Harvesting

Vanilla beans are ready for harvest in six to nine months after pollination ~ which is done by hand. The beans are harvested one by one when they are fully-grown and as they begin to ripe. At this stage, beans change their color from dark green to light green with yellow tinge. Immature beans produce an inferior product and, if picked too late, the beans start splitting.

The well-ripened ready beans detach easily from the bunch just by lifting them in reverse direction. Immature beans do not detach easily from the stalk. Therefore, to pick the beans at right stage, the plantation should be visited two or three times a week. The green beans do not possess any aroma. Processing and curing should commence within a week of harvest. The main variable to consider to decide harvest time is for the beans to have reached full maturity.

Beans must be harvested when the apex turns yellow, which indicates optimal maturity. Beans are mostly odorless and further processing or curing is necessary to develop their characteristic aroma, whereby precursors induce production of aroma compounds, of which glucovanillin is the main precursor of the main components of processed vanilla beans.

Arrangement of vanilla beans in the transport boxes:
Beans are placed horizontally inside the specialized boxes making layers of 25 to 30 cm. thick and allowing enough air circulation to avoid crushing and lack of air. Each box will contain its net weight on outside.