Storing - Storing coca leaves

[BeetleJuice]

Hiya, i thort about putting this is the cocaine section but this is more the botanical aspect of the plant so i thought ild put it in the etho section.

Anyway, iv recently been talking to my Mexican penpal, Pasqual and hes been wondering how long coca leave can be stored before they start to lose there potency? and what state the leaves should be in n the best method?

Since Pasqual doesent have a PC he cant find the information and iv checked for him but cant find nothing either.
Any help on the subject would be great.

thanks

[Benga]

properly dried coca leaves would hold for quite a while in an airtight container placed in the fridge.

Reputation Comments on this post:

to the point, answers the question clearly

[NovoAndina]

Originally Posted by Benga

properly dried coca leaves would hold for quite a while in an airtight container placed in the fridge.

When coca is placed in the refrigerator can turn grey, dull and bitter!
There is a proper way to cure coca leaves, method used by the Aymara in Bolivia that keeps coca leaves fresh and moist for over 2 months and it is very hard to diffirenciate properly stored coca from fresh coca.

When coca is exposed to sun it turns yellow or brown and bitter.

Saran coated air tight bag, air out to avoid oxidation, in a dark place inside your pantry, room temperature is the easiest option.

NovoAndina added 5 Minutes and 49 Seconds later...

Originally Posted by Benga

swim just wanted to point out that most "fresh coca leaves", as sold in andean markets, or elsewhere, are actually sun dried after harvest. Otherwise rot related problems and fermentation occurs... which is what swim meant by "properly dried". It's very much like green tea, fresh green tea is nonetheless dried.

cheers

b

Sun dried coca leaves give you an oxidized leave that actually has a grassy flavor. When coca flour is exposed to oxygen can easily become compromised. Oxidized coca flour has a distinctive bitter smell and a dull yellowish and even grayish green colour. Fresh , High grade coca flour and coca teas are bright green or amber-green, airtight bags are used to keep the product fresh longer.

The drying process of coca is basically an art! the idea is to get rid of moister that can cause fungus or bacteria but do not compromise the integrity of the leaves. The dehydration process is slow and tedious but worth the time to get a premium coca tea or flour

[BeetleJuice]

Thanks for the reply Benga, ill let pasqual know

[pabel_giboon]

Fresh coca leaves (the only choice for a soft, pleasant chewing), are usually stored on a ziplock or any sealed bag in the fridge for months. People does it with no noticeable loss of freshness nor power on it.

[Benga]

Originally Posted by pabel_giboon

Fresh coca leaves (the only choice for a soft, pleasant chewing), .

swim just wanted to point out that most "fresh coca leaves", as sold in andean markets, or elsewhere, are actually sun dried after harvest. Otherwise rot related problems and fermentation occurs... which is what swim meant by "properly dried". It's very much like green tea, fresh green tea is nonetheless dried.

cheers

b

[Lehendakari]

Hello, can anyone clear this out? Sun drying and airtight container then? What about freezing fresh leaves?

[swiyer]

Dry them first or swiy will most likely encounter mould at some point.

If they are frozen fresh and wet, one would think the leaf would be extremely damaged when it is defrosted again. Think about it, the plant cells will be broken etc when frozen. Deteriorating the quality of the leaf.

Dry then freeze for maximum keep time.

[Lehendakari]

These are some tips SWIM got from other place:

Leaves must be dried completely or mold will ruin them. Air dry them in a sunny location or under a heat lamp for at least a day, or until completely dry. Put them in a dry room for further drying. After that, store in a paper bag. The alkaloids last about a year. You could also store them in a vacuum pack plastic bag removing all the air and putting it in the freezer for storage.