The best time to pick Sophora japonica is from September to November when the fruits are ripe.
When the fruits are mature and nearly dry from September to November, knock them down or pick them. If it is too early, it will be immature; if it is too late, it will be gummy and difficult to dry. It is best to dry it in the sun to prevent freeze-drying, and do not turn it, otherwise it will change color. After drying, remove branches and impurities. Storage and maintenance: Sophora japonica rice, sophora japonica flowers, and sophora japonica horns are usually packed in sacks and stored in a dry, cool, ventilated, and dark place. The temperature is below 30℃ and the relative humidity is 65-75. Product safety moisture content is 9-14.
Introduction to Sophora japonica
Sophora japonica is the dried mature fruit of the legume Sophora japonica. Sophora japonica has a bitter taste and cold medicinal properties. Returns to the liver and large intestine meridians. The main components of Sophora japonica include flavonoids, triterpenes, alkaloids, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. Among them, flavonoids are the main active ingredients. The 2015 version stipulates that the content of sophoroside in dried sophora horn shall not be less than 4.0.
How to choose Huaijiao?
Huaijiao is mainly produced in Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and other places. Sophora japonica is yellow-green or yellow-brown in the shape of beads, with a wrinkled and rough surface, and one side of the dorsal suture is yellow. The texture is soft, dry and shrinks, and it is easy to break at the shrinkage point. The cross section is yellow-green and sticky. There are 1 to 6 kidney-shaped seeds in the Sophora japonica. The seeds are brown and black, hard in texture, smooth in surface, and have a gray-white round hilum on one side.
The pulp has a small smell and a bitter taste, and the seeds have a beany smell when chewed. Good Sophora japonica is yellow-green, long and fat, and has a plump texture. The characteristics of honey locust horn are similar to those of locust horn, with bright skin. The skin of good honey locust horns is bright and non-sticky, and the body is long and plump. Store in a ventilated, dry place and pay attention to prevent insects.