spice your life
vital ingredients. In the future plans are afoot for a fragrant, beautiful spice garden, grown alongside the factory which then meanders throughout the property down to the river. This spice garden walk will be incorporated as part of an overall nature walk through WISI, where you can actually see and experience the spices growing. The actual essential oil extraction process adds to the overall experience of visiting West India Spices. “First we crush the nutmeg and put it in the proper container, it’s a steam distillation process. The steam reduces the boiling point and that makes an oil vapor that passes through the pipes and is then cooled by cold water that separates the oil. Then we pass it through the centrifuge to get rid of the remaining water particles, and that leaves you with a pure liquid oil,” St Bernard explains. “Most of the oils in the USA come from East India and there is a difference with the West Indian Nutmeg which has a stronger spicy smell, and is much safer to use.” he adds. And it doesn’t stop here, as St Bernard’s overall philosophy is to keep the entire process as green and ‘eco friendly’ as possible. The nutmeg shells, being very flammable, are used as Biofuel to create the steam. “We try to use everything from the nutmeg. We are encouraging farmers to grow more of all the spices, especially Lemongrass, it can really be a cash crop.” St Bernard says because Lemongrass is historically known as a natural treatment for fevers and some illnesses, farmers in Grenada could become part of the overall growth of its use on the island and in the wider Caribbean. “WISI currently (late 2012) offers 50 cents per pound. It takes a lot of lemon grass to produce oil, it’s very light and compressible so it takes a lot to fill the large tanks”. “With the Pimento/Allspice, we use the berry, not the leaf. It’s a berry that we crush into the oil. The St Bernard family, are already seeing how their own contribution is helping to stimulate the Grenada economy by forming partnerships with other farmers and spice producers. They have also looked beyond the Caribbean by establishing an office in the UK. “The demand in the local market is seasonal, ‘High Season’ is the tourist season, in which there PROPERTIES Analgesic Anti-rheumatic Anti-septic Anti-spasmodic Carminative Emmenagogue Stimulant Tonic Anti-oxidant Anti-depressant Nervine Anti- ????????? ??????????????????????????????????%????????????I???????????I?????????????????????A??????????????I?????????????????I?????????????????????M????????????????????????????????????U????????????????????????????????Q????????????
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