Wait until the beans are fully ripe before removing them. The beans should be firm and fully formed and the pod should have started to open up on its own. The best moment for harvesting vanilla beans is when the pod splits on its own accord.

Just because one pod has opened up it doesn’t mean that all pods are ready for harvest. Each pod must be allowed to mature at its own pace. Vanilla beans harvested to early are not as flavoursome as fully ripe beans.

One you have harvested your beans, they must be cured to free the flavour components. The two most commonly used methods are sun drying or hot bath.