Does Grow Moringa Have Standards?
Has there been any standardization in
regards to the drying and processing of our Loose Leaf Moringa products? Absolutely! We want to make sure that we’re doing it safely and that our customers feel confident in our processes. We have many standards regarding drying; such as where it’s dried, how it’s dried, what it’s dried on, and how long it’s left to dry. Kendrick has been using, growing, and working with the Moringa Tree for almost a decade. He has figured out what works and what doesn’t. He is passing along that information to all the members and the Grow Moringa Team is making sure those standards are followed when someone starts fulfilling orders through the Collective. If you’d like to fulfill orders or just want to know how your Moringa is being dried let me take you through the process.
Where it’s dried.
Where your Moringa is dried is important. You want it to be in a space that is separate from daily life. For some that might be a garage, a spare bedroom, or a big walk in closet. The room should not be carpeted as carpet can trap all sorts of dirt and bacteria. Sometimes you may need to make a room within a room to keep the air quality good. We’ve had members put up some plastic sheeting to make a “clean room” where they dried their leaves.
How it’s dried.
The Collective dries their greens on racks; we do not hang our greens to dry. When you bundle and hang your greens to dry, Kendrick found that sometimes the middle of the bundle would not dry as fast or as evenly and the middle would form mold, ruining the whole bundle and contaminating the other bundles around it.
What it’s dried on.
We dry our Moringa on racks. The best way is to get stainless steel bread racks and make some stainless steel mesh trays to put your greens on. If you have a smaller operation and don’t have as much space, an herb drying rack will work as well. The racks should be kept away from direct sunlight to keep the leaves from yellowing. The key to getting them dry without them forming mold is airflow.
How long it’s left to dry.
After getting your greens on your rack you’ll want to make sure you have an air purifier, dehumidifier, and fan in whatever space you’re drying. Good, clean, dry airflow is key here. Your greens should be crispy/crunchy within 24 hours of getting them on the racks. That’s great but they aren’t completely dry yet. They need another 4 to 5 days to completely dry. This keeps them fresh for a longer amount of time.
Regulations
This is a farmed crop that’s harvested, dried and packaged without further processing. Check with your state, but this harvesting, drying, and packaging isn’t further regulated because you have not altered the product by cutting it or cooking it. This is how most of the produce in stores is sold and how you can have U-Pick Farms. We have our standards so we are extra sure our leaves are the best you can get.
Peace, Love, and Prosperous Growing!