Dried nutmeg is oval in shape, grayish brown in color with a wrinkled surface. Mace flowers, surrounded by one shiny brown seed, nutmeg. The pulp is eaten locally. After being collected, the nutmeg wrapped in arils is taken to a preservation area where the mace flowers are removed, flattened, and dried. The nutmeg is dried in stages in the sun and turned twice a day for six to eight weeks. During this time the nutmeg shrinks from its hard seed shell until the nutmeg vibrates inside the shell when shaken. The shell is then cracked with a wooden stick and the nutmeg is picked.
