If you started growing Moringa trees within the last year, there’s a good chance that your trees have now shot up past you.
By now you probably feel like you’re drowning in a never-ending avalanche of Moringa leaves from the tall tree. What does that mean? It means it’s time to start making Moringa powder.
How to make Moringa Powder?
To make Moringa powder, you will first need to remove the branches and wash them. Then dry the branches, either by shade-drying them, sun-drying them, oven-drying them, or by using a dehydrator. Finally, strip the leaves from the branches and grind them into a powder. Then sift the powder and store it!
That’s the short answer. Let’s talk about how to do this, though.
Making Moringa Powder is awesome, but if you were looking for just more information on Moringa, you should read this article:
Step One: Harvesting the Branches
There are two main methods of harvesting the branches of the Moringa tree.
We tend to use the pre-harvest method during summer when the tree is in its growth spurt.
Then, a few days before winter hits us, we harvest the rest of the tree.
Pre-Harvest Method
We use the pre-harvest method when we only need a small amount of Moringa tree; when we’re collecting leaves for Moringa tea, or we’re gifting friends fresh moringa leaves. You need dried moringa to make moringa powder
Ready-to-Harvest Method
This is the method we use when we know the frost is about to hit, and/or when we want to harvest all remaining prized Moringa at once.
Grab your gardening shears, an ax, a saw, or any other cutting utensil fit for cutting down the Moringa tree.
Cut down the tree, starting from about 1 meter or 3 feet high. This will keep your tree bushier than normal.
If you accidentally cut down too much, don’t worry; Moringa is hardy, and it’ll grow again.
Our best results have always been when we leave at least a meter of trunk remaining, however.
Brush the leaves off with a cloth to get rid of any dust or bugs.
Step Two: Washing the Leaves
Many people skip this step, and even in the most pristine growing conditions are still going to have some risk of bacterial or pathogenic infection, either from the soil or municipal water from growing the moringa tree.
Blanching
You’ll need:
- A stove
- A pot of water
- A bowl of ice water
- A strainer/sieve
A lot of people avoid blanching because they’re worried that it’ll dramatically reduce the number of nutrients, antioxidants present, or essential amino acids in their fruits and veggies. Blanching’s not going to destroy the nutrient profile or cause much nutrient breakdown, even of water-soluble nutrients. Blanching will not sacrifice health benefits.
Fill a pot and start boiling water.
While the water boils, fill a large bowl with ice water.
Once the water is boiling in earnest, carefully immerse the branches inside. Let them boil for about 1 minute.
Then, using the strainer, pull the leaves out and immediately place them in the ice water.
Once the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and pat them as dry as you can.
Step Three: Drying the Leaves
There are multiple methods of drying Moringa leaves, each one with its pros and cons.
Shade-Drying the Leaves
You will need:
- Twine, yarn, or some other type of sturdy string
- A dark cool spot
- Somewhere to hang the branches, like a crossbeam
- Mosquito netting (optional)
Take 3-5 branches, and tie them together by the stems.
Make sure that the branches are fully secured; you’ll be hanging the bundles upside down, be careful with the small sticks, if they fall, you’ll need to repeat the washing process.
One at a time, tie each bundle to a horizontal beam.
I typically knot a foot-long piece of jute twine around the stem several times, wrap the other end of the jute around a crossbeam, and then tie it again two or three times for good measure.
If you are unable to individually tie several bundles up to dry upside down, you can also hang up a few yards of mosquito netting and lay the branches out in a single layer.
Your Moringa leaves will take about 3-4 days to shade dry.
Dry leaves will be brittle and papery to the touch.
Shade drying will minimize nutrient breakdown by sun-drying.
Sun-Drying the Moringa Leaves
You will need:
- Twine, yarn, or some other type of sturdy string
- A place to hang the leaves, such as a rail or a laundry line
Take 3-5 branches (3 if the branches are very dense with leaves, 5 if they aren’t), and tie them together by the stems. Again, make sure that each branch bundle is secured together, and that none will slip off if hung upside down.
One at a time, tie each bundle to a laundry line, or wherever else you’ve decided to hang the leaves. Make sure that each bundle is entirely secured.
In warm, dry weather, it typically takes about 2 days to sun-dry leaves. Once they’re brittle and delicate to the touch, you can then remove them.
Sun-drying typically results in the highest loss of nutrients due to direct sunlight, and you will only get good results if you sun-dry during periods of warm/hot and dry weather.
Dehydrating the Moringa Leaves with an Oven
You will need:
- An oven capable of maintaining a temperature below 200° F
- A drying tray
Preheat the oven to 150° F.
Carefully place the trays inside the oven. Do not close the oven door; keep it propped open at least 3-5 inches.
Moringa leaves typically take between 3-4 hours to dry in an oven.
Lower the temperature 10 degrees every hour, and keep lowering it until you reach a temperature of 120°. Once the leaves are brittle and crumble easily, they can be removed.
Dehydrating the Moringa Leaves with a Dehydrator
You will need:
- A dehydrator
- That’s about it
Make sure to layer your leaves in a single layer, and make sure there’s enough space above the tray for air to circulate.
The length of time to dehydrate will vary depending on your specific dehydrator, but you’ll probably find it pretty similar to the amount of time an oven would take. I normally find 3-4 hours to be the average.
Step Four: Stripping the Leaves
You will need:
- A large bowl or bag in which to place your Moringa leaves
Once your leaves are dry, stripping them from the branches is extremely simple: simply pinch one end of the branch between two fingers, and then squeeze your fingers down the branch.
Most, if not all, of the leaves should easily fall off.
Place the leaves in a bowl or bag for storage.
We’re nearing the final steps in our guide to making Moringa powder!
Step Five: Make the Moringa Powder
You will need:
Take your container of dried leaves and pour a few cupfuls into your blender. You’ll still get the best results if you don’t fill the blender past the halfway mark.
Turn your blender on, making sure to use a high setting. Blend the leaves for about 10-20 seconds.
You can also use a mortar & pestle.
Grind the Moringa powder as much as you can, and repeat as necessary.
Step Six: Strain the Moringa Powder
You will need:
- A strainer/sieve
- A large bowl
Straining the Moringa powder makes it taste better!
Grab a large bowl and a sieve, and slowly pour your powder through the strainer and into the bowl.
Shake the sieve as necessary in order to dislodge anything that gets stuck.
This step ensures that you end up with smoother powder, and also makes sure that any twigs that accidentally made their way into the mixture can easily be removed.
That’s it. The last step is just to store it.
Step Seven: Store The Moringa Powder
Unless you’ve only made enough Moringa powder to last you a day or two, you’ll probably want to store the rest of the Moringa leaf powder for future use.
Good news: as long as you store Moringa powder in a cool, dry area, the powder will keep for up to a year, without losing any health benefits.
The emphasis here is on the “cool, dry area.” Store your Moringa in airtight containers, or a vacuum sealer.
Mason jars work perfectly, but remember that not every Mason jar is made equal. These are my favorites, but feel free to do your research!
Lock in those health benefits from your Moringa Oleifera (Miracle Tree or Drumstick Tree)!
And that’s it. You’re done.
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