Visiting an Aloe Vera Plantation

Hurray! I'm back! My computer needed a major upgrade. My computer guru is a genuis, and consiquently, is much in demand! I had to be patient and wait in the queue for his services! My life used to function perfectly well without a computer, but now I have much basic information stored on it, like addresses and family birthdays; so I'm lost without it!

Since my last post, our local Gardening Club arranged a visit to the nearby Aloe Vera plantation. The thick fleshy outer leaves were being harvested. The 'baby' plants around the base are collected and planted for the next crop.

For reasons of hygene, the girls working on the aloe leaves worked in a glassed off area, and wore overalls, plastic aprons, caps, gloves and rubber boots. We were able to watch each step of the preparation process. The leaves were scrubbed individually. Then both ends were sliced off before being passed to the next cubicle. There, the side spines are trimmed off.

Next, the girls used VERY sharp knives to 'fillet' the leaves, to remove the inner jelly from the tough outer skins on either side. The knife was used towards the left hand, so I was glad the girls wore a protective metal chain-link glove to protect it! The aloe jelly is put into a plastic box ready to be sent to Germany, for processing into medicinal and beauty products. The trimmings of the leaves are not wasted! They are chopped up, and are returned as an organic mulch to fertilise the growing aloe plants!

We were invited to taste the aloe gel cut into cubes. I had heard of aloes being very bitter, so I expected it to be quite unpalatable! I was surprised! It was quite bland, more or less tasteless. However is not put on the market in this form. Many products are made with it. We were invited to taste the delightful fruit drinks that have excellent anti-oxydent effects. We could also buy the skin care products, and the leaves or plants. Visitors are welcome, and the website of the SantaVerde company is http://www.santaverde.es/