What is exhausted vanilla?
Definition of vanilla
Depleted vanilla beans are beans whose aromas have already been extracted. This vanilla may still have some aromatic notes, but they are very weak and not very complex.
In this way, every part of the pod can be “used up”: both the wood of the pod and the seeds.
This is why a distinction is made between exhausted vanilla beans (extracted aromas) and natural beans (at full aromatic potential). Exhausted vanilla beans provide little or no aroma, but act as visual markers.
What's in it for exhausted vanilla?
Natural gains or spent grain?Depleted vanilla beans have little or no aroma. Their volatile compounds are transferred by extraction to another preparation (often vanilla oleoresin). However, some parts remain useful, such as the vanilla beans. Even when used up, they can be added to recipes (withNOROHY or VANIFUSIONvanilla extract, for example). They provide an interesting visual signal to the consumer that the recipe includes vanilla. These are known as visual markers. These grains also add a slight crunch when tasted.
Whole vanilla bean powder vs. spent vanilla powder
Depleted vanilla beans are often ground into powder. It’s important to distinguish between whole vanilla bean powder, which is fully aromatic and not used up, and used-up vanilla bean powder. The latter is not intended for flavouring a dish, but simply to provide visual highlights (redder than vanilla beans, and polygonal as opposed to spherical). Used vanilla bean powder is therefore intended for decorating recipes.
Whole vanilla bean powder (not sold out) serves a dual purpose: decoration (visual highlights) AND flavoring. It is perfect for dry doughs, as it avoids the addition of moisture (as would vanilla extract, for example). Whole bean powder is therefore ideal for tart doughs, brioches, madeleines or macaroons…
Is it possible to produce vanilla extract from spent beans?
Regulatory frameworkFrench law precisely defines aromatic ingredients. For example, a liquid vanilla flavor made from spent beans cannot be called “vanilla extract”. The reason is simple. This name requires a natural ingredient. But depleted beans are no longer natural, as they have already been processed.
On the other hand, using exhausted pods would reduce the intensity and complexity of an extract. And that’s even if you double the quantity of pods used! The quality of the pods is therefore paramount, and cannot be compensated for by quantity. The label often indicates the weight of pods used to obtain one liter of extract. However, this says nothing about their quality, and more specifically about the vanillin content of the beans used. This is an important point to bear in mind.
NOROHY guaranteed vanillin content
At NOROHY, we’re transparent. We only use beans that have not been used up. They are of extraction quality, with a vanillin content of over 1.5% and a controlled moisture content. They are also organically grown.
Thanks to these specifications, which determine the quality of our raw materials, we can guarantee the vanillin content at bottling. Each batch analyzed displays its actual level on the label.
Our recipe is simple: vanilla and cane sugar syrup. The syrup is organic. It makes dosing easier. We add no colorants or additives. It’s a “clean label” recipe. NOROHY extract is intense.
In our vanilla extract, depleted vanilla beans are added. In fact, their aromas have already been extracted by maceration and transferred to the vanilla extract. They therefore add a visual plus to make the recipe more appetizing.
NOROHY vanilla pastes : VANIFUSION & VAKANA
NOROHY offers other practical formats. Vanilla exists in many different forms and derivatives. Among all the possibilities, VANIFUSION combines all the flavors of the pod in an easy-to-incorporate vanilla paste. This paste, co-developed with chefs, is composed of oleoresin (vanilla concentrate), cane sugar, vanilla bean powder and spent vanilla beans. Easy to dose, it instantly perfumes your recipes with woody vanilla notes and lightly colors your preparations.
For those who prefer a vanilla paste that does not color the preparations and does not have woody notes, opt for the vanilla pearl. VAKANA. Very intense, it contains only vanilla oleoresin (concentrate) and natural beans (not depleted).
And in the kitchen…
Chefs often reuse infused pods in their preparations. Although infused, they can still be used! Indeed, industrial depletion is a specific process. This means that chefs can still use the pods to their advantage.
In particular, they can be added to syrup or alcohol to capture the last aromas and flavour other recipes. They can also be dried and mixed with sugar to make vanilla sugar. They can also be blended to make decorative vanilla powder.
Depleted vanilla is the result of industrial extraction. It has lost its main aromas, but its beans can still be used for visual purposes.
NOROHY is committed to transparency and provides clear information on the composition of its recipes, so that you can use them with a clear conscience. We use high-quality beans and guarantee the vanillin content of our vanilla extract. As a result, our products are “clean label”, limiting the number of ingredients to stay as close as possible to the raw product.
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Using vanilla powder
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How to choose your vanilla paste for maximum flavour?