How is vanilla cured and why does curing add so much value?

Green vanilla beans have almost no aroma. The flavour develops only through curing, which is why cured beans sell for many times the green bean price. The classic process has four stages, first killing the beans by hot water blanching or sun heat to stop growth, then sweating where warm beans are wrapped and held to develop aroma, then slow drying over weeks, then conditioning in closed boxes for some months where the vanillin and aroma mature. The whole cycle takes a few months and needs care so beans do not rot or dry too fast. Done well you get plump, oily, fragrant beans. This is skilled work, so learn on a small batch, and consider linking with a curing unit or buyer who pays for cured quality rather than selling cheap green.