How to Harvest & Use Aloe Vera Plants
Aloe vera is one of the most soothing gels you can use on your skin. It relieves the pain of sunburns, insect bites and minor scrapes and burns. By harvesting an aloe plant, you are giving yourself a fresh supply of aloe gel to use. If you keep your aloe plant healthy, you will have an abundant source of aloe gel to help heal many types of ailments for a long time to come.
Instructions
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Search out a large leaf that faces downward on your plant. This means it is ready to be harvested; the leaves that face up have not fully developed yet. Find a leaf that is thick and dark green, then make a small incision with your knife on the bottom of the leaf to separate it from the plant.
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Place the leaf in an upright position in your small container. It should be tilted at an angle so the dark red substance can drain out of the leaf. This is latex. If the leaf is small, there will not be very much latex. Allow at least fifteen minutes for this to completely drain.
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3
Lay the flat side of the leaf onto the cutting board and cut off the tip. Cut the leaf into thin slices, starting with the thickest end and working your way across to the thinnest end. After you have made your thin cuts from one end to the other, cut off the side layers of skin from each slice. Place the knife at a 45-degree angle to the cutting board and cut open the length of the leaf. Do this on both sides.
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Turn the curved part of the leaf upside down. The aloe gel is attached to this bottom part of the leaf. Gently scrape away the gel from the leaf and remove any excess bits of skin. The gel is ready for use. Any aloe you do not use should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for preservation.
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Apply the aloe gel topically if you have a sunburn, insect bite or rash. Most minor skin irritations can be soothed by aloe. Drink aloe juice as a source of essential vitamins and minerals and as an anti-inflammatory. Aloe vera juice provides vitamins A, C, E and B12, as well as calcium, zinc, iron and potassium. It also soothes the digestive tract to ease ulcerative colitis, heartburn and nausea.
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