Oh, That Is Why Vanilla Is So Expensive!

Today, we learned all about vanilla beans, vanilla extract, etc., after taking a very informative tour of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company. Michael and I will even try our hand at making our own vanilla extract when we return home.

Vanilla is expensive due to a combination of factors, including the labor-intensive cultivation process, limited geographical growing conditions, and high demand for natural vanilla. The price is also influenced by factors like weather conditions, theft risks, and the need for careful curing and packaging of the beans.

The United States consumes 90% of all vanilla extract. That is why they use vanilla paste and vanilla powder in Europe.

Coconuts, vanilla, and beef are the only things grown on the islands. The problem is labor costs are too high and the millionaires have come and and bought up most of the property that used to be for agriculture.

It takes 9 months from pollination to bean; 9 months to cure the bean and 9 months to enhance the flavor in a humidor bunched up. Curing vanilla beans involves a process that transforms green, unripe pods into the flavorful, fragrant vanilla beans we know. The process typically includes killing the beans, sweating them, drying them, and then conditioning them. This method helps to develop the characteristic vanillin and other flavor compounds.

Vanilla beans don’t come off the vine black and shiny as we know and love them.

They start out green, their tips yellowing as they ripen and loosen their grip on the mother plant. At that moment of harvest, the vanilla bean begins a fraught and arduous four-month metamorphosis.

Few ingredients in the food world match this journey.

Before we start, a warning. Nothing can cure an unripe bean. Like berries and many fruits, vanilla stops ripening the moment it is picked.

We decided on the luncheon and the tour.

Vanilla beans growing

Buds/flowers need to be hand pollinated. They are asexual. They can pollinate from one part of the flower to the other.

Flower just opening and ready to be hand pollinated using a tooth pick.

Here is the story of the Hawaiian Vanilla Company as written by Denise Laitinen.

"When Jim and Tracy Reddekopp purchased their property in Pa‘auilo back in 1998, they weren’t sure what they were going to build or grow. The two O‘ahu natives just knew that they wanted to get away from the rat race of Honolulu and raise their kids on a farm. They didn’t foresee becoming the country’s first and only commercial growers of vanilla, single-handedly creating a vanilla product industry in Hawai‘i, or that they would start a successful agribusiness that would draw thousands of visitors from around the world. No, back then they were sitting around the family dinner table trying to figure out what to do with the land."

“Originally, our goal was to raise our children on a farm,” says Jim Reddekopp. “It wasn’t until my mother-in-law asked what we were going to grow besides children that we really thought about what we were going to plant.” Tracy’s mother, an orchid enthusiast, had just taken a course at the Lyman Arboretum on O‘ahu and suggested growing vanilla bean orchids. The rest is history.

“The idea of vanilla just sparked something in my brain,” says Reddekopp. “I started researching it, calling around to different agricultural departments and groups.”

“Only one farmer called me back, and he said he had an uncle experimenting with vanilla orchids.” That uncle was Tom Kadooka from Kainaliu in South Kona. Reddekopp really wanted to pursue growing vanilla and thus began a mentoring friendship between the two men. “He [Kadooka] always felt that vanilla was a viable crop and I was the first student under him that really took it up. Mr. Kadooka was a real-life Mr. Miyagi (the famous martial arts mentor of the Karate Kid movie fame). You had to ask the right question to get the right answer.”

"Over the next four years, the quiet and humble Kadooka patiently taught Reddekopp, showing him how to pollinate and cultivate the plants."

"Like other orchids, Vanilla plantifolia can be finicky and thus be a struggle to grow at times. According to Reddekopp, vanilla is produced by a type of orchid that forms vanilla bean pods and requires careful hand pollination. These orchids bloom only one day per year for a few short hours and pollination does not necessarily guarantee that vanilla pods will form, after which they require eight to nine months to mature."

