Detailed Explanation of Key Points in Gastrodia elata Harvesting and Primary Processing

If Gastrodia elata is sold fresh, it is enough to keep it from being bumped, dropped, or mechanically damaged after harvest, then gently brush off the mud and sand on the tubers with a soft brush and pack them into soft-lined wooden boxes or plastic crates. If processing dried Gastrodia elata, the method is more complicated: generally, it is first cooked by boiling in water or steaming in a steamer basket, and then dried by oven or sun. In actual production, the method of steaming in a steamer basket and drying in a kang oven is generally used, and the operational process is: grading - washing - steaming - kang drying.

1. Grading: grade by 50-gram differences according to the weight of Gastrodia elata, that is, place and process separately those below 50 grams, 50-99 grams, 100-150 grams, 151-200 grams, and 201 grams and above, while removing diseased tubers, rotten tubers, and other unqualified products.

2. Washing: wash off the mud and sand on the surface of the tubers with clean water.

3. Steaming in a steamer basket: put the washed Gastrodia elata into a steamer basket and steam until cooked. The usual method is: after bringing water to a boil over high heat, first add the largest tubers, steam over high heat for about 5-6 minutes, then add the next largest tubers and continue steaming; after 5-6 minutes, add the slightly smaller tubers and steam for another about 5-6 minutes; finally add the small tubers and steam for another about 5-6 minutes, and generally all can be steamed through. During steaming, note: each time a steamer tier of raw tubers is added, the original steamer tier must be lifted, and the new steamer tier placed at the bottom. Check whether they are cooked through based on being fully cooked and having no hard core.

4. Kang drying: heat over high heat until the kang surface temperature reaches 50°C, arrange the cooked tubers in a single layer, turn them once every 30 minutes, and raise the temperature by 10°C every 60 minutes; when the maximum temperature reaches 80°C, do not raise it further, and maintain that temperature until dried. Key points during kang drying: when dried to half-dry, the tubers are very soft; gently press the tubers with a clean, smooth wooden board, the purpose being to make them flat and straight, with higher transparency, and easier to break when used, while also facilitating measurement; this work can be done when turning the tubers during the drying process. To increase the commercial value of Gastrodia elata, work can be started from three aspects: first, strictly grade. Each time of cooking and drying, use only one specification of Gastrodia elata, so as to make it easier to control the heat. Second, after the tubers are washed clean, use a peeling machine to remove the rough outer surface, spots, and so on of the Gastrodia elata. Third, during the drying process, bubbles will bulge under the skin of the tubers; use a very fine bamboo needle to prick them and release the air, and smooth and press the epidermis flat.