novelhk Chapter 221 Drying is really difficult
Chapter 221 Drying is really difficult
However, you should be careful about the sun-drying method. It is not suitable for some Chinese herbal medicines that are rich in volatile oils, contain sugars, or are easy to change color and deteriorate, such as whole herbs and flowers.
The most common ones, such as coix, astragalus, burdock, cassia seed, moutan bark, and eucommia, are all dried in the sun.
The main difference between the shade drying method and the sun drying method is that the Chinese herbs are placed indoors or in a cool and ventilated place, and the air circulation is used to dry the herbs naturally. This method is suitable for Chinese herbs that are not suitable for long-term exposure to the sun, such as Chinese herbs that are rich in oil and volatile, and whole herbs and flowers that are easy to change color and deteriorate.
The most common Chinese medicinal herbs that are dried in the shade include patchouli, mint, spearmint, coltsfoot, rose, safflower, daphne, jujube kernel, cypress kernel, anemarrhena asphodeloides, bitter almond, Codonopsis pilosula, asparagus cochinchinensis, and hemp seed, as well as fruits such as mulberry.
As for the drying method, it is even simpler. It is just the name, drying, but depending on the origin of the medicinal materials, it will be dried by using a kang, a fire wall, or directly burning something. Commonly used ones include rhizomes and juicy fruits.
For example, rhubarb is a typical example. Too high a temperature will affect the quality of the medicine, while too low a temperature will result in incomplete drying. Another example is the royal chrysanthemum, which is a flower, and the drying temperature also requires a relatively precise one.
These are the methods for drying herbs.
And what do you think of the preparations we did before drying the clothes? "
Shen Jiaren thought for a moment and replied, "I think the difference in methods leads to the difference in tools. As for the rest, I haven't observed it, so I dare not say anything."
Doctor Qin nodded appreciatively and said, "Okay, you don't talk nonsense, that's good.
We are doctors, no, we are herbalists, so we are most likely to make mistakes. When we are unsure, we must never speak out, understand?"
Shen Jiaren nodded.
Doctor Qin, "In fact, the preparation work before drying is relatively simple. It can be said that it is based on the idea you just mentioned.
For example, when I choose a place to dry clothes, I have to consider the sunlight and whether it is ventilated in the shade, and make the decision based on daily observations and my own feelings.
Sometimes, even the drying tools and places have to be moved according to the movement of the sunlight.
For example, after I entered the warehouse, I took the things in my hand and checked and recorded them. This is to check the storage of Chinese herbal medicines and determine the time and frequency of drying according to the types and requirements of these herbs.
Of course, the drying time and frequency are up to you to decide whether to continue drying and the specific drying time based on the drying condition of the herbs.
Generally speaking, no matter what drying method is used, the drying time should not be too long or too short. If it is too short, the medicinal properties of the herbs will be affected, but if it is too long, the medicinal properties will be too much. Therefore, the drying time should be determined according to the condition of the herbs, and the turning during the drying process should also be determined according to the drying season and specific drying conditions.
Generally, they are turned over once a day to ensure that the herbs can be dried evenly.
Before drying, the herbs should also be checked, for example, whether the classification is accurate, whether they need to be washed, and whether there are impurities or some poor quality.
Before drying, dry the Chinese herbs in the sun for one to two hours to remove moisture and prepare for the subsequent drying work.
For example, if you look at my drying tools, you can see that the drying methods of spreading, hanging, scattering, tying, clamping and pressing are different according to the different medicinal materials.
These things, I just said them, you should also observe them carefully yourself.
For example, these that we are hanging today, you have to pay close attention to my movements and my drying techniques.
Of course, the technique is a matter of personal opinion.
But when I am turning and collecting the herbs, you must watch it yourself to see which ones I am turning, which ones I am collecting, and which ones I am leaving as they are.
Many times, it looks like the same thing from a distance or up close, with little change, but when you actually use it, you will find that there are still big differences.
In addition, if you are drying, preparing, or processing the ingredients before drying, you are not allowed to put anything on your hands.
Not only will it affect your judgment, I'm worried that you'll also add these to the medicinal materials.
