I really like to use Vanilla Beans in cooking. Custard/pudding made with vanilla beans is much better tasting than ones made with vanilla extract. This applies to homemade ice cream as well!
We really like to use the vanilla pods after we scrape out all the vanilla seeds. Using a part that would normally be discarded just seems to make the entire exercise more productive.
Vanilla beans in the local stores are so high as to take your breath away. I order vanilla beans from eBay. I think I bought something like 35 pods for maybe $10-$15. One pod in some stores is $8! Just search eBay; there are lots of sellers. Look for one with a good selling history on eBay.
There are different grades of vanilla pods. I haven't researched this lately. If someone runs across a good summary of the grades, please post the link in comments. I think I bought a grade B, which as I remember is just as good but not as long. Since I never serve a whole bean, I don't really care how long it is.
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