How to pick good green cardamom: 5 simple checks at home

Cardamom is one of the costliest spices in an Indian kitchen. You pay a premium price, so you should get a premium smell in your tea and payasam. But many packets look fine and smell of almost nothing. Here are 5 checks anyone can do in 1 minute.

1. Look at the colour

Good cardamom has a natural green colour. Pods that look pale, yellow or brown are usually old or were not dried well. But colour alone is not proof: always do the smell test too.

2. Check the size and shape

Choose plump, round, full pods of similar size. Thin, flat or shrunken pods often have fewer seeds and less flavour. Bigger, bolder pods are usually graded higher.

3. Rub and smell

Rub one pod between your fingers and smell it. Fresh cardamom gives a strong, sweet smell at once. If you must put your nose very close to smell anything, the cardamom has lost its oils.

4. Open one pod

Split a pod with your nail. The seeds inside should be dark brown to black, slightly sticky, and packed close together. Light brown, dry or loose seeds mean old cardamom.

5. Look for empty and split pods

A few split pods are normal. But many split, empty or broken pods in a packet show poor sorting. In a good pack, almost every pod is whole.

How to keep it fresh after buying

• Keep pods whole. Crush them only when you cook or make tea.
• Store them in an airtight glass or steel jar, away from the stove.
• Use a dry spoon every time.

At AMODHAM, we check our cardamom for colour, size, smell and whole pods before we pack it. You can do the same 5 checks on our cardamom when it reaches you. If it does not pass, tell us on WhatsApp.