Vanilla beans come from all over the world. Every producer has a specialty in their vanilla beans. Most farmers plant Planifolia vanilla beans. Why? Let’s find out.

Vanilla, The Green Gold

Vanilla is a kind of orchid. They grow as a vine with particular roots along the vines to hold to other trees or a pole. The particular root can grow around the stem or the pole so that the plant can grow vertically. 

These plants do not need sunshine too much. Most orchids can grow very well on the tree stem, where they get warm sunshine in the morning and in the afternoon. They don’t need the hot sunshine during the day, so they get covered by the leaves above. 

Planting Vanilla Methods

Growing vanilla can do from the seed produced by the pods, but it takes a long time. That’s why vanilla farmers usually grow vanilla from the cutting. This method can grow vanilla vine that has the same age as the main one. When the main vine blossoms the flowers, the cutting will act the same. This method is faster than the seed methods. Vanilla farms can be protected by covers so that there isn’t too much sunshine. Vanilla needs enough water and nutrition. Farmers can add it to the soil. If the vanilla plantation uses a hydroponic system, the nutrition can be added to the water source. 

Vanilla Flowers

Vanilla’s flowers are yellowish-green, and the shape is like a trumpet. The petals are thin, like tissue. This flower blossoms only a day. There may be 15-20 flowers on one edge, but they don’t grow together. That’s why vanilla farms need a lot of workers. Those workers should check the plants to make sure every blossoming flower is known. 

The vanilla flowers can do pollination with the help of the melipona bee. That bee only lives in Central America, where this plant came from. As the melipona bee can’t live in other places, people try to find a way to help pollination. One day in 18 century, Edmond Albius found a simple way to help pollination with the help of a small stick, what Albius found very helpful in fulfilling the world’s need for vanilla. 

The flower that has been pollinated will grow to become a vanilla pod. When it is small, the pods are greens. But after it is ripe, yellow lines will appear on the pod’s surface and on its edge. This is a sign of harvest time. Like the blossom flowers, the pods are also ripe, not togetherly. So that while looking for blossom flowers, the worker also searches for the ripe vanilla pods. 

The pods should be harvested on time. If it is harvested too soon, it will contain less vanillin. This will make it produce less flavor and odor than the ripe ones. If the pods are harvested too late, the pods could be dry and broken. When the pods were broken, they separated seeds to the place around. It spread vanilla flavor, and it was so nice.

Planifolia vanilla beans are one of the most popular species. It has a special flavor that is loved by most people in the world. These beans are widely used in cakes, bread, ice creams, drinks, perfumes, and many more. 

Planifolia Vanilla Beans, The Most Vanilla Species Planted In The World

Planifolia vanilla beans have a strong flavor that is loved by many people and chefs in the world. The demand for this species is high. It is also available to grow in any country. So that most farmers choose to grow this vanilla species. 

Planting vanilla at this time is not limited by area. Originally, vanilla plants came from Central America. Then it was taken by the voyagers and then known by people almost all over the world. Then, people try to grow it in Europe and then many other countries. Indonesia is one of them. 

Planting vanilla can do by seeds or cutting. As the pollination method is so simple and nearly 100% successful. This made vanilla pods produced by many countries. 

Planifolia Vanilla Beans or Extract?

The knowledge of the proper post-harvest process can increase the vanilla beans price. The process like sunbathing, soaking in hot water, drying with fabrics, sunbathing, collecting, and storing do repeatedly. This process must continue until the flavor the producer wants appears. 

Some producers sell planifolia vanilla as vanilla beans. In this alternative, people who want to use vanilla in their cook must process it themselves. It’s not difficult to do. What people need to do is only cut the beans into two long parts. Then collect the seed with the back side of the knife. Another producer also offers vanilla extract, which must be easy to add to the foods and drinks. 

Planifolia vanilla beans are planted in many countries all over the world. This spice is so widely used that the supply should be good.