Vanilla Curing Under Environment Controlled Conditions: An Option to Standardize Organoleptic Quality and Inocuity.
Ramos-Prado, José María1, Cervantes-Pérez Lourdes2
Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales (CITRO) Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver. México. jmramos0555@yahoo.com.mx.
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) is one of the most widely used aroma and flavoring ingredients in food. In order to develop its appreciated aroma and flavor, mature vanilla pods must be subjected to a curing process, an important factor that determines vanilla quality. The process for curing vanilla used in Mexico was developed by the prehispanic Totonacas, at the end of the XIX century some improvements were introduced and since then it has fundamentally remained unchanged. This traditional curing process depends strongly on weather condition, hence it is lengthy and cumbersome, usually takes several months and fails to completely hydrolyze vanillin glycosides precursors. The objective of this study was to cure vanilla pods under controlled environment conditions, to reduce the processing time and to increase and homogenize quality characteristics of vanilla. Vanilla pods were immersed in water at 80ºC for one minute and then cured in a electric convective oven at (35,40,45ºC), for 6 to 8 weeks. Water content, vanillin content and color were determined to pods at different stages of the process. An analysis of the volatile components (gas chromatographic profile) was also performed on traditionally and oven cured vanilla beans. Results showed that curing time was diminished from 20-24 weeks to 6-8 weeks. Vanillin contents of oven and traditionally cured beans were 3.46% and 3.93% (dry weight), respectively, but do not differ significatively (p=0.05%). Both samples show the presence of the main volatile compounds that determine aroma quality, vanillin, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid. Oven curing can help to diminish curing time and to homogenize quality of vanilla beans.
