1 hour ago, kathik said:Hi all.
I’m glad to see some of us are still making our own vanilla. Could anyone direct me to a source that isn’t ridiculously priced. I do understand the shortage problem, but surely someone is selling at a more reasonable price point. I am looking for at least half a pound, but I certainly can’t afford $175.00 for beans.
Thank you,
Kathi
Keep checking eBay, search for b-grade beans, or extract grade beans. These should be the same flavor, just shorter in length and sometimes having an odd, not straight shape. I avoid the ones that say 'dry'.
This is a pricey year, IMO, you should buy a little now to get your needs met, but wait til next year or the next to buy any quantity. Vanilla pricing is like this, some years there's hardly any crop, then the next year the market is flooded. IIRC, 2006 was one of those years when a pound was $125 or more. By 2008, you could buy b-grade beans on eBay for about $20 a pound. When prices are low, buy in bulk and vacuum seal them.
