Home › Medicinal Herb Cultivation › Article

A Detailed Guide to the Correct Methods of Harvesting and Storing Goji Berries

Medicinal Herb Cultivation 0 views
1. Harvesting goji berries. Medicinal goji berries ripen successively from June to November each year and should be picked at the right time. When the fruit turns from green to red or orange-red and the stem end and flesh become slightly soft, it is ready to pick. If picked too early, the fruit is not plump and its color after drying is dull; if picked too late, it contains too much sugar and easily drops off, and after sun-drying or oven-drying it turns dark purplish-black (commonly known as oil seeds), reducing its commercial value. Picking is best done after 10 a.m. on a sunny day. Never pick fruit after rain or fruit covered with dew. Handle it gently when picking, and twist it off together with the fruit stalk. Otherwise, the juice will flow out and affect

1. Harvesting goji berries. Medicinal goji berries ripen successively from June to November each year and should be picked at the right time. When the fruit turns from green to red or orange-red and the stem end and flesh become slightly soft, it is ready to pick. If picked too early, the fruit is not plump and its color after drying is dull; if picked too late, it contains too much sugar and easily drops off, and after sun-drying or oven-drying it turns dark purplish-black (commonly known as oil seeds), reducing its commercial value. Picking is best done after 10 a.m. on a sunny day. Never pick fruit after rain or fruit covered with dew. Handle it gently when picking, and twist it off together with the fruit stalk. Otherwise, the juice will flow out and affect its intrinsic quality. If there is prolonged rainy weather, the harvested fruit should immediately be spread thinly on a drying mat, with a layer no more than 5 cm thick, and after it has naturally air-dried its moisture, it should be processed into dried goji berries for storage.

2. Key points for processing goji berries. ① Sun-drying method: Spread the fresh fruit thinly on a clean drying mat, with the goji berries not overlapping each other. For the first two days, dry them in strong sunlight, then move them to a shady place at noon to air for 1-2 hours, to avoid drying them in full sun all day and producing tough berries. After the 3rd day, they can be dried in full sun all day until completely dry. ② Oven-drying method: For oven drying, the main thing is to control the temperature well, carrying it out in 3 stages: first, bake at 40-45°C for 24-36 hours, so that the skin becomes slightly wrinkled; after cooling, bake a second time at 45-50°C for 36-48 hours, until the fruit has fully shrunk and wrinkled; finally, continue baking at 50-55°C for 24 hours, and it will be completely dry. After drying, remove all foreign matter such as fruit stalks, oil seeds, tough seeds and dust, and store in a dry, ventilated place, protecting against moisture and insect damage.

During the sun-drying or oven-drying process, the goji berries must not be turned over casually by hand or with other objects, so as to avoid causing the fruit to blister and turn black, which would reduce the product's value. The product is considered best when the fruit is dry, the flesh is plump and thick, the taste is sweet, the color is bright red, and there are no oily fruits or impurities.

Related Articles