ITDG 
Interdev Agroalimentaire  

Small-scale processing of cardamom (Ellettaria cardamomum)

	Type de fiche	Techniques/Technologies
	Mise en œuvre	ITDG(Royaume Uni)
	
	Zone géographique	Global; 
	Mots clés	EPICE; SECHAGE; CARDAMOME

	Echelle d’action	Groupe
	Public(s) cible(s)	Small- and medium-scale food processors

Contexte
The cardamom is the dried seed case of the flower of the plant Ellettaria cardamomum.  The plant is a branching herbaceous perennial that grow to a height of 3 metres.  It requires shade and is usually grown under natural forest cover.  The flowers are on a panicle that arises from a rhizome.  The flowers develop in groups of two or three and then into green, oblong seed capsules.

Cardamom is a delicate tasting spice that is used in both sweet and savoury cooking. The seeds inside the capsule contain the distinctive cardamom flavour.  Seed pods are often crushed slightly to rupture the shell before being used whole in various dishes.

Problématique / Objectifs
  Harvesting at the correct stage of ripeness is crucial to the quality of the dried cardamom. Pods are often harvested before they are ripe as the farmers are afraid of theft. If the crop is picked when it is mature, the higher yields and the high value of the final product may offset losses due to theft.  Another reason for early harvest is that the grower urgently needs an income and cannot wait for the crop to ripen. 
  When a cardamom capsule is ripe, it can be detached from the stem with very little effort.  The capsules should be removed from the stem starting with those nearest the base.  The processor should work along the stem, only removing the capsules if they come away easily.  Ripe capsules have black seeds inside while immature capsules have white seeds.
  Soaking the cardamom capsules in a solution of 2-5% sodium bicarbonate for 10 minutes helps to improve the colour retention.
  Drying is the most important part of the process. It should be controlled to produce a high quality product.  If the drying process is too slow, it is likely that the cardamom will develop mould, thus reducing the value.
  There is a premium for green colour of the cardamoms and drying should be carried out in such a way that it preserves the green colour. A drying system in west Asia uses a temperature of 50 C and allows the humidity of the drying chamber to build up during the first two hours of drying, after which it is reduced.  It is thought that the initial high humidity cooks the cardamom and inactivates the enzymes that break down chlorophyll. Also, no light is allowed into the drying chamber, which helps preserve the green colour.
  Cardamom is graded by colour and size, and this is done by hand.  The deeper the green colour and the larger the capsule, the higher the grade.

Description/Mise en oeuvre
The processing of cardamoms follows these basic steps:

  Harvest
  Cleaning
  Pre-treatment
  Drying
  Grading
  Packaging and storage

A process flow sheet is available (ref link)
Harvest
Although harvesting is not strictly a processing stage, it is vital to the quality of the final product.  Cardamoms should be harvested at the correct stage of maturity.  If they are immature, the yield is lower, the taste and aroma are not developed and the quality of the dried product is inferior.  Cardamom pods are ready to harvest when they can be removed from the stem with very little effort.  They should not be pulled off.  Ripe pods have black seeds.

Cleaning
The pods are cleaned to remove all traces of dirt, twigs, stones and dust.  This is simply carried out using a winnowing basket made from bamboo or other palms. There are small machines available, but these are rarely cost effective.

After winnowing the pods are washed in clean, potable water.  It is sufficient to wash the pods in large buckets (15 litre capacity), but for large quantities of pods, it is preferable (and easier for the processor) to have a sink with a drainage hole.  This can be constructed from concrete, but it must be kept clean and the water changed regularly to prevent re-contamination.
Pre-treatment
After washing, the stalks are removed from the capsules and they are soaked in a solution of sodium bicarbonate (2-5%) for 10 minutes.  This pre-treatment helps to retain the green colour.

Drying
Drying is the most important part of the process.  If drying is too slow, not only is it economical, but it may spoil the quality of the product.  Slow drying can result in the growth of mould, which makes the pods unusable.  The sale value of mouldy cardamom is less than 50% the normal value and in extreme cases the whole crop can be lost.

Dried cardamom with a bright green colour attracts a premium price, therefore all efforts must be made to preserve the green colour during drying.  Cardamom drying cabinets have been designed that maximise the green colour of the pods.  Light is excluded from the cabinet during drying.  Drying takes place at 50 C. During the drying process, the humidity within the chamber is increased for the first 2 hours and then decreased.  This process is thought to deactivate the enzymes that breakdown chlorophyll (the green pigment in plants) and thus preserve the green colour.  The cardamom pods should be dried until they have a moisture content less than 13%.  An experienced processor will know when the correct stage of dryness has been reached.

Grading
The pods are sometimes graded, depending upon the end-use.  Grading is carried out by hand and the pods are classified according to size and colour.

Packaging and storage
The dried cardamoms are packaged in polypropylene as this protects the product from air and moisture.  Polythene is not suitable as it allows the volatile components to pass through. The packets should be stored in a cool, dry place, free from pests and insects, where they can be kept for up to a year or more.

Résultats/Eléments chiffrés
The following equipment is required:

Washing buckets or sink
Cardamom drier
Winnower 
Packaging material
Heat sealer

Enseignements
  Processors should pay strict attention to hygiene.  During drying (if sun-dried) the cloves should be protected from dust and dirt. Animals, rodents and birds should be kept away from the cloves during drying as they are a potential source of contamination. 
  With proper processing, packaging and storage, dried cardamom can be stored for over one year.  However, after some time the flavour components begin to decrease.
  Cardamom can be ground, which is one way of further adding value to the product. However, consumers are reluctant to buy ground spices as they are often adulterated and contaminated and of lower value than the whole pods.  Ground cardamom has a shorter shelf-life than the whole pod. 
  During storage, the pods should be kept at a low temperature, low humidity and free from pests.  To keep humidity low, only fully dried products should be placed in the store.  Samples should be removed regularly and the moisture content checked.  If it has risen over 13%, the pods should be removed and dried again.

Auteur : Sue Azam Ali
Saisie le : 06/12/2001
Fiche validée 

		Pour aller plus loin

	Contact	ITDG, Intermediate Technology Development Group Ltd
Bourton Hall, CV 23 9QZ, Rugby
Tel.:(44) 1788 661 100, Fax: (44) 1788 661 101, E-mail: itdg@itdg.org.uk
Site web: http://www.oneworld.org/itdg/