ISO Vanilla Beans for Christmas Vanilla Gifts?

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BettyR

Senior Cook
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Messages
243
Location
Hull, Texas
I just wanted to let everyone who is interested in buying some vanilla beans that I placed an order with this company and I was VERY pleased with the service that I received. http://www.saffron.com/

I placed my order Sat 9-8 and this morning Fri 9-14 my vanilla was delivered to my door.

I got 1/2 pound of vanilla beans for $24.79 shipped.

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That's a good price if shipping is included. I'm sure your vanilla will be marvelous!

Shipping is not included, Tahitian Vanilla Beans 1/2 lb - Gourmet Pack is $15.50...the company is in California and UPS shipping was a $9.28....which added up to $24.79 shipped.
 
Wow... that's one heckuva site! Thanks for posting the link. I know where I'm buying my vanilla beans next time.

I thought so to and you’re welcome. I can't believe that I paid $150.00 for 1/2 pound of vanilla beans at Whole Foods in Houston for Christmas gifts last year.
 
I thought so to and you’re welcome. I can't believe that I paid $150.00 for 1/2 pound of vanilla beans at Whole Foods in Houston for Christmas gifts last year.

I know!! I don't do vanilla beans for gifts, but I do make a quite a bit of candy around the holidays and on and off throughout the year so it's easy to go through them. Last time I bought some I paid about $8 per bean and thought it was a good price. :rolleyes:
 
I know!! I don't do vanilla beans for gifts, but I do make a quite a bit of candy around the holidays and on and off throughout the year so it's easy to go through them. Last time I bought some I paid about $8 per bean and thought it was a good price. :rolleyes:

That kind of markup of an item should be illegal!!!

I plan to make several liters of vanilla extract and give the extract, recipe for the extract and a few beans so they can make their own as Christmas gifts this year.

Now I just have to come up with a creative idea on what to put the extract in.

I have a Birds-eye pepperbush that I've had for years. It has blooms, green and red peppers on it all the time…all year long. I use what I want and let the rest go to seed. There is no way I could ever use them all. When the bush starts to get too big I just take my scissors and I give it a hair cut.

Several of my friends have admired the bush on several occasions so I got the idea last year to make some hot! pepper jelly that I gave for Christmas gifts.

I found a small container at the Dollar store that was shaped like a frog and held about 1-1/2 cups of jelly. I ran them through the dishwasher to sterilize them…then I used paraffin to seal the container and glue gunned a tiny decretive cellophane packet to the lid of the jelly jar with some seeds in it from the pepper bush. My friends and family loved it and now they have their own pepperbush as well.

I just hope I can find something as cute for the vanilla as I did for the jelly last year.

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I think you could find something cute at one of the dollar stores, or Big Lots, etc. Just keep looking early and by the time you need it, you'll have it. I am sure your recipients will be very pleased!
 
Are the peppers on the pepper bush hot?? if so could I have some seeds.

Yes, they are very hot, much hotter than a jalapeno. They say that the smaller the pepper the hotter it is and these things are little firecrackers.

I would be happy to send you some seeds, just need an address.

Edited to add:
I keep my plant outside all year long but the temperature rarely gets below 40° here. Our climate is sub-tropical...rain forest type of climate. These pepper plants can't take a lot of cold so you will need to protect it from any weather that gets below 40°F.

This is my backyard; this picture was taken in December when my kids were home on Christmas break from school. This pepperbush is native to this region so that you will understand what type of conditions you will need to provide for it.

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I thought so to and you’re welcome. I can't believe that I paid $150.00 for 1/2 pound of vanilla beans at Whole Foods in Houston for Christmas gifts last year.

How did you prepare them as gifts, Betty?

Lee
 
How did you prepare them as gifts, Betty?

Lee

I made some pepper jelly last year with some hot peppers that grow in my back yard. I attached seeds from the plant to the jelly jars.

Then I filled a large Tupperware type of container with 10 pounds of sugar and stuck the beans down into the sugar to distribute them evenly. I covered the container and let it sit for 2 months. At the end of the 2 months I had vanilla sugar.

I then purchased some small decretive glass jars that held around 2 cups each; I put 6 or 7 beans in each jar and filled the jar with the vanilla sugar and placed pretty ribbons on the jars along with index cards with recipes to use the vanilla sugar and the beans. I used a hole punch to punch a hole in the corner of each card and tied them to the jar with some of the ribbon.

We exchange gifts with my husband’s brothers and sisters and mine as well. We also have some very close friends that we include in our family gatherings. It can get very expensive very quickly so I try to make something myself that’s unusual that people will enjoy and that they would not make for themselves. Even at $150.00 for 1/2 pound of vanilla beans I got off cheap.

I plan to make up several liters of vanilla extract this year and find some decorative bottles to put it in. Then I will give the extract, some vanilla beans and the recipe on how to make more extract.

In my research into making vanilla extract I’ve come across the mention of infusing vanilla flavor into liquor with the purpose of drinking it. I plan to do some more research on that and I may include that into my gift giving since I have found such an inexpensive source of vanilla beans.
 
How does one make vanilla extract? I think that is an interesting idea for Christmas gifts.
 
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