Easy Aloe Prep

 Getting the gel out of the aloe leaves is really not a difficult task. Just time consuming and repetitive, if you are harvesting multiple plants instead of just one or two individual leaves.  

Step 1. Cut larger leaf from aloe, leaving the smaller ones to develop further. Wash any soil off. This leaf could have been a bit larger, but as this was from one of the whole plants that we harvested, this was actually one of the larger leaves on this plant. 

Check for resin in the leaf. This is done by allowing the leaf to stand upright for 10-15 minutes in a cup. The resin has a yellowish look to it and will drain out into the cup. The resin should be drained, as it contains latex, which can be an irritant.

  

 

Step 2. Cut off both ends of the aloe. You can either put these aside to use later or throw away.

 

Step 3. Remove the spines from each side of the leaf. While this may seem like an unnecessary step, since you will only be removing the gel, removal of the spines does two things......keeps you from stabbing your finger while stripping the leaf (the spines can get into fingers like a splinter), and makes it easier to filet the top off of the leaf.

Step 4. Remove the thin green skin from the top side of the aloe leaf. It is similar to filleting one side of a fish. If you have ever done that....you can easily do this. If not, it won't take long to catch on.

Step 5. After the thin green skin is removed, the gel is now exposed.

Step 6. Using a spoon or the edge of your knife (carefully, so that you don't dig into the skin underneath or cut yourself), pull the gel off of the aloe leaf. It should come off VERY easily, albeit maybe a little messy.

Step 7. The gel removed. Cut up into pieces and refrigerate until needed. If you want the gel more liquefied, you can put it in a blender or mash till liquefied. Because the fresh aloe can have a short shelf life in the fridge, you should only do as many leaves as you think you might use in a week. If, like I am, you are having to harvest entire plants, the gel can be frozen. I would use ice cube trays to do the initial freezing, then when frozen, remove from the trays, place the frozen cubes in a bag or container. Do this quickly, so that the pieces stay frozen. That way, you can go into the freezer and pull out only the pieces you need at the time.