How Gordon Ramsay Uses Leftover Vanilla Pods To Enhance Sweet Treats

Chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Gordon Ramsay is full of helpful cooking tips you'll actually use; from rolling your lemons out before you slice them, to salting your cutting board before chopping garlic. While promoting his quick-cooking cookbook, "Ramsay in 10," he shared yet another easy-to-action tip on his YouTube channel. "Never throw out vanilla pods. There's a ton of flavor left in the skin," he says.

Vanilla comes in many varieties, from bean pods to extracts to imitations. Unfortunately for baking enthusiasts, pure vanilla extract is an expensive ingredient — though it's probably worth the price. Vanilla pods are even pricier. While the vanilla paste from inside the pod is robust and flavorful, you'll burn through a lot of expensive beans if you reach for one each time you need vanilla. Instead, vanilla pods are best used when you need intense vanilla flavor, like in vanilla pudding or buttercream frosting. And, as Ramsay mentions, you'll want to extend the life of your vanilla pod for as long as you can. Some home chefs add their used pods to a jar of vodka or whiskey. With enough added pods, and enough time, you'll create your own high quality vanilla extract.

But Ramsay offers another idea, advising, "Stick it inside jars of sugar and leave to infuse." Add used vanilla pods to stored granulated sugar to create vanilla sugar. If you use the sugar right away, it will have the slightest hint of vanilla, perfect for other baking projects. If you leave the pods in long enough to dry them out, you'll have more strongly flavored sugar, perfect for a little extra oomph.

The longer you leave your vanilla pods in the sugar, the more strongly your sugar will taste of vanilla. This is ideal for desserts where vanilla is welcome, like Gordon Ramsay's own banana ice cream, but it's less optimal if you want other flavors to shine. Ramsay's recommendation is to use vanilla sugar as a topping on desserts, snacks, and breakfast dishes. "[It's] great to sprinkle on cakes, biscuits, or porridge," he says.

Try adding a dusting of vanilla sugar to spiced apple porridge or mini apple galettes, or use it as sanding sugar when decorating sugar cookies. If you're making slice-and-bake cookies, roll your log of dough in vanilla sugar before storing it in the freezer. Or try adding a little cinnamon for the perfect snickerdoodle topping. Last but not least, vanilla sugar is also perfect for sprinkling into tea or coffee, so be sure to prepare a little dish of the stuff when serving guests.