Vanilla Bean Infused Sugar

1.Place the granulated sugar and sea salt in a large mixing bowl, ensuring the bowl is completely dry to prevent clumping.

2.Place a vanilla bean on a cutting board and, using a sharp paring knife, slice it lengthwise from tip to tip to expose the moist seeds inside.

3.Use the dull back of the knife blade to scrape the seeds (the 'caviar') out of the pod; repeat with the second bean, ensuring you collect all the fragrant oils.

4.Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar and use your clean fingertips to rub the seeds into the crystals for 3 to 5 minutes—this friction releases the vanillin oils and ensures even distribution until the sugar is uniformly speckled with black dots.

5.Cut the spent vanilla pods into 2-inch pieces and bury them deep within the sugar to maximize the aromatic infusion.

6.Transfer the mixture to an airtight glass jar and allow it to cure at room temperature for at least 1440 minutes (24 hours) before tossing with freshly popped buttered popcorn.