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How to dry Moringa leaves
October 13, 2023
Moringa leaves can be used to prepare tea and herbal teas; However, they must first be dried and crushed (or ground into powder) and then steeped in hot water. This way you get a drink with anti-inflammatory properties that can also improve digestion.
There are several ways to dry moringa leaves, and many of them can be done at home. Here are the most important ones:
1. Dry at home, in the air or in the sun
The simplest method is to dry mature leaves of Moringa oleifera at home, but special attention must be paid to certain parameters.
First, the freshly collected leaves must be washed under running water and then soaked in a 1% salt solution for a period of three to five minutes.
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After this step, the leaves should dry for about fifteen minutes. They should then be stored in a room with a temperature between 7°C and 30°C, a maximum humidity of 70% and good ventilation.
How to Use Moringa Powder - RedMoringa To get the most out of Moringa tea, drying the leaves in a controlled and ventilated environment is the best method to keep their properties and phytotherapeutic principles intact.
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To ensure the process goes smoothly, the moringa leaves should be turned after a few days. It is recommended to wear sterile gloves to avoid affecting the starting material.
This process does not take more than four days, but since it is difficult to control the drying parameters if you are not an expert, it is advisable to resort to other methods.
Alternatively, depending on the climatic conditions, the leaves can be dried in the sun.
2. Dry moringa leaves in the oven
Among the various methods, there is also oven drying. If you use a 1000 W microwave, it is enough to set the device to a power of 666 W. It takes about two minutes to get well-dried Moringa leaves.
If you choose a convection oven instead, the ideal temperature is 40°C. A 2017 study entitled "Processing of Moringa leaves as natural source of nutrients by optimization of drying and grinding mechanism" showed that drying at 40 °C preserves some nutrients in moringa leaves better than drying at 40 °C higher temperatures.
A recent study entitled "Effect of Steam Blanching, Dehydration Temperature & Time, on the Sensory and Nutritional Properties of a Herbal Tea Developed from Moringa oleifera Leaves" has shown satisfactory nutrient levels in the teas baked at temperatures between 55°C and 65°C dried leaves found. Some samples were blanched for three minutes before drying (for 4 to 6 hours) without affecting the properties of the leaves. In general, higher temperatures (above 70°C) are not recommended as they do not improve residual moisture - which should be around 7% for optimal infusion - and at the same time could deplete the characteristic nutrients of the Moringa leaves.
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After proper drying, these usually have a dark green color that is less bright than that of the fresh foliage.
Moringa drying: industrial techniques
There are also other techniques for drying moringa leaves. The process that best preserves nutrients and pigmentation is lyophilization. In this technique, the frozen leaves (at -40°C) are stored in a freezer at -106°C for 24 hours.
Another technique suitable for processing large quantities is the use of infrared lamps at 3 kW/h. Normally it takes about six hours to complete drying, with a residual moisture of about 8%. Ideal exposure requires leaves to be at least 50cm away from the 2000W infrared source. Due to the action of the rays destroying chlorophyll, the leaves tend to acquire a pale yellow color.