Ground Inner Cardamom Seeds

In drinks: Stir half a teaspoon into fresh coffee grounds before brewing, or add to chai, hot chocolate, or mulled wine.

In baking: Add to cardamom buns, coffee cake, shortbread, gingerbread, or anything with cinnamon already in it. Standard in Scandinavian and Middle Eastern pastry.

In desserts: Stir into rice pudding, infuse into custard or ice cream base, or dust over poached fruit. A little goes surprisingly far in anything creamy.

In savory cooking: Whisk into curries, dals, and rice dishes, or mix into ground beef for burgers, meatloaf, or kofta. Also good in a spice rub for lamb or chicken.

Start small. A quarter to half a teaspoon is enough for most recipes serving four.

From Thanksgiving through Christmas, it's a tradition around here: half a teaspoon of ground cardamom goes into our fresh coffee grounds before brewing.

It is the seasonal coffee flavor nobody thinks of, floral and warm where pumpkin spice is sweet, and the aroma alone is a good reason to get out of bed. Janet sneaks a smidgen into her holiday baking too. A little goes a long way.

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Moon Raccoon Bakery takes cardamom from our Denver Platte spice store to add depth to their spiced pastries and specialty bakes.

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In the Cardamom Hills of southern India, wild cardamom bushes have grown for some 2,000 years, flourishing in rainforests and occasionally reaching eighteen feet tall. Each peanut-sized pod holds just 17 to 20 tiny inner seeds, which is why cardamom has long been among the most expensive spices in the world, behind only saffron and vanilla. Guatemala is now the chief exporter of the highest quality pods.

Cardamom has a long, odd history beyond the kitchen too. German botanist Jakob Theodor Tabernaemontanus recommended in his 1588 book Neuw Kreuterbuch that bruises be treated with ground cardamom mixed with honey.

It's become a genuine holiday tradition here at Savory Spice: from Thanksgiving through Christmas, half a teaspoon goes into our fresh coffee grounds before brewing, the seasonal coffee flavor nobody thinks of, floral and warm where pumpkin spice is sweet. It's also a favorite stirred into holiday baking, in small enough amounts that it rounds out a recipe rather than announcing itself.

Ground Inner Cardamom Seeds FAQ

How much ground cardamom should I use?

Start with ¼ to ½ teaspoon for a recipe serving four. Cardamom is potent enough that going heavier is a common mistake, and it is much easier to add more than to fix a dish that tastes medicinal. Recipes built specifically around cardamom, like a cardamom cake, will call for a tablespoon or more, and that is intentional rather than a typo.

How long does ground cardamom last?

Ground cardamom holds its aroma for about six months to a year in an airtight container away from heat and light. Whole pods keep considerably longer, closer to two or three years, because the pod protects the oils inside. The smell is your test: open the jar, and if the aroma is faint rather than sharp and citrusy, it will not do much for your cooking.

Should I buy ground cardamom or whole pods?

Buy ground if you mostly bake or cook curries, since it disperses evenly through batters and sauces. Buy pods if you mostly make chai, coffee, or anything you steep and strain. If you only want one, ground is the more practical choice for most home kitchens.

Do I need to toast ground cardamom?

No. Toasting is for whole spices, and ground cardamom will scorch quickly in a dry pan. If you want that toasted depth, bloom it in warm butter or oil for fifteen to twenty seconds at the start of a savory dish instead, which releases the oils without burning them.

Can I use ground cardamom instead of cardamom pods?

Yes, with a conversion. Twelve pods yield roughly ¾ teaspoon of ground cardamom, so scale from there. One difference to expect: ground cardamom distributes evenly and cannot be removed, while pods infuse and get strained out, so ground will read as more assertive in a delicate dish like a broth or syrup.

Is cardamom the same as cardamon?

Yes. Cardamom is the standard spelling, but cardamon and cardamum both turn up and refer to the same spice.

What can I substitute for ground cardamom?

There is no true substitute, but equal parts cinnamon and ground ginger will get you closest in a baking recipe. You will lose the floral, eucalyptic quality that makes cardamom distinctive, so it works better as a rescue than a plan.