"In the beginning, people were a bit apprehensive or scared when pollinating,” explains Reddekopp,  “but after you’ve done it a hundred times or so it gets to be pretty routine.” Kadooka taught Reddekopp how to pollinate using a toothpick, a practice used in other parts of the world to pollinate vanilla. “I wanted to learn to do it just with my fingers,” says Reddekopp. “I wanted all my employees to learn how to pollinate with their fingers so they wouldn’t be able to say they couldn’t pollinate because they didn’t have a stick.”

"Hawaiian Vanilla Company, the business formed by the Reddekopps, grows their crop from tissue culture and cuttings, a process that takes about five years for the plant to reach maturity. They grow anywhere from a couple hundred to 8,000 plants at a time in two greenhouses, depending on where the plants are in their growth stage. “Right now we’re trying to do some seed germinations and that will take about eight years before we have flowers,” adds Reddekopp."

"It took a lot of trial and error to learn how to cultivate the vanilla. “These little orchids are tricky in how they need attention at some times and not at other times,” explains General Manager Doug Sessions. There were times when crops didn’t grow or under-produced. There were times when the plants were watered too much and caused root rot or the plants were over-pollinated and the vines died."

Through those early days, Jim and Tracy stuck to their goal: to cultivate the best vanilla in the world.

The vanilla species grown in Pa’auilo is the same species grown in other parts of the world. “What’s unique about us is that vanilla is very much a living part of what everyone does here,” says Sessions. “We all truly love vanilla orchids.”

Learning to grow orchids was just one of the hurdles crossed when they started out. As with any new business venture the biggest challenge was money. “We are the first commercial growers in the U.S. People believed in [vanilla] and wanted to see it come to fruition so the biggest thing was backing. We received a couple of USDA grants that were vital to our start-up.”

With the vanilla business flourishing, Reddekopp wants others to become successful vanilla farmers. He shepherds a cooperative of 11 other Big Island vanilla growers, all with the aim of promoting an exclusive, high-end, Made-in-Hawai‘i product.

“We’d love to see other people growing vanilla up here,” adds Sessions. “We’ll teach you how to grow vanilla and then buy it from you. There’s lots of land up here, we just need the farmers. Vanilla just happens to be the second most expensive spice on earth and it can be a profitable crop for local farmers.”

"Part of the reason other farmers can make money is that the Reddekopps single-handedly created a market for vanilla throughout the state. “When we started we had to figure out who was going to buy it,” says Reddekopp. “We knew we would have to grow a heck of a lot of vanilla to support a family of five kids if we only sold at the local farmers market. Our thought process was that we needed to find a way to create products.”

From the beginning Reddekopp worked with prominent area chefs and well-known, local food companies to incorporate vanilla into their products, thus creating a market for Hawaiian-grown vanilla. Jim first enlisted Chefs George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro on O‘ahu and Beverly Gannon of Hali’imaile General Store on Maui to add dishes to their menus featuring the vanilla beans. Those chefs continue to use Hawaiian Vanilla, as do the restaurants at the Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea resorts. The Four Seasons at Hualalai uses the vanilla all over the resort, from the spa to the restaurants.

"In 2005, Hawaiian Vanilla partnered with Maui-based Roselani Ice Cream to create Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream."

"Hawaiian Vanilla Company now makes 70 vanilla products that are found in stores on Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, and Maui. Everything is hand packed at the farm. Of course they make pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean. But they also make culinary products such as their lilikoi, toffee, and chocolate sauces; balsamic and lilikoi salad dressings; home fragrance; lip balm; estate-grown coffee; black tea; beauty care products and farm-and-garden skin care products."

"We all know and love vanilla in a sweet recipe, but we're changing the game with the latest culinary breakthrough: savory vanilla rubs. The garam masala is own special blend of spices inspired by Arabian Nights & Casablanca. You can taste the delicious Mediterranean heritage fused with the magic of our premium vanilla bean seeds. We recommend this as a spice to rub on chicken or lamb and use in your favorite curry. It's also great in stews or for grilling steak, chicken, lamb or vegetables!"

