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Report 5 (of 6): Spice Processing
- Uruguay
Introduction
Dill has thin, feathery leaves and clusters
of tiny seeds.
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Ten years ago, the living conditions in the North
East Canelones area were poor - the roads were bad
and there was no electricity, running water or communications.
Although only a hundred or so kilometres from Montevideo,
the region had been neglected and was inhabited by
poor, rural families with small plots of land. Sugar
beet had been the main income producing activity
until the local sugar factory shut down.
A group of women farmers, experienced in producing
fresh crops, desperately needed to find an alternative
income in order to survive. The setting up of the
Cal Manana cooperative was an attempt to alleviate
the acute economic crisis they were facing and it
was also to help the women improve their self-esteem
and gain control over their lives.
The processing and trade of spices has always been
an important industry and has a significant impact
on the economy of many countries. Although there
is little tradition for growing spices in Uruguay,
the climate is perfect for producing aromatic herbs
and spices. The women started their business in 1987,
with a minimal initial investment, under the guidance
of Kirai De Leon, by growing four spices - tarragon,
coriander, mint and dill - and gradually incorporated
others. The cooperative only uses strictly organic
methods of production to grow the herbs and spices.
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Coriander has thin and
feathery leaves and broader and flatter lower
leaves. |
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There are now 24 women working in the cooperative
and they are divided into three groups which operate
in the areas of Pedernal, Gardel and Tapia. The women
have created a thriving business growing, drying
and marketing thirty varieties of herbs and spices.
They produce five thousand packets a month and sell
them to the three largest supermarket chains in Uruguay.
Although many husbands are involved in the production
of the herbs and spices, it is the women who make
the decisions in the cooperative.
There have been changes for the better in the community.
Roads have been built; communications have been improved;
electric light has been installed and telephones
arrived two years ago.
Harvesting
Saffron has blue-violet, lily-shaped flowers
that appear in autumn.
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It is not possible to produce a good spice product
from low quality harvested material. The main obstacle
to harvesting spices correctly is picking them while
they are still immature which will affect the quality
of the spices once they are dried. Picking should
be left until the spices are fully mature. The women
still use hand sickles to harvest some of the crops,
for example, tarragon.
Cleaning
The spices should be cleaned before processing to
remove the dust and dirt collected during harvesting.
A winnowing basket, which can be made locally from
bamboo, palm or other leaves, is filled with the
harvested crop and shaken until all the dust, dirt,
stones and other waste materials have been removed.
This is a quick and efficient method, for example,
about 100kg of pepper can be cleaned in an eight
hour day. There are small machines available for
cleaning herbs and spices but these are rarely cost
effective.
After winnowing, the spices need to be washed in
water. For small-scale spice processing two or three
15 litre buckets are sufficient but for larger quantities,
a sink made out of concrete with a plug hole can
be used. The water must be changed regularly to prevent
the contamination of the spices through using dirty
water. Only drinking water should be used.
Drying
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Turmeric has large leaves and clusters of flowers
in spikes. |
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Once the plants have been picked and cleaned, the
most critical part of the production process is the
drying. Produce that is dried inadequately will develop
mould. In addition, the growth of food poisoning
bacteria on some spices is a serious danger if the
washing and drying is not carried out properly.
Drying the produce too fast or at too high a temperature
will burn the crops and cause a reduction in quality
through both physical and chemical changes such as
the loss of flavour or colour. The market price of
herbs will be affected by produce that is mouldy
or lacking in colour or flavour, indeed the price
can decrease by as much as 50%.
The women have now evolved a drying unit which requires
minimal investment and uses a domestic dryer and
a long tunnel made out of heavy plastic which has
to be replaced after violent storms. The chimney's
function is to let the damp air, given off by the
herbs during the drying process, escape.
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Mustard plants have smooth or hairy seed pods,
depending on the variety. |
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The dryer is economical because it is solar powered
and operates in the same way as a greenhouse. It
is built with wood and plastic sheeting which keeps
the costs low. Driers can also be constructed out
of any locally available materials, such as bamboo
or nylon weave. The best results for drying herbs
are achieved by placing black sheets over the transparent
sheets to protect the crops from being scorched by
the sun.
The drying techniques for herbs and spices vary
and each need to be treated individually. The amount
of time the herbs and spices take to dry depends
on the hours of sunshine, the temperatures and the
moisture content in the air. The dryer depends on
sunlight and if there is a lot of damp weather or
high humidity, the crops turn black before they have
dried properly and need to be thrown away.
Packaging
The selection and packaging of the herbs and spices
is time-consuming and the whole family helps with
it. A white concrete building with a reed thatch
roof is used to package the herbs once they have
been dried.
In areas of high humidity it is essential to store
spices in a barrier film, such as polypropylene,
or cellulose film if it is heat sealed, which retains
the quality of the spices, prevents contamination
and provides attractive packaging. Most spices can
temporarily be stored in boxes or sacks providing
the humidity of the air is not too high although
over long periods of storage there will be a significant
reduction in flavour.
For information on Por un Manana products, please
contact:
Mananitas, Ruta 12, Km 89, Canelones, Uruguay.
Tel: (0310) 5334 - (0399) 9572
Sandra Quintans / Lujan Banchero, IPRU, Instituto
de Promocion Economico Social del Uruguay, Colonia
2069, 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay.
E-mail: ipru@chasque,apc.org
For further information, please contact:
Partners of the Americas Farmer to Farmer Programme,
1424 K St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005. USA.
Tel: (202) 628 3300 Fax: (202) 628 3306
References
Norman, J : The Complete Book of Spices
This programme is one in a series of five about
what ordinary women, often in very challenging circumstances,
are doing to build better lives for themselves and
their families.
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