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How to Store Vanilla Beans

Whole vanilla beans, although packed with flavor, will become hard if not stored properly. Here’s all you need to know about storing whole vanilla beans to keep them fresh and extend their shelf life.

How to Store Vanilla Beans

Storing Vanilla Beans

Proper storage of vanilla beans is essential to an extended shelf life. Luckily, is it easy to store these flavorful gems.

1) Place vanilla beans in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag.
While sealing the bag be sure to gently press the sides of the bag together in order to force air from the bag as much as possible before sealing the bag.

2) Place the container in a cool dark place.
Do NOT place them above the oven or stove and NEVER store them in the refrigerator or freezer. Any moisture, which can be absorbed from these places, can cause mold to grow on the vanilla beans and ruin them very quickly.

Properly sealed vanilla beans will last for about a year. If they do get a little stiff, they’re still usable.

Don’t throw away the vanilla bean casing when you’ve finished scraping out all the seeds… see the additional info section below instead!

How to Store Vanilla Beans

Additional Info

After vanilla beans have been scraped and all of the seeds have been removed and used, stick the empty pod into a sugar bowl. It will infuse the regular sugar in the bowl with a gentle vanilla flavor.

To find out how long vanilla extract lasts, see our vanilla page.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.