How to dry

right to collect plants - that's not all. Subsequent drying is not less important. Almost all herbs should be dried, regardless of whether they will be handed over to the pharmacy, whether received for processing at pharmaceutical plant, or will be left for domestic consumption.


Drying of medicinal plants is not so simple thing, as it may seem at first sight: drying of raw or poorly ventilated area, as well as belated or premature collection, might spoil materials and just be a waste of time, effort, manpower and resources. Before drying plant raw materials are sorted, deleted accidentally caught part of other plants or parts of the same plant, not covered by the workpiece (eg, leaves in a flower stock), and brownish, and the damaged parts and other debris. The drying process is collected by plants - the most significant moment in the blanks. There are several ways of drying plant raw material: Air-cured, air solar drying and heat drying with artificial heating.

air-cured

used for drying herbs leaves and flowers. Under the influence of direct sunlight they fade, turn brown, lose their natural color and good appearance, and the number of active substances in a non-conforming raw materials is also reduced. Air-cured in well ventilated areas or in attics, in the open air dry in good weather, but always in the shade - under a special canopy, and better in the wind. Closed rooms can be equipped with shelves with sliding frames, upholstered mesh. You can dry the raw material and gauze hammocks, hanging them in the attic between rafters. Making hammocks, gauze pull on the strut that it is not frowned and did not stray; hammocks are great for drying, as in this case, the raw material is ventilated not only from above but from below and laterally, so drying is faster. Not be dried herbs, making them dense bunches and hanging them from the ceiling of the room. Because of poor access to air in a tightly connected beams raw dark and spoiled.

air solar dryer

used for drying the roots and rhizomes containing tannins and alkaloids, as well as for the succulent fruit. And in another case, and a raw material is spread thin (1 to 3 inches) and at least 1 times a day roll over, when the solar drying of raw material for the night in a clean room, with shadow - close windows and doors of the room where drying.

heat-cured with artificial heating

Drying is optimal for all types of raw materials, the temperature regime is given for each type of raw material: grass, leaves, flowers, roots, rhizomes bulbs and dried at a temperature of 50-60 œ C, fruits and seeds - at 70-90 œ C; all kinds of raw materials that contain essential oils - at a temperature of 30-40 œ C. In the absence of special dryers, raw material is dried in a Russian oven or on the . The furnace should not be hot, otherwise the raw foothills. To check the oven temperature to drop back a piece of paper: if it does not scorch and strongly yellow, you can bet there raw. In the first 1-2 hours the tube is not closed. Valve should be put on 2 bricks and push the top edge to the outside air drawn into and on top of the pipe coming out warm air saturated with moisture of raw materials, recently began to produce dried in ovens gas and electric cookers. Flame of a gas burner should be minimal, the regulator heat electric oven on the "1", the oven door ajar.

drying certain types of raw

dried fruits and seed lose moisture before obmolachivaniya and almost do not need drying. When necessary, they finally dried outdoors or indoors.

Kidney should be dried very carefully: a long time and in a cool place, as in heat they quickly disbanded.

For crust desirable heat-cured, because during its preparation in early spring for air-drying is too cool and damp. During the drying process is necessary to ensure that pieces of bark did not put one into another, as in this case they are moldy and rot from the inside surface.

Leaves with thin slices dry unevenly: leaf blades are dry, and stems and petioles are still soft. Therefore, these leaves are dried up as long as the petioles and become brittle. After drying, the leaves are raked into a pile and leave it for a few days: Because of its hygroscopicity they are lightly moistened and packing less crumble.

At home grass is usually dried in thin beams, hanging them on the ropes. In general, the grass is generally recommended drying - shadow or heat with artificial heating.

Flowers are dried immediately after harvest, spreading a layer of 1 centimeter or overturn not to crumble and ground thoroughly. You can stir up only baskets Asteraceae - tansy, chamomile, calendula, etc.

roots and rhizomes can not be dry for a day, even in a strong sun, so leaving for the night, it is necessary to cover anything from dew. In the process of drying the roots several times a day, flip the shovel clean or better with wooden rakes. Typically, the average raw material dries in 3-4 days: in the south it is certainly faster, and in northern areas have to spend more time drying. At the root of thermal dryers raw materials begin to dry at a temperature of 35-40 œ C. to dry out the inside of the well, and finish at 50-60 œ C Large roots and rhizomes must cut before drying up and down.

Drying solid roots and rhizomes is unacceptable, as this is difficult evaporation of moisture from the inside.