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Post Harvest Handling

Grading and Inspection
It is important to organize control of the crop so as to ensure quality. An official Inspector must inspect the harvested beans during and after harvest. Inspection should be done at the collection centers or in the curing shade on harvesting days. The green vanilla beans should be presented to the inspector and once inspected; the green beans should be graded as follows:

  • Grade A: Good quality beans i.e. ripe and over ripe beans
  • Grade B: low quality beans i.e. short and poor beans.
  • Grade C: very short beans (less than 10cm long). These beans should never have reached the market in the first place, unless they are chopped into “cuts”.
  • Grade D: Rejects/ immature beans

Sorting After harvesting sort the beans into grades. Do not mix the grades. Mixed grades will lower quality resulting in a lower price.
It is imperative that the crop is properly weighed at this stage. The inspector should issue a certificate, which should include the following information:

  • Grower’s name and village
  • Date of inspection
  • Weight of the ripe and over ripe beans (Grade A).
  • Weight of the short and poor, beans (Grade B)
  • Official stamp and signature of the inspector.
  • General Remarks

Organic Certification
Producer groups that may have organic vanilla should follow organic certifiers guidelines.
Handling Materials
Bags and Baskets can be used. They should be clean and dry, without holes. Storage Facilities
Green Vanilla pods can only be stored for short periods of time, less than 24 hrs. The Vanilla beans must be stored in a clean and well-aerated place.
Do not heap the harvested Vanilla beans; this will cause them to ferment, resulting in loss of quality.
Do not keep harvested Vanilla beans for a long time period. There will be a loss of weight and quality.
Do not store with chemical substances.

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