The Limited $2.99 Trader Joe’s Find I’m Stocking up on While It Lasts (Especially for the Holidays)

It’s an absolute steal.

I don’t always get to Trader Joe’s as often as I’d like, as the nearest one is a 30 minute drive.

But every time I go there, I usually walk out of there with some delightful new surprises, and my last trip was no exception. My favorite was real vanilla beans!

Yes, that’s right. Trader Joe’s sells actual vanilla beans.

What’s So Great About Trader Joe’s Bourbon Vanilla Beans

Inside a darling little package, Trader Joe’s sells two actual vanilla beans in a vacuum-sealed package for only $2.99. That’s an absolute steal when it comes to vanilla beans. Most regular grocery stores and specialty shops sell two or three vanilla beans for about $25. That means that Trader Joe’s is selling these babies for a fraction of what they usually cost.

Trader Joe’s Bourbon Vanilla Beans come from Madagascar, and they’re each about eight inches in length.

Just opening the paper package to get to the vacuum-sealed pouch will give you a hefty dose of vanilla fragrance: These babies are the real deal.

I purchased my vanilla beans to make crème brûlée, as nothing else will do if you’re making an authentic version of this French dish.

Vanilla beans are also absolutely essential for making a crème anglaise sauce, and they’re really what you need if you’re making homemade ice cream, too.

I don’t normally use vanilla beans because they’re so expensive, but with Trader Joe’s selling them, I am going to be using them for everything from these fancy French desserts to regular Christmas cookies. In fact, I am sure my holiday desserts all just got an easy upgrade.

To get the most out of your vanilla beans, use a sharp knife to carefully cut it open, and then scrape out the vanilla beans. About two inches of a vanilla bean equals about 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

But don’t throw away the pods when you’re done scraping them. My French cooking mentor Jill Prescott taught me to throw the vanilla pods into a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar—so easy and so delicious on everything.

You can also use the scraped pods to make a vanilla simple syrup for cocktails. Just bring one cup of water and one cup of sugar to a boil. Turn it off, and throw in the scraped pod. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, and then you've got a vanilla syrup to make daiquiris, margaritas, and whiskey sours. You can also make a spiced syrup using pods, cinnamon sticks, fresh cloves, and star anise, too.

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