Cumin Seeds

Cumin is cultivated extensively as a cold-season crop on the plains and as a summer crop in the hills. In the south part of the Mashad province of Iran it is the main crop with an average production of about 12 000 tons per year. It is cultivated in northern India (the Himalayas, Punjab, Baluchistan, Kashmir) and also in eastern Europe. For the summer crop the seeds are planted in early April. They should be sown in small pots, filled with light soil, and placed initially in a moderately warm bed to bring the plants on. They can then be hardened gradually in an open frame and transplanted into a warm border of good soil. The plants bloom in June and July, and are harvested when 85% of fruits are ripe. The fresh seeds are spread out on cloth to dry and, after drying, stored in cotton bags.