Codonopsis drying process

Codonopsis processing steps

1.Excavation parameters

After you excavated the codonopsis, you will find the fresh Codonopsis has a long root strip, whose thickness is more than 1 cm. Those codonopsis with no branched root, less tail root, and no damage are the upper class type.

2.Bathing

Bathing the Codonopsis until the root strip is soft and could bent without break, then rotate and rub it for 3-5 minutes while it is hot, so as to make the root strip softer. Afterwards, remove some root hair and soil, and continue to dry on the spot. When the root strips was bathed to 30 ℃ – 40 ℃, then pile them up. Cover them with plastic film and continue to bath them tightly to improve the temperature and softness of the root strips.

3. rubbing strip

When the Codonopsis strips are dried until they could wrap around the fingers without break, they can be classified into different grade and could be kneaded according to the size. You should make the Codonopsis into a small bunch with a diameter of about 5cm, then rub it repeatedly with your right hand from it head to tail for 8-10 times. You should noted that the root temperature should not be too high and the force should not be too fierce. The first priority is to keep the root straight.

Drying process of Codonopsis

1.Place the Codonopsis in the bamboo curtain evenly and place them in layers. The head and tail should be in tile shape thus it can be dried evenly at the environment of 40 ℃ – 50 ℃.

2.When the root strip is dried to a certain dryness, knead the strip again to remove the dust and make the appearance of the root strip looks full, soft and straight. After kneading the strips twice, push the Codonopsis into the heat pump dryer and re-dry it again. The temperature should be set at 50 ℃ – 55 ℃.

3.Before starting the drying process, knead and trim the codonopsis strips for the last time. At this time, as the tail root has been dried, you should use appropriate strength to knead. Shaping Codonopsis to make its appearance looks like pen-holder shape. Finally, place it in the drying room and keep it at 40 ℃ – 50 ℃ until the dryness level meets the requirements.