Aloe vera is a plant that predominantly grows in arid climates. The plant is popularly known for its health benefits such as healing of wounds and minor skin infections and many more. In fact, many commercial products on the market have aloe in it because of its wonderful properties on the skin and on overall health.
How to Store Aloe Vera
- Caring for an Aloe Vera plant is easy. In fact, its maintenance is very similar to other houseplants.
- Caring for an aloe leaf and its gel is another matter.
- With improper storage, the gel and the leaf can turn brown and dry up. When this happens, the Aloe is of no use.
- But why is Aloe Vera very important and useful as a house plant?
- It helps to heal wounds such as cuts and burns.
- It helps to heal skin conditions such as rashes and acne.
- It helps alleviate pain from a sun burn.
- It speeds up healing.
- It has wonderful moisturizer properties that work great on the skin and hair.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties.
- The plant grows easily and needs little maintenance.
- It helps to heal wounds such as cuts and burns.
- When talking about storage, this does not mean the whole plant.
- Storage is very important after harvesting the extracts or cutting and filleting of the aloe leaf.
- When storing aloe, it is important to know which parts of the aloe leaf and which to avoid.
- The rind or the outer layer of the aloe leaf can be used for composting.
- The yellow sap or the second layer from of the aloe leaf should be avoided at all costs because it can cause diarrhea as well as other problems when taken orally.
- The inner layers of the aloe leaf, the mucilage and the gel, are the most important parts of the aloe leaf.
- Once the aloe leaf is harvested, it should be processed and stored as soon as possible in a period of a couple of hours to avoid oxidation which spoils the aloe extracts.
Store Aloe Vera Leaf
- In storing both the aloe extract and the leaf, cold temperature is important.
- Storing the aloe extract and the leaf in the refrigerator can make it last longer for as long as a year.
- It is best to store aloe extract in a brown or dark container to block out light.
- Adding a drop of vitamin E, grapefruit seed extract, and citric acid powder can help discoloration of the aloe and make it last even longer.
- Only use glass or a plastic container that is food-safe.
- The whole leaf can be stored in the refrigerator and a small portion is cut only when it needs to be used. This keeps the extracts fresh.
- It is better to fillet the leaf rather than just squeezing aloe juice out from the relief. Filleting the leaf and scraping the gel or extracts yield a larger amount.
- Aloe vera is always best when used fresh.
I stored a leaf of my aloe in the fridge for a while and recently used it. I broke out in the worst allergic reaction I’ve ever had. I’ve only had a hive reaction to penicillin when I was a kid. This was major swelling welts and pain, only where I applied the aloe. It has happened over my face and eyes and legs. This has never happened before and I’ve been using aloe from my plant for about 5 years. I am wondering if anyone has any idea. I don’t know if it is because I kept the leaf in the fridge on a shelf? Does it spoil? Or grow some sort of mold that might cause the reaction. I’ve used it in many forms before. I just don’t want to accept the fact that I may have developed an allergy to the plant itself!
Usually aloe vera leaf is safe and it does not cause any allergy. However, in rare instances it is not predictable and a person may develop an allergy to this plant. Also as you said, the mold or some other allergic substance stuck on the leaf while in refrigerator may be the culprit. Since the allergy in places where you have used aloe, there is a possibility of some sort of contact allergy to aloe or to substance that may be with aloe leaf. Consult your physician to rule out any other cause. Avoid using aloe for a while, until you have ruled out aloe as the cause.
I have an aloe plant and would like to take few leaves (whole leafs without cutting any part of the leaf open) with me on a long flight. I will not be able to refrigerate it until 15 hours have past. Will the leaf last?
The leaf may retain its originality for few hours or couple of days without refrigeration. But it cannot be stored for long time without refrigeration. So after 15 hours when you reach your destination, try to wrap the leaves in plastic bag and then refrigerate.