Actually, you don't have to take the seeds out at all If you heat the milk and put the pod in. Leave the milk to cool, allowing it to take on the flavour. Then use the milk to make your custard. Advantage of this method it that you have no gritty black bits in your custard. To make it even better put the vanilla pod in your sugar container for about a week and then use this sugar for the custard. Yummy. Vanilla pods can be washed in boiling water, dried and reused a number of times. I have done this even after taking the seeds out (for ice cream).