Aloe vera is suitable for different uses: it can soothe sunburn, be used for hair and face masks and even added to various drinks for its therapeutic properties. Aloe leaves can be purchased at health food stores, or you can harvest them directly from the plant you keep around the house. Once you have collected the leaves you can cut them, peel them and freeze them to have aloe at hand whenever you need them, or you can mix them with honey and use them as a moisturizer for skin and hair.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Store the whole leaves
Step 1. Store a whole aloe leaf in the refrigerator for 4-5 days
Wrap it in cling film, making sure to cover the end that joined it to the plant. When you want to use it simply remove the foil and start the process of extracting the gel.
Use a permanent marker to mark the date on the foil so you can remember how much time you have left to use the leaf
Step 2. Freeze the aloe vera leaves to keep them longer
Take the leaf in question, place it in an anti-freeze bag and place it in the freezer. If you intend to eat it, remember that aloe maintains a good taste and a correct consistency if it is consumed within 6-8 months, although technically it can be kept in good condition even beyond this period of time.
For an additional measure of protection, you can decide to wrap the leaf in cling film before putting it in the freezer bag
Step 3. Thaw the aloe vera leaves by leaving them on the kitchen counter
Let them reach room temperature - this can take 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the leaf.
Never defrost them in the microwave, otherwise you will alter their consistency and drastically reduce the therapeutic properties of this plant
Method 2 of 3: Extract and Store the Gel
Step 1. Rinse the leaf with fresh water
Use a leaf you bought or cut from a plant you have in your home. Rinse it of any dirt or sticky residue on the leaf, then dry it with a sheet of absorbent paper.
If you are using a leaf detached from a plant you have at home, place it vertically inside a glass or jug for at least 15 minutes before proceeding. This will allow aloin (a yellowish-red liquid which, if ingested, can cause diarrhea and other stomach ailments) to escape from the plant
Step 2. Remove the top and bottom of the leaf
Use a clean cutting board and a sharp knife to remove both ends, including the one near where the leaf was attached to the rest of the plant. These parts generally do not contain a large amount of usable gel.
Be careful when handling the leaf not to cut yourself with the thorns on each side of it
Step 3. Remove the spines from the leaf
Place it with the flat side facing the cutting board, then remove the thorns by cutting with the knife along the entire length of the leaf, trying to remove as little pulp as possible.
Using a small, sharp knife will give you more control over the cut than with a chef's knife
Step 4. Peel the outer top and bottom of the leaf with a peeler
Keeping the leaf flat on the cutting board, take a potato peeler and start peeling it starting from the upper end. Proceed towards the lower end, completely removing the chopped peel, then turn the leaf over and repeat the process on the other side.
- Once the operation is complete, you should have completely removed the outer green part of the leaf and only the opaque gel in the center should remain.
- If there are traces of peel left that you can't remove with a peeler, use a knife to remove them.
- The aloe gel is sticky and slightly slimy: try to keep the hand holding the tool as dry as possible to prevent it from slipping off.
Step 5. Cut the gel into cubes
Make even cubes with the knife, being careful not to cut yourself. At this point you can decide to use aloe in the form you prefer: the cubes are excellent for use in smoothies or drinks.
You can leave the aloe cubes on the cutting board as you proceed with the operation, or you can arrange them in a small clean bowl
Step 6. Store fresh aloe gel in the refrigerator for up to 10 days
Place it in a clean airtight container and leave it in the fridge so you can use it from time to time for beauty products, drinks and smoothies, or as a sunburn treatment.
- Place a label on the container, to remind you how much time you have left to use the gel.
- When the gel approaches the 10-day deadline you can freeze what's left so it doesn't go to waste.
Step 7. If you intend to freeze it, store it in small airtight bags
Depending on how you intend to use aloe (as an addition to smoothies or drinks, for beauty products or as a treatment for sunburn), fill small airtight bags with a few handfuls of cubes.
- Sometimes it can happen that the gel loses a little color after being frozen: to prevent this from happening, you can add vitamin E.
- You can also lightly blend the aloe cubes for 30 seconds, then pour the mixture into an ice cube tray.
- Make sure you label the bag by writing a small description of the product inside and the date it was placed in the freezer.
Step 8. Store the aloe in the freezer for up to 8 months
The first time you place the bags in the freezer be careful not to put anything on top of them to prevent them from being crushed and freezing in strange shapes.
If you are freezing more than one bag, try not to compact many of them in a confined space: freezing they could stick to each other, making it difficult to extract a single bag at a time
Step 9. Thaw the aloe on the kitchen counter or use it still frozen
You can add a few cubes of aloe to a smoothie, defrost some and combine them with honey or coconut oil to make face and hair masks or, again, you can apply aloe on burns to accelerate healing. There are several ways to use aloe gel.
Never put aloe leaves in the microwave: it would change their consistency and reduce their benefits
Method 3 of 3: Combine Honey with Aloe
Step 1. Blend the aloe in the blender for 30 seconds
Use peeled aloe cubes from leaves you bought at the store or cut from a plant you had at home. Chop them in the blender until they reach a smooth consistency.
It is not necessary to blend the aloe, but it will make it easier to mix it with honey and give the mixture a softer consistency
Step 2. Measure the amount of aloe you have available
Use a kitchen scale or measuring cup to measure the amount of aloe you intend to use, then place it in a clean bowl.
If you are using a kitchen scale, you can simply place the bowl on it and measure the aloe inside it; in this way you will not dirty other containers
Step 3. Mix the aloe with an equal amount of honey
Use 100% natural raw honey, which can be purchased at a grocery store, and mix it with aloe with a spoon until you get a soft consistency.
- Honey is an excellent product to use for preserving aloe, because it does not have an expiration date: if used in the same quantity it greatly increases its shelf life.
- This is also a great method of storing raw aloe gel near maturity.
Step 4. Store the aloe-honey mixture in an airtight glass container for up to 3 years, keeping it in a cool, dry place
Make sure it is clean and dry before using it.
You can also divide the mixture into several glass jars and make gifts. Create a cute label and offer them together with other beauty products for an original spa kit
Step 5. Use the honey and aloe mixture on your face or as an addition to various drinks
You can use it to treat acne, on the hair as a moisturizing mask, as a sweetener in hot drinks or add it to your morning smoothie to sweeten it a little.
You can also use it in cakes: if there is honey in a recipe, simply replace it with this compound
Advice
- Add the lemon juice to the fresh aloe vera gel to make it last a little longer and give it a fresh and citrus scent.
- Aloe leaves can often be found at health food stores or you can buy a plant so you can pick up the gel whenever you want.