After all, during the pre-drying and drying process, your hands need to constantly come into contact with the medicinal materials, so if there is something on your hands, it is easy to get that thing on the medicinal materials.
Of course, I won’t care if you don’t do it.
Normally, I don’t apply it on my body too much when I’m at work.
We are a storehouse of medicinal herbs, and we are filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs. For example, the scent you are smelling today is very strong.
If you are preparing medicinal herbs today in powdered form or easily absorbed dry leaves, they can easily absorb the smell on your body.
The eligibility of this medicinal material needs to be reconsidered."
Shen Jiaren smelled the scent on her body and quickly said sorry.
Doctor Qin said, "It's okay. I said this because you want to touch the medicinal materials. If you don't, I definitely won't ask you to do this.
When we get to know each other better, I will give you a guide and give you a targeted skin care product."
Shen Jiaren was very happy after hearing this. Wow, pure Chinese medicine, pure handmade, am I worthy of it?
Doctor Qin looked at Shen Jiaren's happy smile and said, "Don't think too much. Everyone has it. Everyone is good at different things. I just like to tinker with these.
However, to others, I would only say that it is for conditioning the body.”
Shen Jiaren, "Okay, okay, I can do anything. As long as I can become more beautiful and whiter, it's not a problem."
Doctor Qin laughed again, "What do you mean by becoming beautiful, what do you mean by becoming fair?
The real whiteness is skin as white as cream, which requires too many things, and I can’t achieve this recipe at the moment.”
Shen Jiaren, "Hmm? Why can't it be achieved?
You can say it, so why can’t you achieve it?”
Doctor Qin, "The loss of prescriptions is one thing, and the loss of medicinal materials is another."
Shen Jiaren was confused by what she heard and wanted to ask a few more questions when she saw Doctor Qin stand up and start turning over the medicinal herbs.
Seeing this, Shen Jiaren hurriedly followed and prepared to study carefully to see what the techniques and differences were.
Unexpectedly, since she stood up, Shen Jiaren couldn't rest until lunch.
Before eating, Doctor Qin asked Shen Jiaren to put a layer of gauze on the dried food.
Shen Jiaren was very curious, but Doctor Qin told her to be quick and prepare the food so that she could have a good lunch, so Shen Jiaren said nothing.
After the gauze was applied, Shen Jiaren went to the cafeteria to have lunch.
Shen Jiaren was so tired that she said something to Doctor Qin and took her lunch back to the dormitory to eat.
Unexpectedly, Shen Jiaren was so tired that she fell asleep without even eating.
After work in the afternoon, Shen Jiaren not only turned the sheets over and over again, but also began to gradually collect the medicinal materials.
After a whole day of moving in and out, climbing up and down, Shen Jiaren finally got to know the place properly.
Especially for some medicinal materials, such as those hung to dry with thin ropes or strings, because the leaves are relatively large, you need to pay attention to the neatness of the herbs when drying them, and be especially careful when turning and checking them.
During the process of laying and spreading, some medicinal materials need to be laid out one by one, while others can be laid out all at once and then slowly smoothed out.
All in all, at the end of the day, Shen Jiaren couldn't even lift her arm, let alone read.
Especially in the afternoon, all the drying tools that were moved out in the morning have to be moved back to the warehouse.
In fact, Shen Jiaren really wanted to ask one question, it would be fine to just collect the herbs, but why do they have to take away the tools as well? After all, they have to be dried tomorrow, so isn't it redundant to collect them now?
But Shen Jiaren did not dare to ask, because it was too obvious that she could not lift her arms, and she looked very tired. Dr. Qin already did much more work and moved more things than she did. It would be even worse if she delayed him from getting off work.
Shen Jiaren decided to keep it to herself for now and wait until Dr. Qin went to work tomorrow morning to talk about this matter.
In fact, it wasn’t that Shen Jiaren didn’t ask, but she was told on the first day she arrived not to disturb or interfere with other people’s work and going to and from get off work.
Especially when it comes to getting to and from get off work, don’t come too early and don’t leave too late.