Effect of Microwave and Ultrasound during the Killing Stage of the Curing Process of Vanilla (, Andrews) Pods.

The curing process (CP) of pods, which is a long and tedious process, is necessary to obtain the natural vanilla extract. This research evaluated the application of microwave (M) and ultrasound (U) during the "killing" stage of the CP and its effect on vanillin content and β-glucosidase activity. The pods were immersed in a container with water or with moistened samples for the M treatments.