Hi I quit growing vanilla due to the rampant growth,Seems to be necessary never got a flower until round 10 feet of growth even then it was a shy bloomer. I found the variagated form less hardy in all respects to the green plainifolia. They are very easy to root by almost any method but if you really want flowers you'll have to allow it to run rampant . As long as it's warm and humid they are happy.. My main objection was they took up way to much space. gary

Blue, funny you should mention your variegated Vanilla growing dwarf-like. My green Vanilla grew huge...the variegated 1/4 the size..Both plants were purchased from the same nursery, arrived the same time. Cuttings. I Googled dwarf vanilla, but nothing pertaining dwarf popped up. It's possible variegated needs something more than the green. Variegated plants need more sun to keep color, could that be an answer? Mine grow in the same NW windows, under artificial light. IMO, variegated Vanilla needs more attention than non-variegated, the question is, what is its need? lol. What type of medium is your planted in? For years mine was in soil. Just recently, I potted in an orchid mix. Don't know why, guess I assumed a flower and bean would grow..lol..NOT. Besides, I messed up..Instead of growing the green Vanilla on a pole, it was wound around and around..The plant fell and broke in sections..Because it's an orchid, I didnt think it'd root, so tossed the cuttings. Also, I thought it might need cutting back to grow in thicker..That's not the answer. They need humidity, lots of humidity..Although we do everything to keep humidity up in winter, it'll never get as high as orchids need. So, I'm back to two small vanillas. lol. Both are planted in the same pot, (mainly for space) next to an indoor fountain. Good luck with yours..Toni

I can tell you from experience. Unfortunately, I made custard based "vanilla" the other night. I even put the bean in with the seeds while heating it. And never remembered to put in the vanilla extract. It was really good frozen custard, but it had very very little vanilla flavor. Or course, it could be that I just like it to have a much more pronounced vanilla flavor, so I'll stick with my "both" recipe.

Is this the recipe you used, Cindy? It does look a bit too eggy, but I think 6" of vanilla should be about right for that amount of cream and milk: 2-1/3 cups whole milk 2-1/3 cups heavy cream 1 whole vanilla bean (about 6 inches in length) 3 large eggs 4 large egg yolks 1-1/8 cups sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Combine the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use the blunt edge to scrape out the "seeds." Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to beat until the mixture is thick, smooth, and pale yellow in color (similar to mayonnaise), about 2 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk/cream mixture and discard. Measure out 1 cup of the hot liquid. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. When thoroughly combined, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk/cream mixture and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl, stir in vanilla, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard, and chill completely. Pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl, turn the machine on and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. I only have 5 eggs at the moment, and so I guess I will make the recipe I posted before and use 5" of vanilla bean, unless I go to the store before I decide to make it. I do think that all recipes calling for vanilla bean should specify inches, since the ones I got in the store were very short.