Vanilla comes from a climbing plant, native to the tropics, which is a member of the orchid family. Vanilla pods, which can be up to 30 cm in length, are gathered before completely ripe; they are not perfumed at this stage. The pods are plunged into boiling water, then packed, still damp, into airtight containers, where they develop their extraordinary pungent sweet aroma.
The best vanilla pods are those that have a smooth black skin and a white surface bloom. The latter consists of vanilla crystals, which are strongly aromatic. Keep vanilla pods in an airtight tin. Pods kept in caster sugar in a sealed jar will make a mild-flavoured vanilla sugar. Chop whole pods with caster sugar in the food processor to make a more intensely flavoured sugar.
We like to use whole vanilla pods split open when baking apricots, peaches and plums. When flavouring cream and milk for ice-creams, split open the pods, scrape out all the vanilla seeds into the mixture, and add the pods as well.