This time of year, many of us look at that long list of presents to buy and think…

I’ll never get this all done in time.

But, you can easily knock off a nice chunk of that list and have fun doing it by making a present of Vanilla Sugar.

In just a few hours, you can create a charming, thoughtful present that friends and family can enjoy all winter long. It’s easy to make and allows for you to bring a special personal touch to your holiday gift giving.

Natural sugars come in granular and larger sized crystals, like this Turbinado.

1. Turbinado or other natural sugar 3-4 ounces per present
2. 1 whole Vanilla Bean Pod per 3-4 ounces of sugar
3. A small re-closeable container:  think small glass jar with clasp/or go deluxe with a pretty sugar bowl.
4. Ribbon or raffia and gift tag

Directions:

1. Prepare the sugar: Remove sugar lumps by sieving through
   a mesh colander.
2. Slit the vanilla bean pod in half.
3. Place the slit vanilla bean pod in the container.
4. Add the sugar and mix so that the pod is covered.
5. Seasoning: Allow to season for 10 days before opening.

Spice Notes:  A brief background on Natural Brown Sugars and Vanilla

Brown sugar crystals

In contrast, white sugars are refined natural sugars that are made by bleaching out the color through dissolving raw sugar and purifying it with a carbonated phosphoric acid wash then filtering it through a bed of activated carbon or animal bone char. White refined sugar is typically sold as granulated sugar, which has been dried to prevent clumping.

While I recommend that you use the Turbindo sugar in your vanilla sugar, you may wish to opt for one of these other natural sugars. They are all delicious in coffee or used in baking.

Demerara is used as the generic name of a type of specialty cane sugar that is a natural brown in color. It carries a rich flavor with caramel undertones. It takes its name from the Demerara colony in Guyana-  the original source of this type of sugar.

Muscovado is also known as the moist sugar.  It is an unrefined sugar that takes its name and color from the sugar cane juice it is made from. It carries a very strong molasses flavor. It is a very dark brown color, coarser and stickier than most brown sugars. It offers good resistance to high temperatures with a reasonably good shelf life.  This unrefined sugar goes well with coffee and other beverages. 

Turbinado sugar is a type of sugar cane extract.  It is made by steaming unrefined raw sugar. It is sold in bulk and under the branded name, Sugar in the Raw. While Turbinado sugar is a little paler than brown sugar, it is a perfect stand-in for brown sugar in almost any recipe.

These sugars are usually found in natural grocery stores or specialty stores. All are sold in branded forms. Turbinado sugar is sold in both bulk and branded form. 

About Vanilla Bean Pods

Flowering Vanilla Orchid

Vanilla is the fruit of a green orchid plant that grows in the tropics. It is native to Central America and is grown in many tropical areas including: Madagascar, Reunion, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu and other areas throughout the world.

The Vanilla flavor comes from the level of vanillin that is created during the processing of the ripen pods. Pods are picked green and then are dried/heated during the day and covered and sweated at night. This process creates the vanillian and gives the vanilla beans its flavor.

The bean pods should be pliant, slightly tacky and sable brown to brown black in color. Do not buy a bean pod that appears shriveled or cracked. Most bean pods range between 8 and 12 inches in length and ¼ to ½” in width depending on the type of bean pod

Vanilla Beans come in a number of varieties typically they include:

Bourbon Bean Pods:

Bourbon Vanilla Bean Pods

These bean pods tend to exhibit the classic sweet intense vanilla flavor that we all love.

Tahitian Beans:

The beans are a very dark brown color, wide in girth and shorter than Bourbon beans. They are very aromatic with a floral, perfume like quality. They do not have as much flavor as the bourbon style bean, but they do complement ginger and are used in the frangance industry. These bean pods do go nicely with ginger and many Asian dishes, but they can be hard to find and quite expensive in the US.

PNG Beans or Papua New Guinea

These bean pods tend to be hybrids of Bourbon and Tahitian bean types. They are often uneven in their flavor profile – some can be almost licorice like in flavor, while others will present a classic Bourbon flavor. This is attributed to the story that these bean types were cultivated next to each other and became mixed over time. This is the bean is widely available in the US and tends to be priced slightly below a good Bourbon bean pod.

Mexican Vanilla

This vanilla bean pod is thicker, darker and exhibits a much more intensely sweet flavor. It is wonderful in rich baked goods. But be careful to buy these beans from a well known source, as some processors will use coumarin a FDA banned substance that may cause liver damage.

About the Seasoner

Kathy FitzHenry is the founder of Juliet Mae Fine Spices an artisan maker of fine spice blends and seasonings located in San Francisco. Known for her array of sophisticated, handmade products, Kathy has just begun to sell her blends nationally under the name, the Occasional Gourmet.  You can find her blends at select specialty stores and at all the Northern California Whole Foods Stores. For more information, please contact Kathy at 415-474-1633 or go to www.theoccasionalgourmet.com.