Buy cardamom as whole pods and crack them to remove seeds
Choose whole cardamom pods for longer-lasting flavour, crack them open, remove the seeds, then grind the seeds when needed.
Whole pods keep cardamom’s flavour longer than pre-ground. To use, give the pod a quick whack to crack it, peel back the husk, and collect the seeds. Grind the seeds (mortar and pestle or coffee grinder) just before adding to your dish.
The short version
- Whole pods keep flavour longer than ground cardamom.
- Crack, peel, and use the seeds; grind right before cooking.
What you need
- mortar and pestleoptionalFor hand-grinding seeds
- coffee grinderoptionalFor quick grinding of seeds
How to do it
- 1
Buy cardamom as whole pods rather than pre-ground when possible.
Pods retain flavour longer than ground spice.
Watch this step - 2
- 3
Peel back the pod to reveal and remove the seeds.
Discard the husk after removing seeds.
Watch this step - 4
Grind the seeds just before using (mortar and pestle or coffee grinder).
Grind only what you need for maximum aroma.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Buying only pre-ground cardamom and expecting strong aroma
Buy pods and grind the seeds as needed for fresher flavour.
Why it works
The pod protects the aromatic seeds from air and light; cracking and grinding right before use releases the strongest fragrance and flavour.
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