Key Points and Detailed Operation Methods of Daylily Drying Technology
First, pick flower buds that are firm and plump in petal, golden yellow in the middle of the bud, green at both ends, with no purple at the tip, fresh and elastic, and about to open but not yet open. Then, steam the buds until five-tenths cooked, indicated by the color changing from yellow to green and the flower stalk becoming soft. Then, use a daylily dryer to dry the steamed buds. Finally, bag and store the dried daylilies.
1. Picking flower buds: Pick flower buds that are firm and plump in petal, golden yellow in the middle of the bud, green at both ends, with no purple at the tip, fresh and elastic, and about to open but not yet open. If picked too early, they tend to turn black during drying; if picked too late, the buds have already opened, and both nutrition and quality decline after drying. The picking time is usually from early morning to before 10 a.m., picking buds with the flower base but not the stem, and picking the buds that are about to bloom one plant at a time from top to bottom, taking care to pick and place them gently.
2. Selecting flower buds: Remove flowers that have already opened, and steam them promptly until five-tenths cooked, indicated by the color changing from yellow to green and the flower stalk becoming soft. A specialized machine can also be used for blanching.
3. Drying flower buds: Use an air-source heat pump daylily dryer, place the steamed buds evenly in the medium-temperature range, dry at 65°C until five-tenths dry, take them out for tempering, then carry out a second drying until the moisture content is about 14%. Each batch takes about 10 hours to dry, and 4-5KG of fresh flowers yields 1KG of dried flowers.
4. Bagging and storage: When the daylilies are pinched tightly and feel soft yet firm inside, and quickly loosen after releasing the hand, this means the drying is moderate and thorough and even. Grade the dried daylilies by quality, bag and package them, and store them in a cool, ventilated place.