Detailed Explanation of Poria Harvesting and Processing Methods
Poria is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with a very large planting area in China, and its history of use is also quite long. Poria has various functions such as strengthening the spleen and calming the heart, promoting diuresis and draining dampness, and can be used to treat restlessness of the mind, palpitations and insomnia, etc. When growing Poria, we must not only do a good job in management. We should also pay attention to harvesting and processing to ensure yield, so the editor below will introduce the harvesting and processing of Poria to everyone. Let's take a look!
1. Maturity Standards
When growing Poria, we must pay close attention to observing the growth of Poria to determine whether it is mature. After Poria matures, cracks generally appear in the surface soil on the ground, and if no more cracks appear about half a month after filling the cracks with soil, then the Poria is basically mature. We can also judge based on the outer skin of Poria. Generally, after maturity, the outer skin color of Poria is brown. It is rough and free of cracks. If the outer skin color is pitch-black, it means the Poria is overmature, and at this time it must be harvested promptly to avoid rotting in the ground.
2. Harvesting Methods
When harvesting Poria, be sure not to damage the Poria, to avoid wounds on the Poria that affect its quality. The harvesting method is mainly digging. After digging it out, wash off the soil on the fresh Poria with water. Then place the washed Poria in a ventilated place, keeping it at a height of about 15cm from the ground. Before putting in the Poria, be sure to spread straw properly, then place them in grades according to the harvesting time and size of the Poria. After placing the Poria, also be sure to spread an appropriate amount of straw on top. Then turn the Poria about once every two days, trying to keep all Poria exchanged in position to promote even sweating. After about a week, processing can begin.
3. Processing Methods
Raw Cutting Method
In the raw cutting method, sweating work should continue starting from the second week, also turning about once every two days. After about half a month, when white mycelium grows on the surface of the Poria. Then take it out and remove the mycelium. Then properly dry the moisture of the Poria until the surface of the Poria becomes wrinkled when dried. Then cut off the outer skin of the Poria and dry it into Poria skin. Then cut the flesh into small pieces of about 1cm, keeping each small piece uniform in specification, and then dry them. If rainy weather occurs, then drying by heating should be used.
Cooked Cutting Method
The cooked cutting method should be carried out on sunny days. First, we need to cut the Poria into blocks of suitable specifications, then steam the blocks thoroughly with a steamer. After the steamer starts steaming, do not take them out. Use a toothpick to insert into the small blocks. If no Poria powder sticks to the toothpick after pulling it out, then the standard for cooked cutting has been reached. Then let the Poria cool, cut it into small pieces of about 1cm, and then dry them.
The above is a brief introduction to the harvesting and processing of Poria. The harvesting method of Poria is relatively simple, but attention should be paid to the force used, and the Poria must not be injured. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and supporting.