Hi everyone - some people store their unused vanilla beans in the freezer, in vanilla extract, etc.  I’m interested in knowing what long term storage methods you use for your fresh vanilla beans.

Rose posted somewhere on the blog that she was experimenting with freezing them—but there wasn’t a conclusive answer.  As far as I know, none of the manufacturers recommend it, but it seems to be a widespread practice.

I’ve placed mine in a small bottle of vodka (about 25 whole beans - uncut and without splitting), and then just take them out as I need them, along with the flavoured vodka.  I snip of the one end and extrude the contents by milking it from the closed it to the snipped bit.  I got this tip from the Barefoot Contessa.

That’s a good tip, Julious, I shall have to try that one because I never find it easy to get the seeds out by splitting as usually advised.