After Hurricane Ivan in 2004 a lot of the nutmeg trees were destroyed and nutmeg production is still not up to full capacity, new trees have been planted but it takes several years to have a good crop from them.
Come with me on a nutmeg journey.
Nutmeg trees fruit all year long, when they are ready to fall from the tree the outer pod splits.
The red you can see around the nutmeg is mace, this is removed and dried in the sun until it turns yellow and then ground to make the spice you buy in the store. You can see the different stages of growth, after the mace is removed the nutmeg is still in an outer shell. With this shell intact they will last for years. Once cracked open you get the nutmeg we see in the stores.
At the nutmeg cooperative, the farmers are guaranteed a certain price per pound for their crop. The nutmegs are laid out to dry for several weeks and raked several times a day with a wooden rake.
They are then put through a machine that cracks them and removes the nutmeg from the outer shell. The outer shells are used in landscaping much the same way we use bark chippings around shrubs and plants.
The nutmegs are them packed in sacks to be shipped all around the world.
Every part of the nutmeg is used, the outer pod is left on the ground to rot and give back to the soil. It produces the spice mace. Helps retain moisture in the garden. It is also used to make Nutmeg Syrup similar to Maple Syrup which I had on pancakes for breakfast and it was really good. Doug tried Nutmeg Jam on his toast at breakfast and it too was really good. It is also used in medicinal treatments and apparently very good for arthritic joints. Not forgetting the uses it has in cooking.
You are never too old to learn something new.
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