Vanilla Products USA25 Split Extract Grade B Madagascar Bourbon Natural Vanilla Beans 5~6" by Vanilla Products USA

Big Flavor, Small Price—Perfect for Homemade MagicThese vanilla beans are a game changer for homemade vanilla extract! The flavor is chef’s kiss, and the price? Honestly, it’s a steal. It’s like getting premium flavor without the premium price tag. Now I can make my own extract and pretend I'm a professional baker without the guilt of spending a fortune. If you love baking (or just love vanilla), this is a must-have!

Everyone seems so worried about the moisture level when it comes to vanilla beans but what I’ve noticed is really the big tell on a good beans are the strength of it smell. These beans have a strong vanilla sent and of all the different beans I tested to see which one made the best vanilla these beans came out on top. The beans are about 6 to 8 inches long and good quality and freshness for vanilla making. They’re perfect and everyone I gifted vanilla last year was disappointed I didn’t do it again this year! LolI’ve included a picture of the latest bottle I currently have so you can see the beautiful dark rich color these beans make. I like to use rum when making my vanilla. The quantity is perfect for my needs.

For grade B beans these are amazingly good. Yes they are dry, yes some of the caviar (seeds) are not intact but for this grade of bean I am pleasantly surprised at the quality. You'll need approximately 12-13 beans to make 8 oz of extract. Cut them into very short pieces of 1/2 inch or shorter and agitate frequently for a minimum of 30 days for optimal flavor. The initial dryness will have no impact on the final extract quality, neither will some missing caviar. I've been a chef and pastry chef for 30+ years and have been making my own extract from vanilla beans that have been scraped clean of all caviar in pastry kitchens and have always had great results. These will create a wonderful Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract that is wonderful for baking. For beverages and ice cream (any nonbaked foods) use Tahitian extract, you'll be happy you did.

First time making homemade extract. Didn’t know what to expect. These vanilla beans looked dry. I followed the instructions by cutting them into smaller pieces. I didn’t use the qty they suggested. I put 2 or 2.5 strings cut into pieces into 8oz liquid. Have been shaking the bottles daily and the extract smells great. I am excited. Might buy another bag to do some more extract. I bake often and I can also give as Christmas gift to some of my friends who love to bakeUpdate 5/2/2023:My very first batch that I made in March is doing great and smells really good and no more alcohol smell. They also all look much darker in the bottles. I bought another bag of the same kind vanilla and again made 6 more bottles of 8oz each. Now I continue to shake all 12 bottles daily. Will keep them for another 6-8 months and hoping to use them after that period.

Overall, these were pretty great; however, for what I needed them for I should have been able to split them in half; however, it was extremely hard to do. They still worked just cutting them in half, but I was hoping to be able to split them a bit more.

I decided to make homemade vanilla as Christmas gifts. This worked great and was one of the best prices I found in researching. They were well sealed and no signs of mold or any other problems. Great amount for the price point

Purchased many and made gallons of vanilla extract over the years. Got so spoiled that I started using vanilla in drinks.Pro 1: Potent. Lots of vanilla can be extracted. Using my own personal extraction method, it’s fully usable after 7 days.Pro 2: Never dried out. The quality over the years remained consistent. The beans are always vacuumed sealed and slightly moist.Pro 3: The cost. The price has fluctuated between $14 - $20 when I purchased and thankfully it has been at the lower cost recently (as of this review) and not hyper mega inflated like everything else.Pro 4: Handy instructions on the bag. Even though I’ve been making vanilla extract for years, sometimes I can forget the ratio I use.Pro Tip: Vacuum sealing your extract with daily agitation will speed up the extraction process.Would I buy it again? Yes.

I was happy with the price. They worked great making fresh vanilla