Harvesting aloe gel from your own aloe vera plant isn’t as difficult as you might think. All you need is an aloe vera plant, which are easy to find and not very expensive at all. You can purchase them at many gardening centres or home improvement stores and can be kept as a houseplant or outside as part of your landscape
These plants are easy to maintain and can grow in any kind of environment. it is important to remember that they do really enjoy full sun, so wherever you do keep them make sure that they can get as much exposure as possible
When harvesting aloe gel, it is easier to start with a large leaf, at least a foot long. Harvesting from potted plants will obviously require a smaller leaf. You want your leaf to be dark green, but it may appear lighter if it’s dirty or waxy on the outside.
Step 1:
Once you cut the plant, allow the aloin to drain out by tilting it and letting it drip out. The gel will stay in place, so don’t worry about it falling out.
Step 2:
When the aloin is drained, rinse the outside of the leaf in the sink. Gloves can be used when harvesting a large amount of aloe, as the aloin can irritate the skin of some people.
Step 3:
If the leaf has any knots, cut that part off as it does not contain any of the clear aloe that you want.
Trim the pointed edges of the leaf off to make it easier to handle and get to the aloe gel inside.
Step 4:
Cutting the leaf in half is optional, but it does make harvesting easier to work with a smaller sample. Take one section of the leaf and work your knife into one end of it. Run your knife along the skin to separate it from the gel.
Step 5:
Continue to remove the skin as seen in the previous step. As you begin to remove the skin, you can see how transparent the aloe is.
Once you have the aloe out you can see how well it keeps it shape once removed from the leaf.
Step 6 (Optional):
For easier storage and future preparation of the aloe gel, you can cut it up into cubes.
Consuming aloe gel can help with some digestion problems such as Chron’s disease and constipation. Make sure to let the aloin drain before hand because it has a strong laxative effect and can cause diarrhea.
Healthy Skin and Happy Bowels
And there you have it, your very own aloe vera gel harvested at home! The gel can be eaten straight from the plant but it can be a little bitter. Try blending it into a fruit smoothie to get all of the benefits in a tasty treat.