Natural Vanilla Extract Production

Vanilla extract is the primary commercial product resulting from the mature processed fruits of Vanilla plants. This publication is an overview of the process used to produce natural vanilla extract; it also describes the conversion of fruits (botanically termed  "capsules" but often colloquially referred to as “beans” or “pods”) into extracts. This publication is intended for consumers, producers of all levels, and Extension agents. It describes each step of the natural vanilla extract production process from flower pollination through harvesting, to grading, curing, and extracting of the capsules.