DID YOU KNOW?

The vanilla bean was once considered so rare that it was reserved for royalty.

A vanilla bean under the seat of your car gives a fresh aroma and helps eliminate musty odors.

A teaspoon or so of vanilla in Italian tomato sauces or Mexican chili helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

A few drops of vanilla in a can of paint will help eliminate unpleasant odors

In baking, cream the vanilla with the shortening or butter portion of the ingredients. The fat encapsulates the vanilla, preventing it from volatilizing in the baking process.

The United States consumption of vanilla beans is approximately 1,200 tons per year.

Vanilla beans are hand-pollinated on family plantations.

The entire vanilla cultivation process, from planting to market, can take from five to six years.

Vanilla extract is used by veteran fishermen to mask the smell of their hands so the fish won't detect them.