Detailed Explanation of Harvesting and Processing Methods for Pinellia ternata

I. Harvesting is generally carried out in summer and autumn after the stems and leaves have withered and the plants have fallen over. In the southern provinces, it can be done in July-August. The method is: choose a sunny day, use a hoe to dig a furrow 12-20 cm deep along the rows, dig out the Pinellia ternata tubers one by one, shake off the soil, and remove the coarse skin and fibrous roots from the surface of the medicinal material. II. Processing: Wash the fresh Pinellia ternata clean of mud, grade them into large, medium, and small sizes, put them into burlap sacks separately, first tap them lightly on the ground a few times, then pour them into a vat of clean water and rub them repeatedly, or put the tubers into a bamboo basket and beat them with a wooden stick in running water or use a peeling machine to remove the skin. After washing, take them out and dry them in the sun, turning them constantly. At night, bring them back indoors and spread them out flat (do not pile them up, and do not let them be exposed to dew). The next day, take them out again and dry them until completely dry or half dry. They can also be mixed with lime to promote the seepage of moisture, and then dried in the sun or by heat. Note that when sun-drying, they should be spread out on the drying yard before the sun comes up in the early morning. If they are spread out after the drying yard has become hot from the sun, the Pinellia ternata is likely to be scalded, becoming hard in texture and turning yellow. Even more, they must not be exposed to blazing sun, otherwise the skin will be difficult to remove. If there is cloudy or rainy weather, they can be dried over charcoal fire or a stove fire, but the temperature should not be too high, and should generally be controlled between 35-36°C. When drying by heat, use a low fire and turn them frequently, striving for even drying, so as to avoid producing "hard tubers" and causing losses. Note that Pinellia ternata is toxic. If you touch it with your hands, you can rub ginger juice on them to counteract the toxin. If the Pinellia ternata is for export, further processing is needed, namely sifting the raw Pinellia ternata by grade, removing the smaller individuals, then "returning to water", pouring the Pinellia ternata into a water vat and soaking for 10-15 minutes, rubbing repeatedly and gently with a tool, then taking them out and drying them in the sun, and picking out and discarding individuals with mold spots, incomplete individuals, dark color, and other individuals that do not meet the standards.