Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the Indian saffron, is one of the main spices in cooking. It is well known as the golden spice of India and is an integral part of many Indian and Southeast Asian dishes. Its bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy mustard-like aroma not only add golden color to a dish but also has various health benefits. Let’s look at the processing part of turmeric.
The processing of Turmeric powder consists of two main phases
Phase 1: Pre-harvesting processing
Phase 2: Post-harvesting processing
This article is mainly focusing on the Post-harvesting processing of turmeric powder.
Harvested turmeric is thoroughly washed to remove the adhering soil and root are also removed thereby separating the fingers and mothers.
Several operations are done on the harvested turmeric rhizomes before entering the actual market. This includes boiling/curing, drying, polishing, etc.
Boiling:
Boiling is the first post-harvest operation. It involves the cooking of fresh rhizomes in water until they become soft before drying. Boiling removes the raw odor and yields uniformly colored products. It also reduces the overall drying time. Boiling of turmeric rhizomes is carried out till froth forms and white fumes come out of the pan with a particular odor. Boiling is considered complete when rhizomes become soft and easily breakable when pressed between the forefinger and thumb and a yellow interior instead of a red one. The overall cooking time for fingers is 45 to 60 minutes and 90 minutes for mother rhizomes.
Drying:
The cured rhizomes are dried in sun in open in 5 to 7 cm thick layers on uncoated plain bamboo mats or concrete drying floor. A thin layer is not suitable as its color may be adversely affected. It may take 10 to 15 days for rhizomes to become completely dry. Drying is carried out in cross-flow hot air at a maximum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. At night, the material should be properly covered. It should dry on a clean surface to avoid contamination by any extraneous matter. Drying is considered completed when the dried finger breaks properly with a metallic sound. then it is considered sufficiently dry.
Polishing:
Dried turmeric has a poor appearance. It also has a rough dull outer surface with scales on it. The main purpose of polishing is to remove the roughness by removing the surface scales. It also removes any remaining soil particles. The polishing is done by manual or mechanical rubbing.
Manual Polishing:
This involves rubbing the dried turmeric fingers on a hard surface. It gives a rough appearance and dull color to the dried rhizome. In the latest method of polishing, it is done by using hand operated barrel or drum mounted on a central axis, the sides of which are made of expanded metal screen.
Mechanical Polishing:
In this method, power-operated drums are used for polishing.
Depending upon the color of processed turmeric the price of the product is influenced. Hence turmeric powder is sprinkled during the last phase of polishing.
Cleaning:
As turmeric is a natural product it is expected to get contaminated during various stages of processing. It is cleaned to remove foreign materials such as stones, dead insects, excreta, and other extraneous matter.
Grading:
Turmeric of commerce is categorized into three categories: figures, bulbs, and splits. Little grading is done by farmers to separate the fingers, bulbs, and splits Packaging and Storage:
This cleaned and graded material is packed in new double burlap gunny bags and stored over wooden pallets in a cool, dry, and hygienic place protecting from light. It is expected that the store should be clean and free from infection of pests and harborage of rodents. It is not recommended to apply pesticides on dried or polished turmeric to prevent storage pests.
We SAVI AGRO FOODS are the Maharashtra-based manufacturer and supplier of turmeric. We have our premium brand of turmeric known as “Harjeevan”. For more information visit our website www.saviagrofoods.com. For any queries please contact us at info@saviagrofoods.com
