Our Process
Soil Preparation
Our optimal soil pH ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 because vanilla requires well-draining, organically rich soil. It has good air circulation and is free of weeds and other unwanted plants. We ensure that our farmers add well-rotted manure or compost to the soil before planting to increase its fertility. Then, in order to allow the roots of the vanilla plants to penetrate deeply into the soil, the farmers plow the ground to a depth of at least 30 cm.
Vines Support
The amount of shade is controlled with Jatropha curcas -physic nuts, which are low-growing trees that are simple to maintain by chopping away undesirable growth. Therefore, the Vanilla vines always have living supports as opposed to wooden posts that are susceptible to ants. Each tree supports two tendrils, one on either side but not wrapped over into adjoining trees. Our farmers plant support trees 1.2 to 1.5 meters apart within rows and 2.5 to 3 meters apart between rows. After trailing to a height of 1.5-2.0 meters, the vanilla plant is allowed to trail horizontally on tree poles linked to trees. Vanilla roots cling to the tough bark of these trees, drawing sustenance from the organic content and moisture inside the bark. After planting, our vanilla typically needs about three years to reach maturity.
Weed Control
Abamwe farmers chop the grass between the rows and clean up the garbage that has accumulated against the bases of our vanilla plant. This allows the vanilla roots to spread over the surface of the ground under the mulch and across the rows beneath the grass mat after leaving the support trees. Alternate cover is then brought in like bagasse from sugar mills when trash/mulch is scarce. They never need to use additional artificial pesticides since the mulching is thick enough to control all weeds.
Pollination
Vanilla flowers in Uganda between March and April and December and January. Because no insects or animals are suitable pollinators for vanilla, our farmers manually pollinate the vines by hand in order to harvest any beans. Since vanilla flowers only last a day, they are typically quick and efficient.
Using a pointed stick, a specific group of skillful & specialized farmers transfer the pollen masses onto the surface of the stigma in each flower. Vanilla pods typically take about six months to form following pollination.
Abamwe’s members take a lot of pride in promoting Ugandan Vanilla and Cocoa – which is why from inception they have chosen organic farming as a way of life.
Harvesting & Curing
When the outer edges of vanilla pods turn slightly yellow, they are suitable for harvesting. After picking and delivering the pods/beans, they are submerged in boiling water at 65°C for two minutes; this procedure is done to destroy any live tissues in the vanilla beans. Then, we allow the heated pods to drain and arrange them up on a cotton blanket. The blanket is then rolled and coiled over the pods. The blanket rolls are set on racks in a dry, ventilated enclosure to enable the clusters to evaporate. We unroll the blankets daily to expose the vanilla beans to the sun for approximately half an hour, and we repeat this process until curing is complete, which preserves the pods’ liquids.
Once cured, crystals of vanillin form on the exterior of the shells, which exude a pleasant vanilla aroma. Our vanilla cured beans are creamy and incredibly robust in flavor, with a lovely violet floral aroma and a delicate sweetness. They generate a higher-than-average vanillin content, which makes them ideal for chocolate morsels and ice cream. Our 1 vanilla bean is equal to one tablespoon of extract.
Sorting & Grading
Size, appearance and moisture content are given the highest priority in our sorting and grading process. Grading is not just about rating – it is also about quality assurance. Every bundle of Abamwe Ugandan vanilla beans contains equal length beans that are classified as Grade A, B or C (Extract Grade).