The elongated ripe fruits of the vanilla bean are harvested by hand between October and January. In order for the green-yellow fruits to develop their incomparable bouquet, farmers subject their harvest to a laborious fermentation process.

After harvesting, the fruits are treated with hot steam or boiling water and then exposed to intense sun for several hours. Overnight, the fruits are sealed in airtight containers. This process is repeated daily for several weeks. Through this process, the pods develop their typical aroma and lose weight daily and develop their dark brown color and aroma-forming enzymes.

But in Mexico there is also a healing process called “burning.” Here, after harvesting, the vanilla pods are immediately sealed in bags and spread in the sun for 5 hours so that they reach a temperature of 72-75 ° C. This operation is called burning. The next step is drying: the beans are placed in the sun for 4-5 hours a day for 15-25 sunny days. The entire process takes about two months and at the end, the fragrant pods should be soft, smooth and a deep coffee-brown color.