Question about vanilla beans

[NoniPixie]

okay so vanilla beans are amazing. But at all the raw food sights there's 6-15 dollars per bean!! which is fine ( i've paid it before ) but i thought, hey i might as well look into it and see what else i could find. soo.... i went to ebay and the organic beans, which seemed like an extremely reputable source were only 50 cents per bean!!! i wouldn't question it so much if it wasn't that vast of a difference.... but that's huge!!! does anyone know why there's such a difference? are the ones from ebay organic but using child labor in the fields or something? i don't understand. i'm so excited to get vanilla beans at 50 cents a pop i'm hoping they aren't too terribly ill farmed....

[ellesgarden]

I've bought those vanilla beans on eBay and am thrilled with them. The seller also wrote a lovely note and sent me lots of info on raw veganism and P.E.T.A. I'll definitely buy from him again. I got the impression he was a raw vegan too!

[Apple^^]

I got so excited that I can buy vanilla beans so cheap and I checked out their website. This is what I found in their FAQ:


Q13. Are cured vanilla beans a Raw Food?
A13. As vanilla Planifolia (Bourbon) is very susceptible to attracting mold and rotting during the sun drying and curing process the ripe green beans are steeped in hot water, (not boiling), for several minutes at 140° - 150F° (60° - 65°C).. Vanilla Tahitensis is never ‘cooked’ at any stage during the curing process and can be described as RAW. Because, Bourbon vanilla is only steeped for a few minutes in warm water, it becomes a mater of interpretation as to whether Bourbon beans are raw or not. Click here for more information.

Hmmmmmmmmmm...

[NoniPixie]

interesting.... thanks for the info guys! i think i'll order some and see the vibe i get from them, and how they taste and look of course. i'm excited that the producer cares enough to inform people of the process. that's a good sign at least!

[rawstrength]

I can't find vanilla beans for 50 cents anywhere! They are 2 dollars apeice at my local supermarket, and those don't even mention if they are raw or organic. (meaning they're probably cooked and conventionally grown . . . and they still cost 2 dollars apiece!)

[Seren]

I thought all vanilla pods (beans? :confused: ) you could buy were raw? :eek: xxx

[Banshee]

I purchased them off of ebay also, and have been thrilled with them!
I will definitely buy from them from now on!