of vanilla — vanillin and related phenolic
molecules — are freed from their bondage to
sugar molecules. The heat and sunlight also
evaporate some of the pod moisture,
discourage microbial growth on the humid
surface, and generate pigments and complex
aromas via browning reactions between sugars
and amino acids (p.778). It takes 3 to 5
pounds of fresh pods to produce 1 pound of
cured beans.
Pods of the vanilla orchid. The fresh pod
contains thousands of tiny seeds embedded in
a sticky resin of sugars, amino acids, and a
storage form of the main vanilla aroma
compound, vanillin. The process of drying and
curing the pod frees the vanillin and creates
additional aroma molecules.