Not all vanilla beans are created equal. The grading process is a crucial quality control step that separates premium Grade-A beans from lower grades.
Our experts inspect each bean for moisture content, length, flexibility, and vanillin concentration. Grade-A beans — also called “gourmet” or “prime” — are plump, oily, and richly aromatic. These are the beans that make it into every Organic Valley package.
In this guide, we break down what each grade means and how to identify the best vanilla beans for your recipes.
