Walking home today I passed by a large amount of felled Aloe Vera out on the pavement for people to take. There was so much of it that along with sleeping child and several bags, I could only take a small carrier bags worth of the juicy stalks and leaves...
I was left grateful and wondering... how am I going to process this? I have never done that before, except once actually, now I come to think of it in a salve experiment that eventually went rancid (too much water content).
Usually I break off a small leaf and use it as I need it. I have never had to deal with so much before it goes to waste! So the discovery begins...
Aloe Vera Uses
This is definitely an abundant, widely available plant that is very useful for external use, especially for:
- Burns and sunburns
- Soothing rashes and skin irritations
- Insect bites and stings
- Moisturizer
- Treating acne and spots
- Preventing wrinkles and stretch marks
- Soothing eczema and psoriasis
- Shrinking warts
(For internal uses, find a good organic source)
How to Process Aloe Vera
What I have learned:
- You want the oldest, more potent leaves near the bottom of the plant
- Stand them in a container for 10 or so minutes to allow some of the juice to drain out naturally
- Lie the leaf down on a cutting board
- Slice off the ends and serrated edges
- Cut into vertical halves
- Use a spoon to lightly but firmly scoop out the mucilage and gel
- Blend it and add Vitamin E to preserve it a bit longer
- Place it in a dark glass jar in the refrigerator
Here goes...