"Get four ounces of 100% pure Vanilla Extract containing a concentration of 35% alcohol (twice as strong as store bought). Perfect for all your baking or cooking needs - any recipe that calls for vanilla extract will be instantly elevated by the richness, smoothness, and flavor of our Hawaiian vanilla extract."

"Our vanilla goes way beyond your sweet tooth and augments the flavors of companion ingredients in savory, salty, bitter, and umami dishes. Use it to add depth, flavor and a wonderful aroma to your baking, seal the moisture in your meats when grilling, infuse the taste of your coffee, cocktails and smoothies, and bring out the flavor in your sweet dishes. "

"Ingredients needed to make vanilla extract

• Vanilla Beans

• Vodka

• Glass bottle with either screw top or cork

• Love and patience"

  
  

Our honey pepper pecans can be used to garnish a salad or keep a snack on hand with our flavorful nuts! One of our favorite ways to use them is in honey pepper pecan fudge. Perfect for cookies or coffee cakes that need an extra zing. Eating them secretly straight out of the bag is highly recommended. 

"The best black tea from Ceylon and China poetically blended and masterfully flavored with our finest Hawaiian Vanilla. A sweet, rich flavor that brings warm memories of Tutu's (grandmother's) kitchen. Great served over iced. Enjoy a cup of hot tea in the morning or brew a gallon for your next potluck dinner.

"A beautiful blend of green teas and three types of flowers, accented with citrus and our Hawaiian Vanilla. A joy to the eye as well as the palate!"

The vanilla raspberry balsamic vinaigrette is the go-to dressing for the luncheon experience here at the Mill. A subtle balsamic with hints of raspberry and vanilla that perfectly pairs with leafy greens and especially a berry-based salad. We especially love to incorporate it in a salad with nuts like almonds or macadamia nuts, avocado, and light cheese (or mac nut cheese).

Pro tip: For the best salad ever(!), give the dressing a good shake (helps seeds that may have floated to the top get mixed back in), mix the dressing with leafy greens (so it coats them evenly), then add your toppings and serve up the freshness right away.

"Tracy worked out a creation with another of our Islands' fabulous fruits -- pineapple! Pineapple and vanilla are a phenomenal combination -- slowly cooked with sugar and spice and everything nice, this is one of our most highly requested products."

"Use the chutney as a wonderful accompaniment to fish, grilled meat, curries or cream cheese and crackers. We highly recommend using this show-stopper for a cheese board as well!"

"Today, visitors and locals alike make the trip to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, tucked away high on the mountainside, along the Hamakua coastline in Pa‘auilo. They’re drawn to the bright yellow building, fondly called the “Vanillary,” which sits above the farm. The company offers farm tours, a tea brunch, a “Vanilla Experience” gourmet lunch, and vanilla tastings. They also offer educational opportunities for those who want to learn how to grow vanilla with seminars, cultivation classes and vanilla production workshops."

"Reddekopp continues to build a diversified business based on agriculture and tourism. Yet he has not forgotten his roots. After his mentor Tom Kadooka passed away in 2004, Hawaiian Vanilla Company created the Hamakua Alive Festival to generate money for the Tom Kadooka Foundation, which provides scholarships to students willing to pursue degrees in agriculture. The festival occurs every fall at the farm to celebrate local farmers and their crops."

"In addition to generating funds for the Kadooka Foundation, the Reddekopps hope to inspire the next generation of farmers by supporting agriculture in local schools. Hawaiian Vanilla Company supports the Honoka‘a Agriculture Department at Honoka‘a High School by funding agriculture student field trips to the mainland."

Michael and I decided on the luncheon and the tour.

The vanilla luncheon offered a vanilla inspired meal featuring gourmet recipes developed in their Vanilla Kitchen.

Beginning at our mill site, lunch is served first, followed by a Vanilla 101 presentation.

Hawaiian Vanilla Luncheon Experience Menu:

Choice of Vanilla Lemonade, Vanilla Ice Tea or a combination of them both called a "Jimmy Boy".

I had the Jimmy Boy (half vanilla iced tea and half vanilla lemonade) and Michael had the vanilla ice tea. We also tried the popcorn which was topped with salt and vanilla sugar.

