For those who love to bake, understanding how to make vanilla paste at home can elevate your culinary creations. This homemade vanilla paste recipe is cost-effective and allows you to control the quality of the ingredients. Vanilla paste is a versatile ingredient that combines the potency of vanilla extract with the convenience of vanilla powder, giving your desserts an intense, aromatic flavour.
To begin, gather 3-4 high-quality vanilla beans, a tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of water or light corn syrup. Split the beans lengthwise with a sharp knife and scrape out the seeds. These tiny seeds, known as vanilla caviar, give vanilla paste its signature flavour and appearance.
Once the vanilla caviar is scraped out of the vanilla pod rather than discard the outer husk. This can be dried and ground using a standard coffee grinder to a fine powder for use in other dishes.
Next, mix the seeds with the sugar in a small bowl. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the mixture into a fine paste. The sugar helps to break down the seeds and release the essential oils, intensifying the flavour.
Once you’ve achieved a smooth paste, slowly add the water or corn syrup. This step is crucial to getting the right consistency for your homemade vanilla paste thick enough to stay on a spoon but smooth enough to blend blend easily into your recipes.
This method on how to make vanilla bean paste ensures that you’re capturing the pure, unadulterated essence of the vanilla bean. The end product is a rich, fragrant paste perfect for adding depth to cakes, cookies, custards, and even savoury dishes.