1. CS 2101 – Handling of Products from Perennial, Field and
Horticultural Crops
Harvesting and Processing of Export
Agricultural Crops
Independent learning
AG/12/FT/024
W.A.G.E. WIJELATH

2. Question – 01
Nutmeg
Taxonomy
Family - Myristicaceae
Species -Myristica Fragrans
Introduction
Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is native of Moluccas in East
Indonesia. It has been reported that the plants have been
introduced into Sri Lanka in the beginning of nineteenth
century. Nutmeg plant is a spreading evergreen tree reaches
up to 15-20 m height. The leaves are alternate, dark
green, pinnatinerved. Flowers are generally unisexual and
dioecious. However, bisexual flowers of varying sexual
composition can also be found. Occasional trees with male
and female flowers are also seen in the plantations. Fruits are
fleshy drupes, broadly pyriform, drooping with a
circumferential longitudinal ridge. Fruit colour turns into
yellow during the ripening and the pericarp splits into 2 halves exposing purplish-brown, shiny seed
surrounded by a net like red aril. Indonesia, Grenada, Sri Lanka, Trinidad, China and India are the
major countries producing nutmeg and mace. The world trade of these two spices is in the range of
8,000 -10,000 MT. Nutmeg tree yield two spices, nutmeg, which is the kernel of the seed and mace,
which is the net-like crimson colored leathery out growth (aril) covering the shell of the seed.
Field Planting and Spacing
The seedlings are field planted at the beginning of the rainy season. In Nutmeg, there are separate
male and female trees but the sex of the trees can be identified only after flowering. In general,
about 50% of seedlings will be males. Therefore, the initial spacing may be about 6 m x 6 m and after
flowering, they may be thinned out. Male trees do not fruit but are essential for pollination, for which
1 male to 10 female trees is adequate.
Harvesting
The tree bears fruit when five to eight years old. There are two types of mace, West Indian and East
Indian. The fruit turn yellow when ripe and the pulpy
outer husk (pericarp) splits into two halves exposing a
purplish-brown shinny seed surrounded by a red aril.
Usually the fruits are allowed to split and fall to the
ground before harvesting. They should be collected as
soon as possible or the underside of the fruit will
become discoloured and the risk of mouldiness will be
increased. In some areas, a long pole is used to take
opened pods directly from the tree. This ensures a
better quality harvest but can also result in damage to

3. flowers and younger fruit.
Storing
The freshness can be maintained longer if stored in an airtight container. Keep away from heat,
moisture, and direct sunlight. These elements hasten the loss of flavor and aroma. Avoid storing over
the stove, dishwasher, sink or near a window. Should not be stored in the freezer. Freezing does not
extend the shelf life of regularly used dried spices. If stored in the freezer, and repeatedly removed
for use, condensation will form in the container and accelerate loss of flavor and aroma.
Processing
The fruits are opened by hand and the scarlet aril (mace) surrounding the nut is removed. This is
removed by cutting with a small pointed knife the attachment of the mace to the base of the nut
(nutmeg). Care needs to be taken to avoid damage to the nut, alternatively, the nuts can be shelled
by tipping them onto a sloping cement floor from a height of three to four metres. Another option is
to soak the nuts in water for four to twelve hours and then squeezed between the thumb and
forefinger until the nut pops out.
The separated mace is flattened by hand and dried on mats in the sun. This takes between two and
four hours. Grenadian mace is cured by storage in the dark for four months. This produces a brittle,
pale yellow mace that attracts a premium price and is graded according to size, the bigger the mace,
the better the premium. After grading the mace can be classified and bagged. The mace will also
need to be fumigated.
The nutmegs are dried in their shells in the sun and are turned each day to prevent fermentation. The
nuts are sufficiently dry when they rattle. This takes about one week. Sometimes artificial dryers are
used. To produce shelled nutmegs, they should be cracked by tapping the end of the nuts with a
small wooden mallet. If the nuts are tapped on the side there is a possibility that the kernel may be
bruised. Once dried the nuts can be stored for a considerable time.
Cracking the shell is often done by machine. Often machine are of the centrifugal type in which the
rotary motion of the machine forces the nut to be thrown at high speed against the inside of a drum.
Once the cracking has been completed, the nuts are sorted. Whole kernels will be separated from the
broken pieces of kernel.
Floatation in water is used to remove unsound kernels, as these kernels are lighter than water and
float to the surface. They can then be easily removed. The sound kernels can then be sorted based on
their quality and size. Good quality whole kernels are separated from the lower quality and broken
kernels. Sizing can be carried out using different mesh sized sieves. Sorted kernels are then bagged
and labelled appropriately. For export, the bagged nutmeg is fumigated with methyl bromide.
Value Addition
Value added products from nutmeg
i. Nutmeg powder: Dried nutmeg is ground to fine powder to be used in various end products.
ii. Nutmeg oil: The essential oil from nutmeg is steam distilled and the oil percentage varies from 5-
150/0. The essential oil is highly sensitive to light and temperature and yields a colourless, pale
yellow or pale green oil with characteristic odour of nutmeg. The essential oil obtained by steam
distillation of ground nutmeg is used widely in pharmaceutical industries. This volatile fraction