An "amuse" of garam masala shrimp cooked in vanilla butter served on a crostini with our vanilla pineapple chutney. Very Tasty!!

Vanilla Bourbon Marinated Chicken Breast on a Vanilla Sweet Bread Bun. Topped with caramelized onions and served with a Vanilla Mango Chutney Aioli.

Your salad is topped with a Vanilla Raspberry Balsamic Dressing, Vanilla Honey Peppered Pecans and feta cheese. Your potatoes are baked in a Vanilla Southwest Rub. The potatoes were double cooked.

Finally Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for dessert. Complimentary coffee service included.

Lunch was delicious!!! The vanilla adds so much flavor!!

Cheeka wanted to join us for lunch. It was funny when Cheeka sipped some coffee.

Feral chickens in Hawaii are a widespread issue, descended from chickens brought to the islands by Polynesians, domestic chickens, and escaped game fighting chickens. These chickens have become a nuisance due to their noise, damage to property, and potential health concerns. A new Hawaii law, effective July 1, 2024, aims to address the problem through a cooperative approach between state and county governments, including control programs and public education campaigns. 

 Feral chickens in Hawaii are a mix of wild and domestic breeds, including the Red Junglefowl (RJF) that Polynesians originally brought to the islands. 

These chickens are known for their loud crowing, scratching up landscaping and farmland, and sometimes posing a risk to traffic. 

The new Hawaii law requires counties to match state funding for feral chicken control programs and public education campaigns, which aim to discourage people from feeding wild chickens. 

The law also includes penalties for knowingly feeding feral chickens, with a $500 fine for each chicken fed. 

Can you eat feral chicken in Hawaii? The wild ones on Hawaii are reverting back to their wild state and are actually technically called "jungle fowl''. They tend to be tougher and gamier than regular chickens but are still edible.

In the 1700s, sugarcane was introduced to the islands, and large plantations soon sprung up. These plantations brought with them a menagerie of animals, including chickens. When the sugar industry began to decline in the late 1800s, many of these animals were simply let loose and left to fend for themselves.

“Feral chickens and roosters have become a persistent nuisance, particularly in suburban and urban residential communities,” the legislative finding in Senate Bill 2401 says. “Feral chickens and roosters wander into yards and gardens, digging up plants, damaging food crops and jeopardizing native plants and resources. Feral roosters crow at all times of the day and night, which has led to numerous noise complaints by residents throughout the state, and droppings from feral chickens are unsanitary and create a health concern.”

Michael and I will be trying our hand at making vanilla extract.

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for 2 years before using. If you keep the extract for 5 years, it is called double because it will give you a much stronger flavor. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options.

There was a couple from Indiana sitting next to us at lunch and she said she and her mom had made vanilla extract for family as Christmas gifts. They only kept it for 6 to 12 months.

To make 16 ounces of vanilla extract, you'll need approximately 12 vanilla beans. This is based on a ratio of 6 beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. Most recipes recommend using 10-12 vanilla beans for a 16-ounce batch.

Our tour guide said to use 5 beans for 12 ounces and keep it for 2 years in a cool dark place. Use either vodka or white rum. you can absolutely use cheap vodka to make vanilla extract. Expensive vodka isn't necessary; a neutral, inexpensive vodka is perfectly fine for this purpose. The quality of the vodka doesn't significantly impact the vanilla flavor, as the extract's taste is primarily derived from the vanilla beans themselves. In fact, our guide uses the Costco Kirkland brand. He says it is an excellent brand of vodka.

It's normal for homemade vanilla extract to smell like alcohol, especially when it's new. The alcohol is the primary ingredient used to extract the flavor from the vanilla beans and is necessary for preserving the flavor. As the extract ages, the alcohol aroma will mellow, and the vanilla flavor will become more prominent.

