Vanilla Beans are the best a chef could hope for. Pollination of the vanilla orchid is still done entirely by hand today - the same as it's been since 1841. Six to nine months later the pollinated orchids produce green vanilla pods. Once harvested the pods are immersed in hot water and spread out on straw mats to absorb heat and sun. They are swaddled in blankets overnight to sweat it out, then unsheathed again in the morning - a process that gets repeated daily for 3-6 months. Five pounds of uncured beans usually produce 1 pound of sun-cured beans - which explains why they are so highly prized.