanilla extract from my 18 month batch, almost all of those beans went right back into the jar for the next batch. I simply added a few new beans to punch up the flavour.More answers regarding can I filter out vanilla bean seeds?
Answer 2
Just use vanilla extract if you don't want specks of seeds showing. Straining of custards is to remove any coagulated egg particles, not to remove the seeds.
OR,
infuse the cream with the whole bean intact, do not split it. It will still infuse flavor, not as quickly or as much but that would be one way to use it without specks showing in your finished dessert.
Answer 3
A coffee filter should do the trick. I believe cheesecloth wouldn't be fine enough, but I'm not 100% sure.
This recipe for panna cotta calls for scraping seeds and using a fine mesh strainer on the final product, but as per @roux and @Darin's answers, it's not for getting the seeds out.
I'm not certain as to whether professional kitchens strain them out.
Answer 4
I use Vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean and it turns out pure white and taste great. I have made it and shared it with my neighbors and they said that it taste , as good, if not better than the one they had at the resturant. I use 2 tsp. vanilla for one recipe. I hope this helps.
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