352 SPICES 



CHAP. 



In Coorg the cardamoms are either merely exposed 

 to the sun on mats or trays, or dried over a slow fire. 

 The oven is a long brick and mud structure, the roof of 

 which is either flat and formed of zinc sheeting, or 

 a hollow trough. The fruit is spread out over the 

 oven to dry, after which the stalks are cut off and the 

 fruit is ready for sale. The Hindus pickle the green 

 fruit and use it in confectionery dried. (Evers in 

 Agricultural Journal of India, iv., 1909, p. 104.) 



BLEACHING 



The light bright colour of good cardamoms is obtained 

 by some process of bleaching. This is not a very 

 elaborate process in Ceylon. The capsules are there 

 treated by sprinkling them with water, or dipping them 

 and exposing them immediately to the full sun. This 

 increases the amount of split fruit considerably, and 

 Owen affirms that in good sunny weather a very good 

 colour is obtained without any bleaching process. 



A correspondent of the Observer recommends steep- 

 ing the fruit in boiling water for a minute before drying, 

 but this bleaches the fruit excessively, more than would 

 be appreciated by the London brokers. 



In India the natives have an elaborate process of 

 bleaching which is described by E. Cozanne (Mollison, 

 " Lesser Cardamom in the Bombay Presidency "). A 

 large earthenware jar is filled with water, into which is 

 put 2 Ibs. of pounded soap-nuts, Sapindus saponaria, 

 and J Ib. of the pods of Acacia concinna, to 5 gallons 

 of water. This soap mixture is sufficient for 130 Ibs. of 

 cardamoms. Another jar contains a strong solution of 

 common soap in water. Two women seated place an 

 earthenware pan before them, into which they put 8 

 quarts of water and 3 quarts of the soap-nut mixture. 

 Then 10 Ibs. of cardamoms are put into the tub, and the 

 women stir it vigorously with the hand for one minute, 

 rest for a minute, and stir it again. The cardamoms 

 are now baled out and put into a basket to drain. They 



