Can vanilla pods be blended into a paste?
As recipes using vanilla seeds often request the pod to be chucked in the pot, I'm thinking there must be no unappealing flavors in the pod itself.
I've seen vanilla pastes for sale but they seem to be a mix of the extract and the seeds.
So what about blending up used pods with a bit of liquid (vodka?)? Tasteless?
Best Answer
I believe you could do it, but as the pods itself are really fibered you don't want to eat them I think.
What you could do is cooking the pods. For example when I make a vanilla ganache, I always bring heavy cream, vanilla seeds and the pods to a boil. Then I let it sit for approx. 30 min an take out the pods. This method can be easily adopted to make vanilla syrup.
To make vanilla sugar just put some scraped out pods into a sugar jar and let it sit for a few weeks.
So you see - you can use the pods for many things, but eating the directly doesn't seem to be popular.
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Quick Answer about "Can vanilla pods be blended into a paste?"
Beans - Split each vanilla bean in half down the middle lengthways to open the seeds. Scrape the center and roughly chop the beans into small pieces. Blend - Place all ingredients (vanilla beans, scrappings, agave syrup, and vanilla extract) in a food processor and blend until you have a thick puree consistency.Can I blend a vanilla pod?
Is to grind the now brittle whole vanilla pods into a fine vanilla powder, with zero-waste. You'll find that if they aren't dry enough then it simply won't blend into a smooth powder. You can either use a spice/coffee grinder for this if you have one, or I simply used my hand mixer / blender.Can I use vanilla pod instead of paste?
For example, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract can be substituted for 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste. Pro tip:If a recipe calls for one whole vanilla bean pod OR 1 tablespoon vanilla powder, you can use the same 1:1 ratio and substitute either with 1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste.Can I use a vanilla pod instead of vanilla bean paste?
Conversion: One vanilla pod equals 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.Is vanilla bean paste the same as vanilla pods?
Vanilla paste, also known as vanilla bean paste, is a mixture of vanilla powder and vanilla extract ground into a paste. Vanilla paste includes flecks of vanilla bean pods as well as natural thickeners to hold the paste together.How to use Vanilla | Vanilla pod, extract, essence, paste, powder, sugar, syrup all explained
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