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Vanilla Bean Classification system
The 5 stages of ripening:

  • Immature beans: These are normally dark green in colour, usually below six months and must not be harvested. They are still very swollen and show no sign of turning green-yellowish in color because they have been partially exposed to the sun. Even if the tip is turning yellow, they are still immature. The beans have a lot of water (over 80%) and their vanillin content is very low. The weight per bean is very low and at the same time, the ratio of green to cured beans is very high. Many immature beans are damaged by rot and mould during the curing process and the cured beans appear stiff, over dry, dark, dull and with a light vanilla smell (Plate 1).
  • Mature/Ripe beans: These should be the bulk of the farmer’s production. They are yellowish and pale green in colour and their blossom ends are turning yellow. They are full and stiff and sometimes they may be slightly split at the tip. The curing ratio is about 5:1 and the vanillin content is very high. The cured beans have an oily, supple, fleshy, shiny dark brownish colour and have a very fine vanilla aroma (Plate 2 & Plate 6).
  • Over ripe beans: These are yellowish in colour and split along several centimeters at the blossom end. Sometimes a reddish liquid is exuded from the split end and a nice vanilla smell can be identified. The water content is around 75% and the vanillin content is high. The cured beans have the same appearance as the ripe ones except they are split (Plate 4).
  • Short Beans- these are harvested ripe and are between 10cm – 12 cm long. Beans that are less than 10cm should be sorted /graded out for chopping. These beans produce low quality, but still marketable vanilla (Plate 3).
  • Poor beans: These beans are harvested from dying Vanilla plants and have not been fed enough. They look pale green, supple and wrinkled. Some may have a brown rotting tip. They give very poor cured beans with very low vanillin content (Plate 5).
  • Rotten Beans: they are pale green, wrinkled and in some parts, they are dark brown. They smell and must be destroyed. Sometimes this is a result of harvesting immature beans and storing them in a container.

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