6 mm & over
Bold green
The November and December pods. Thick skin, dark seed, and the only grade that goes into this pouch.
Estate Grown
Naturally Prepared
Packed With Care
From Our Estate To Your Cup
Grown in the hills of Yercaud and prepared with care on the estate.
Sieved to 6 mm
Moisture 10%
50 g Pods per 10 g
Dried at under 60°C for approximately 16 hours.
Harvest calendar · this block
Harvest calendar
Cardamom is not harvested.
It is visited.
Seven walks through one block between August and February, and five months when nobody goes in at all. Tap a month to see what happens in it — including the ones where the answer is nothing.
Seven walks between August and February, and five months when nobody goes in. Tap a month.
November
Peak · this lot
The heaviest picking of the year and the round this pouch came from. The only month we bring in hands from outside the family.
Rounds walked
Rounds
1
Share of the year
Share of year
37%
7 mm
Estate kitchen
Sound pods, smaller seed. They stay on the hill and end up in the tea that gets made at four every afternoon.
Split or pale
Ground here
A pod that opens in the dryer loses its oil within a week, so we grind it the same day rather than sell it whole.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCT
Grown at knee height, under everything else
Cardamom is the lowest thing in the canopy. It sits in the shade the dadops and the silver oak throw down, in the wettest blocks we have, and it wants to be left alone more than any other crop on the estate.
A pod ripens when it ripens, so between August and February a picker walks the same block seven times and takes only what is ready. This pouch is from the November round, the heaviest of the year and the one that gives the darkest seed. Pods go into the drying house the same evening, at under 75 degrees for about 16 hours — slow enough that the green stays in the skin rather than being put back with sulphur later.
Sieved to 8 mm and below, sealed whole. Crack one between your fingers and the smell should arrive before the pod is fully open; if it does not, the lot was dried too hard and it would not have left the estate.
* Best used within 1 year. Store in an airtight container.
In the kitchen
Two pods do more than ten
Bold pods carry more seed and more oil, so the amount you use goes down. If a recipe says four and you are using these, start with two.
01
Payasam
Seeds crushed with a spoon and stirred in at the end. Cook them and you lose the top note.
02
Biryani
Whole, bruised, into the hot ghee first. The skin is doing work here, so leave the pod shut.
03
The 4pm tea
One pod for two cups, in with the leaves. How everyone on this estate drinks it.
04
In the sweets
The major consumer of cardamom are the sweet makers and sweet tooths.
Questions
Talk to us
Four things worth knowing
Anything else, the estate office answers within a working day.
Why is our cardamom a deeper green than Idukki cardamom?
Our cardamom keeps its naturally deep green colour without colour-enhancing treatment. The shade can vary slightly from batch to batch, reflecting the pod’s natural character, and gradually softens with time.
Pods, seeds or powder?
Pods, unless you are baking. The skin is what keeps the oil in; once a pod is open the smell starts leaving within days. The seed powder is ground to order for people who need it measured, and we would rather you finished it in a month.
Why only 50 grams?
Fifty grams is about a hundred and sixty pods, which is more than most kitchens use in three months. We sell 100 g because people ask, but the smaller pouch is the honest recommendation.
Is it available all year?
The pouch is, until the lot runs out. Picking stops in February and starts again in August, so late in the summer you may find only the 50 g size listed. We do not buy in from other estates to fill the gap.
How long do your products stay fresh, and how should I store them?
For the best quality and freshness, store each product as recommended:
- Pepper: Best used within 3 years. Store in a cool, dry place.
- Coffee: Best used within 6 months. Transfer to an airtight container after opening.
- Cardamom: Best used within 1 year. Store in an airtight container.
- Honey: Best used within 2 years. Transfer to a clean glass container for storage.
