Visual check
Colour, shape and surface of every lot.
Why Process Matters
Two pods from the same plant can end up worlds apart
Dry them too fast and they bleach and split. Too slow and they lose their colour and smell. Grade them carelessly and good pods get mixed with poor ones. Every step below is there to stop that from happening.
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1
Selective picking
Pickers take only the pods that have reached full size and are just starting to ripen. Unripe pods are left for the next round, a few weeks later.
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2
Washing
The day's harvest is washed in clean water to remove soil, leaf bits and insects before it goes anywhere near the dryer.
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3
Curing and drying
This is where the green colour is locked in. Trays of pods go into the cardamom dryer and are dried slowly with controlled heat until the moisture is gone but the skin is still bright and unbroken.
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4
Cleaning
Dried pods are rubbed and cleaned to remove the stalks and the dry flower tips, leaving a smooth, even surface.
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5
Grading
Sieves separate the pods by size in millimetres. Then the team picks through each lot by hand, pulling out split, pale or empty pods.
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6
Colour sorting
A colour sorting machine checks every pod as it falls and pushes out the pale, brown or marked ones, so each lot looks even from top to bottom.
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7
Weighing and packing
Each grade is weighed, sealed against moisture and labelled with its grade and lot, ready to ship.
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8
Export to other countries
Sealed lots are loaded into containers with the export papers in order, and shipped from Kerala to buyers in the UAE, Europe, South-East Asia and the USA.
Quality Gates
Where a pod can be turned away
A lot only moves to the next step when it passes the check at the end of the one before.
- After picking — no unripe or damaged pods
- After drying — colour and dryness checked by eye and hand
- After grading — size and uniformity checked against the grade
- Before packing — a final look for dust, stalks and foreign matter
Size check
Sample pods measured against the grade.
Touch check
Firm, dry pods that do not crush.
Weight check
Every bag weighed before sealing.
The Science
Why good cardamom stays green
The green colour of cardamom comes from chlorophyll in the husk. Chlorophyll breaks down with too much heat, too much light and too much time — which is why sun-dried or badly dried pods turn pale, yellow or brown.
Drying cardamom well means removing the water from the pod gently enough that the chlorophyll survives. It is slow work, and it cannot be rushed without the colour paying the price.
Gentle, controlled heat
Kept out of direct sun
Slow and steady
Transformation
What changes between the plant and the bag
| Fresh from the plant | After processing | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Pale, soft green | Deep, even green |
| Feel | Soft, juicy, bruises easily | Firm, dry, springs back |
| Weight | Heavy with water | Much lighter — most of the water is gone |
| Aroma | Mild, grassy | Strong, sweet, cooling |
| Shelf life | A few days | Many months when stored well |
Clean Handling
Hygiene at every step
Cardamom is eaten as it is, often without cooking. That makes clean handling just as important as good drying.
Clean hands
Staff wash before handling pods and cover their hair in the grading area.
Clean floors
Pods are dried and sorted off the ground, on trays and tables.
Pest control
Stores are kept closed, dry and checked regularly.
Fresh packing
New, food-safe bags for every lot — never reused sacks.
How we store it
Packed cardamom waits for dispatch in a cool, dry store, away from sunlight and strong smells. Cardamom absorbs odours easily, so it never shares space with anything that could taint it.
How you should store it
Once it reaches you, keep it sealed, dark and dry. Transfer opened packs to an airtight jar. Read our storage guide
Questions
About our process
What buyers ask about drying, grading and packing.
Why do some cardamom pods look pale?
Usually because they were dried too hot, dried in the sun, or stored for a long time in the light. Pale pods are graded separately from bright green ones.
How are the pods cleaned after drying?
After drying, the pods are rubbed to remove leftover stalks and dry flower tips. It cleans the surface; it does not add anything to the pod.
Is grading done by machine or by hand?
Both. Sieves separate the pods by size, then the team sorts through each lot by hand to remove split, empty or discoloured pods.
Can you pack to my specification?
Yes. Tell us your required grade, moisture level, pack size and labelling, and we will confirm what we can do.
See the result in your hand
The best proof of a process is a sample. Ask for one in the grade you buy.