For the best vanilla extract, vodka is generally the preferred choice, as it's flavorless and allows the pure vanilla essence to shine through. However, rum and bourbon can also be used, adding their unique flavors to the extract. Regardless of which alcohol you choose, it's important to use a high-quality alcohol, preferably at least 70 proof (35% ABV)

Vanilla plants do not need soil to grow. It takes 2 years to get the vine long enough to bloom.

Vanilla plants only flower when stressed.

Starting to bud.

The flowers need to be hand pollinated.

Vanilla is the diva of the food world. Never more so than in today’s market, where a kilo of beans can equal a year’s wages for workers in the countries where it grows. Farmers face dire risk of theft every moment the beans stay outside. After nine months of backbreaking toil, farmers are often cash-poor and need to put food on the table. The temptation to pick beans too soon can be overpowering.

Yet without natural ripening, a bean cannot become vanilla. Ripening occurs when temperature and humidity changes trigger the bean’s enzymes to convert starches and pectin to sugars. The pod’s cell walls soften. Chlorophyll breaks down, and the fruit begins to yellow. Interrupting this process arrests flavor development. Curing an unripe bean preserves only a sour and bitter fruit.

"Stage 1: Dipping

No more than three days after harvest, the beans are plunged into water heated to 150-170 degrees Fahrenheit from 10 seconds to three minutes. Timing depends on the size of the beans, whether they have split on the vine, and water temperature. Dipping is performed by a master curer who calculates these variables by feel."

Dipping “kills” the bean, stopping growth and releasing the enzymes that begin production of vanillin, the bean’s primary flavor component.This converts glucovanillin to vanillin."

Sweating

"As soon as the beans are pulled from the water, workers rush to wrap them tightly in wool blankets, storing them inside a dark, airtight container. Speed is essential to preserve heat and steam. These trigger the enzymes that convert cellulose and starches to vanillin and other complex components that give vanilla its beautifully subtle aroma."

"The beans remain tightly wrapped for up to two weeks, during which it is imperative to keep them warm. Any cooling can trigger mold, vanilla’s arch enemy. Because vanilla is cured during the rainy season, this presents a tricky problem. Curers combat cooling by laying the rolls in the sun and returning them to their container when clouds and rain threaten. As the beans reach a more ideal moisture content, they will be left in the sun open to the air during the day and rolled up at night. Daily sun exposure is paramount to the flavor transformation and the prevention of mold on vanilla beans. This rolling and unrolling continues for up to two months."

Drying

"Once the beans begin to develop aroma and reach the correct moisture, the drying stage begins. Drying is essential to enabling international shipment, because wet beans will mold in transit.

The beans start out quite wet. They are laid in the open air, alternating between sun and shade, driving out moisture. Too much sun can over-dry the beans and destroy vanillin, leaving brittle, useless sticks. The beans are closely monitored and constantly sorted by moisture content. Workers massage each bean by hand to make sure the drying is occurring evenly. Drying usually lasts for 3 to 4 weeks, with a goal of 25-30 percent moisture content."

Conditioning

"By now, the beans are exploding with aroma and flavor, and almost ready. They are placed in closed boxes lined with wax paper and kept there for at least a month. This preserves and enhances aroma. Beans are often shipped at this stage before conditioning is complete because this is the bean’s final form of storage."

What is the shelf life of my vanilla extract? When stored properly, vanilla extract will keep indefinitely, but using it within five years will allow for best flavor and aroma. Do not refrigerate or freeze, even after opening.

This one had the vanilla beans and apple brandy.

An amazing vanilla smell.

We purchased some beans so we can try making vanilla extract.

Mexican vanilla may appear cheap because much of what is marketed as "Mexican vanilla" is actually imitation vanilla, not pure vanilla extract. While Mexico is a major vanilla bean producer, many companies use synthetic flavoring agents, which are much less expensive than pure vanilla extract. Additionally, the price of pure vanilla extract can fluctuate due to factors like weather-related crop losses and global demand, making it more expensive than imitation vanilla. The last place in Mexico that grows vanilla beans for real vanilla is Veracruz.

Enjoying the sunset together on the beach.

Where is everyone?