Chinese medicine can be frozen into ice and drunk

Some people will directly store the cooked Chinese medicine in the refrigerator, because if it is not chilled, the elements in the medicine will be destroyed, and it is difficult to store the soup of the Chinese medicine. However, the frozen Chinese medicine can be drunk. It is not that you can just take it out and drink it after thawing it. It needs to be boiled twice. Some Chinese medicine cannot be drunk after being frozen.

Preservation methods of Chinese herbal medicines

If you don’t pay attention to the preservation method of Chinese medicinal materials, it is easy for the original efficacy of the Chinese medicine to be reduced or even moldy. Therefore, Chinese medicinal materials that cannot be taken in a short period of time must be carefully preserved. Let’s take a look at the preservation methods of Chinese medicinal materials.

1. Drying

When the moisture content of Chinese medicinal materials exceeds 15%, they are prone to deterioration due to insect pests, mildew, etc. Therefore, for medicinal materials with high water content, we need to use the power of high temperature, sun, wind, lime desiccant, etc. Use methods such as sun drying, air drying, baking, microwave, and far-infrared irradiation to reduce the moisture content to below 15%.

at present. The most common method to reduce the water content of Chinese medicinal materials is to spread the materials on a mat and place them in the sun. If conditions permit, you can use a rack to lift the straw mat. For some medicinal materials that contain more water or starch, such as Fritillaria, lily, and Corydalis, they should be boiled or steamed in boiling water first. Then dry in the sun. Some medicinal materials cannot withstand long-term exposure to the sun, such as ephedra. The content of active ingredients will decrease after long-term exposure to the sun. They should be placed in a ventilated room or under a shaded shed to dry. In addition, some high-priced medicinal materials, such as ginseng and tiger bones, are prone to insects and mold. They should be stored in a sealed container and kept dry with lime.

It is worth noting that the medicinal materials must be fully dispersed before drying. Make it dry evenly to avoid excessive moisture content and mildew. At the same time, in order to maintain the purity of the medicinal materials, the drying room should be clean and ventilated, and the drying equipment should be clean and pollution-free.

2. Reasonable storage

When storing Chinese medicinal materials, pay attention to the following six points:

1. Low temperature

Mold and pests are not easy to grow below 10℃, and deterioration reactions of medicinal materials such as oiliness, melting, sticking, odor loss, and rotting are not easy to occur at low temperatures. Therefore, placing medicinal materials in a cool and dry place (such as a refrigerator) is conducive to preserving their effective ingredients.

2. Avoid light

Medicinal materials such as flowers and leaves that are easily changed when exposed to light should be stored in dark places and in ceramic containers or colored glass bottles to avoid direct sunlight.

3. Classification

Medicinal materials should be classified and stored according to their characteristics. For example, fleshy, sweet and fragrant medicinal materials such as hedgehog skin and melon wilt are prone to insects and should be placed in a fumigation warehouse; Polygala tenuifolia and Pinellia ternata are prone to mildew and should be ventilated and exposed to the sun. In addition, highly toxic medicinal materials should be labeled prominently and kept by designated personnel to prevent poisoning due to misuse.