How To Dry Moringa Leaves At Home

Hi Friends,

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I think sometimes the reason why people don't grow herbs is because they don't know how to use them. When you bring home a rose bush, its easy. Herbs are different. Some of them do have pretty flowers like Yarrow, and Mints but many do not. They are grown often for their leaves or roots. Some herbs are difficult to process but Moringa leaves are easy.

Don't be afraid to pick the leaves. Moringa trees grow their branches back quickly. You want to use all of their nutritional bounty. Use the young leaves. If you have baby trees, grow at least 3 to 5 so you have enough leaves. Once they get big, you will be drying a lot of your leaves to keep up with the production. I would say that each family should be growing at least three trees or more. I use the leaves fresh in salads and to make fresh tea. I save the powder for the winter, when the trees will be dormant.

Step  #1: Take off a branch with healthy green leaves. Pick off any bad ones. You need to use your Moringa leaves when they are vibrant and green. If you have leaves that are older, use them in your worm compost boxes. I notice there are huge redworms living in my Moringa tree roots. When we had to move up here from California, I had 6 worm beds. I could only take three in the truck. When we arrived here and I was transplanting some small trees, there were more huge redworms in my tree roots then in the compost box. We had lost some of them in the compost boxes when it snowed at the old house. The Moringa trees had been protected in the greenhouse and the worms survived as well there.

Step  #2: Wash them gently but completely in your sink. I just run the water over them, turning them to make sure both sides get washed. You need to wash your leaves because they may have dust and because of flies. You want clean product.

Step  #3: Shake the water off the leaves and pat dry gently with a paper towel.

Step  #4: If you have a gas stove, line the wire rack with a layer of paper towels, then lay the washed leaves on the wire in single layers. Don't pile them on the rack in thick layers. You want air circulation around them.

If you have an electric stove, turn it on to warm for a few minutes before you put the leaves in. Use a single layer of leaves so they don't mold.  Again, air circulation is important.

You can also use a dehydrator as well. You don't even need to turn it on if it is an electric one. The leaves are thin, so dry very quickly.

You can dry them on trays out in the open,  but the room must be free of dust and insects. Always dry leaves in the shade to preserve the nutrients. Again, the leaves must be kept away from insects. Our house is an example. We live in the high desert and there are a lot of flies. We try to be careful when going in and out, but flies do get into the house. I don't leave food or drinks uncovered. Our house also gets dust inside because we open the widows at night, turning off the swamp cooler. I am constantly dusting the house. Your home also may have toxins in it as well. So I either use the gas stove or the dehydrator.

Step #5: Wait for two or three days and  they will be dry. Make sure they are crispy dry. If they are not crispy dry, they will mold later. You want to put them in air tight containers so that the leaves keep well. I either dry them whole or put them through a screen to powder them. Date the bag or jar so you use them up properly. It is important to give them enough time in the drying process. It takes a lot of leaves to make a pound of Moringa powder, so you don't want to lose all that work by bagging them too early.

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So will close for now. All of you have a great weekend!
Kate Freer, The Herbladyisin



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