Kitchen tip: To get the most out of your vanilla pods

To get the most out of your vanilla pods. Bring to the boil 100ml of water and 100g of caster sugar and leave to cool to room temperature, take six vanilla pods, remove the hard piece at one end and chop into small pieces. Puree the syrup and vanilla pieces in a food processor until as smooth as possible. Store in the fridge for several months in a sealed container.