What is the shelf life of Cistanche deserticola?

Cistanche is a kind of medicine. You can buy fresh Cistanche or dried Cistanche. However, people usually buy dried Cistanche because it is easy to preserve. However, if the dried Cistanche is left for too long and you are reluctant to use it, or if you do not pay attention to the method when storing it, it will go bad. In fact, the probability of dried Cistanche going bad is also very high if it is not stored properly. So how long is the shelf life of Cistanche?

Cistanche deserticola is usually packed in sacks, each weighing about 40 kilograms. Store in a dry and ventilated place with humidity below 28% and relative humidity 70-75%.

This product is susceptible to mildew and insect infestation. The main warehouse insects that cause harm include medicinal herb beetles, tobacco beetles, and saw-toothed grain beetles. During storage, check regularly. If moisture or slight insect infestation is found, unpack and air dry immediately, or steam with hot steam, air dry, and then repack and store. When the amount is large or the situation is serious, the environment can be sealed and maintained by pumping out oxygen and filling with nitrogen, or fumigating with methyl bromide, aluminum phosphide, etc.

1. Harvesting can be done in spring and autumn, with April to May being the best time to harvest. In early spring, the fleshy gray rose absorbs the melted ice and snow to grow rapidly and can be harvested in April or May.

2. Processing After being harvested in spring, it is placed in the sand and half exposed to dry in the sun to become sweet cistanche (also known as salt dayan). The following processing methods can be used:

(i) Sun-drying method: Spread the fruits on the sand to dry during the day and collect them into piles and cover them at night to prevent the large temperature difference between day and night from freezing. After drying, the fruits will have a good color and high quality.

(2) Salting method: Put the large ones into the salt lake and submerge them for 1-3 years; or dig a 50 cm × 50 cm × 120 cm pit in the ground and put a waterproof plastic bag of the same size in it. When the temperature drops to 0℃, put the Cistanche deserticola in the bag and use local unprocessed earth salt to prepare 40% brine for pickling. In March of the following year, take out and dry it to make salted Cistanche deserticola.

(3) Cellar storage method: dig a pit below the critical line of the permafrost layer, bury the fresh Cistanche deserticola in the soil when the weather is cold, and take it out and dry it the next year.

The above is an introduction to the shelf life of Cistanche. Generally, there is no problem in preserving Cistanche for three years, but it depends on how you preserve it. If you use the above method, it should be able to be preserved for more than three years.

In the above content, we introduced how long the shelf life of Cistanche is, so that you will know when to take Cistanche to be healthiest for your body. If it exceeds this shelf life, you need to check whether the Cistanche is spoiled or broken. If it is broken or has changed its taste, then such Cistanche should no longer be eaten.