Vanilla bean opened (Orchid)

As described in the previous post, the vanilla bean I found was overly ripe. Not to the point of being rotten but it was a dark brown/black color and the seeds inside were sort of a paste. I gather from the little reading I've done on vanilla, the beans are removed from the vine in a green state and then they go through a curing process that can take up to 4-6 months. So who knows, maybe this bean was being cured by nature.