I blanched and peeled this batch then just ran the emultion blender throught the restStill took hours!
I scrapped the inside of two beans and did leave the husk in while the rest boiled. It is very good and smooth, if that makes sense. The vanilla adds a smoothness to the flavor.
IMO using Vanilla Beans is expensive and not worth the cost, compared to the liquid. DW buys the good stuff at William Sonoma. Last time I used bean, it was $10 for two beans. Ouch! Never again.
Nope, ordered these on ebay. Split a pound with some friends. Cost me $7 for a quarter pound. Awesome deal. And great flavor!