4. typically contains 60-80% d-camphene by weight, as well as quantities of d-pinene, limonene, d-
borneol, l-terpineol, geraniol, safrol, and myristicin. The oil is colourless or light yellow, and smells
and tastes of nutmeg. It contains numerous components of interest to the oleochemical industry, and
is used as a natural food flavouring in baked goods, syrups, beverages, and sweets. It is used to
replace ground nutmeg, as it leaves no particles in the food. The essential oil is also used, for
instance, in toothpaste, and as a major ingredient in some cough syrups. In traditional medicine,
nutmeg and nutmeg oil were used for disorders related to the nervous and digestive systems.
iii. Nutmeg oleoresin: Nutmeg oleoresin is obtained by solvent extraction of spices. Oleoresins
contain saturated volatile oil, fatty oil and other extractives soluble in the particular solvent. Nutmeg
oleoresin is extracted with organic solvent and yields about 10-12% of oleoresin.
iv. Nutmeg butter: The fixed oil of nutmeg is known as nutmeg butter with a consistency of butter at
ambient temperature. Nutmeg butter contains 25 to 400/0 fixed oil and can be obtained by pressing
the crushed nuts between plates in the presence of steam or hot water.
v. Mace oleoresin: When extracted with petroleum ether mace yields 10 to 130/0 oleoresin.
vi. Mace oil: is obtained by steam distillation of dried aril and yields 4-17% oil. It is colourless liquid
with characteristic odour and flavour. Mace oil is more expensive than nutmeg oil.
vii. Nutmeg jelly : Nutmeg jelly can be made from the pericarp.
Culinary Uses
Nutmeg is used in sweet and spicy dishes like pies, custard, cookies spice cakes, cheese sauces,
soups, egg and vegetables dishes. Mace is often preferred in light colored dishes for the bright
orange, saffron-like color it imparts.
Beetle
Taxonomy
Betel : (Piper betle L.)
Family : Peperaceae
Introduction
Betel is an evergreen, perennial climber with a semi arid stem. It is trained
on poles or trellis. The leaves of this plant are economically and medically
important. Betel leaves have been traditionally used for chewing purposes
along with other condiments. This chewing combination is quid and type of
ingredients used could be varied from country to country. Sri Lankan betel
industry has a long-standing history dating back to 340 AD. In Sri Lanka
more than 12 species are found and are endemic. Betel is a very good cash
crop and is also cultivated in some other countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippine Island,
and East Africa.
Harvesting and Post Harvest practices
Harvesting is started when the betel vine is grown up to 1.2-1.8m in length. Initially matured leaves
(Kanda kola) are removed in lower parts of the main stem 2-3 times. After that betel leaves are
harvested both from main stem and lateral stems. For export market betel is harvested from three

5. weeks intervals and for local market in two weeks intervals. Harvested betel leaves are bundled,
having 40 leaves for each, before sending to the market. For export market those bundles are packed
in specially prepared cane baskets.
Value Added Products
Several value added products from betel has been formulated and those include betel toothpaste,
mouthwash, shampoo, face cream, instant betel quid and pellets.
Standard quality specifications
There are no specific quality parameters for betel. But for export quality betel following criteria is
considered,
Size of the leaf – At least 20cm in length and 15cm in width
Color – well matured dark Green color leaves
High pungency
Freshness of the leavesStem of the leaf must be 2.5-3cm
Uses
In Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and other parts of South Asia
and Southeast Asia, the leaves are chewed together in a wrapped package along with the areca nut
(which, by association, is often inaccurately called the "betel nut") and mineral slaked lime (calcium
hydroxide).