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As Upper Himalayas manifest diverse agroclimatic conditions varying from subtropical, wet temperate to dry temperate, cold desert areas, the different types of agricultural crops grown, vary from cereals, pulses, oil seeds, sugar cane, root crops, vegetables to subtropical fruits viz. mango, aonla, citrus fruits, litchi, grapes, etc. temperate fruits like apple, pear, apricot, peach etc. and nut crops like walnut, almond etc. The methods of handling, packaging, storage and preparation of different products and their subsequent consumption also varies with the wide agro-climatic diversity in the region. Most food products currently available in the market are essentially improvements/refinements of indigenous technical knowledge of postharvest management of food crops. However, there are still a number of traditional postharvest skills, which can be commercially exploited. Some traditional foods/products help to cure ailments and have been used as home remedies, while others are environment friendly and do not cause any health hazards despite their continuous use. This is an effort to document available information on postharvest operations of storage, curing and drying.

Curing of Cereals

This is a common practice in the lower elevations of the state and has a scientific basis.

i) The maize plant along with the stalk is harvested and tied into small bundles called 'Pahra'. All bundles from different fields are collected at one place and stacked in an upright position. Upright stacking of maize bundles is called 'Thua' or 'Zhumb'. After a period of one and half month, the maize cobs are separated individually from the husk (Fig. 7.1a).

Fig. 7.1a Maize curing by stacking (Thua or Zhumb)

ii) Harvested paddy is tied into small bundles. Each bundle is called Pooli or Poola. After drying under open condition for 3-4 days, all bundles are stacked at one place and allowed to remain there for few days. Each stack is called a Kundli (Fig. 7.1b).iii) Similarly, millet grains called Mandal or Sonk are allowed to ripen partially by stacking them in a heap and covering the heap with tarpoline. This procedure is locally termed Garr Dena.

The preparation of small bundles Pahra, Pooli or Poola help in easy handling and quick drying. Stacking bundles in heaps possibly aids heat and moisture regulation thereby resulting in uniform ripening. The creation of moist heat also leads to curing which eases the process of threshing the grains.

Fig. 7.1b Sun drying of paddy in stack (Kundli)

Cleaning of grains

i) Winnowing of grain and pulses is a common practice in every home in Himachal. It is performed using a container made of tin, called Stoop or Chhaj. The grains are placed in the Chhaj and slow winnowing leads to separation of dirt and husk from the grain. Almost all types of dry grain like wheat, maize, paddy, pulses etc. can be cleaned in this manner (Fig. 7.2).

Fig. 7.2 Winnowing of grains

ii) Bulk cleaning of grain is done using a container made up of bamboo sticks called Panaudi (Fig. 7.3). The dry grain, placed in the Panaudi, are allowed to fall from a height of about 4-5 ft in a thin vertical flow in the path of a cross wind. The lighter dirt particles and husk are blown away and the heavier grain is thus separated as it falls straight to the ground. The use of a fan (mechanical or electrical) greatly accelerates this process of cleaning. This method of cleaning is based on the differences in density of the materials to be separated. The use of modern air separators/cyclone separators for grain cleaning is based on this principle.

Fig. 7.3 Panaudi for cleaning grains as well for separating husk from grain