How to dry ginseng?

Ginseng is still well known by people in daily life, because its health-care ability is really first-class, so ginseng can basically be called a treasure. There are many types of ginseng, and you can pick fresh ginseng in some forest areas. Normally people don’t eat ginseng directly, but dry it and use it to make wine. So the question is, how to dry ginseng?

1. How to dry fresh ginseng

Washing fresh ginseng

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush (note that you must use a soft-bristled toothbrush, a hard-bristled toothbrush can easily damage the ginseng skin) to scrub the fresh ginseng to make it clean.

Sun drying ginseng

Place the fresh ginseng that has been cleaned in the sun for 1 to 2 days, turn it over 2 to 3 times a day, and pay attention to ventilation. This will dry out most of the moisture from the ginseng roots.

In the traditional processing steps of sun-drying ginseng, there is another step after sun-drying, that is, putting the sun-dried ginseng in a drying room specially used for drying ginseng, controlling the temperature at 30-40℃ for drying, and draining the moisture every 1-20 minutes. When the moisture content of ginseng roots is 13% or below, the moisture content requirement for commercial raw sun-dried ginseng can be met.

However, ordinary families do not have special tools for baking ginseng, so the drying time of ginseng can be appropriately increased to reduce the water content of raw ginseng. Pay attention to the temperature when drying ginseng, and avoid excessive exposure to the sun. If the sun is too strong, use gauze to block it slightly. Dry the ginseng until it is dry and hard inside and out.

2. Storage method of dried ginseng

Net retention method:

First, use a soft brush to brush off the dirt and other impurities on the surface of the ginseng and the roots, then rinse it in clean water. Rinse it, don't soak it, and avoid soaking it for a long time. Since ginsenoside, the main component of ginseng, is easily soluble in water, long-term soaking will reduce the content of effective ingredients. After rinsing it clean, shake off excess water and dry it in a cool and ventilated place. Do not expose to the sun for a long time.

Conventional retention method:

For ginseng that is definitely dried, you can seal it in a plastic bag to isolate it from the air and keep it in a cool place.

Desiccant drying method:

Place an appropriate desiccant, such as quicklime, charcoal, etc., at the bottom of a sealable jar, tube, or box, then wrap the ginseng in paper and put it in, then seal it with a lid.

Cryopreservation method:

This is a more ideal solution. Ginseng must be dried before storage. The best time to expose it to the sun is between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., but ginseng should not be exposed to the sun for a long time. At the same time, ginseng for medicinal use has reached a certain degree of dryness. Generally, you only need to turn the ginseng over and dry it for one to two hours in the afternoon. After it cools down, wrap it in a plastic bag, tie the bag tightly, and place it in the freezer of the refrigerator. It can be preserved for a long time.