Does anyone actually rinse off the dried Hibiscus prior to use? Says in the directions however I'm curious if anyone actually does it.
1484574
Interesting question,I never read the direction since I make this tea regularly. And no I never rinse the flowers first.
2050037
i never even considered a need for "washing", I guess because I automatically (not sure if correctly) trust dried fruit. i do rehydrate them for many hours in water, then dump the water, before use. If you are concerned, you might just dump the first water and do it again. I have never seen anything resembling dirt.
1824967
I do not do anything to the water before, but i have not left it in there for longer than a weekend camping either. I rinse it real good when i get home and let it air dry. I will bleach rinse them at the end of the season, and check them next year before i us them, if they are stinky next time i will bleach rinse again. Seems to work for me so far.
1539371
I belong to a CSA and a produce buying co-op, and sometimes we get things my family will not eat raw. I shred or blanch or slice and throw it in the excalibur. I love mine. I dry herbs on a low setting. I have also dried: onions (stinky while drying), chard, kale, shredded beets, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, shredded potatoes (cook first), celery, mushrooms, radishes (shred), sweet peppers, hot peppers, spinach, savoy cabbage, parsnips, lemon/lime/orange zest. I have not done garlic yet. I dry strawberries and bananas in bulk - 9 flats of strawberries and 120# of bananas in the last 2 months. I have 2 this size and a 4-tray, and they are used often. There is a great how-to site about "dehydrating to store" food. Do a search on that and you will find an amazing wealth of information.
1767607
I haven't cleaned mine. It appears a bit cloudy from the water. CLR would clean it but rinse it well to avoid chemicals back into your plants. Maybe try sea salt a bs a little water or something slightly crunchy to get an abrasive non-harmful cleanser?
1262099
If you rinse it right after use --- its easy as pie. Not sure what would happen if you let anything get dried on it though.
2160994
This has not been an issue I felt I needed to address.My opened bag resides in back of my modest pantry in its' original plastic bag.This particular bag has been open for a least 6 mos.As I live in Arizona,humidity is not a factor.When making my tea I simply grab a handful and place it in a quart pitcher of tap water and let it steep cold in my refrigerator. I prefer my hibiscus as cold tea. I have not been disappointed with the results.I do not remove the petals from the pitcher.I have even reused them after the first usage.
1142983
No problem. Wash by hand or in the dishwasher. Check for dried on residue if it's not washed right after use.
191774
I rinse mine out after use and then eventually it gets washed. I can honestly say no. Rank smells do not sit well with me when it comes to eating and drinking.
1612072
As long as you don't have fruit or vegetables that actually spoil in them (they won't keep them fresh forever) and there isn't a big mess in the bag, all you have to do it is rinse it out and turn it inside out to dry. Once dry, just turn it back outside in and it's ready to use again. I have noticed that by the 3rd use, the life of the vegetables or fruit is just a little bit shorter. But overall, I love these things!
1693704
I have never washed any grain before using it, but if your grain is animal grade and not food grade, you might want to do that... Then you will want to let it dry completely. I don't think damp grain would work well.
147954
I don't really let it dry! I rub it on the spots and then wash! It works really well and has removed stains I couldn't have gotten out any other eay! It is like a moist paste consistency. Good luck
2073364
I have on occasion, but I do prefer to hand wash. I fear that the dry cycle shorten it use if I intent to use it for years.
1957373
Maybe not getting it rinsed out completely. Try using less with natural products you don't need much
228223
No, it doesn't work. The way I have dried them is to turn them inside out as much as possible. I haven't been able to turn them completely inside out but I make sure the finger openings are open and not crushed shut, and then I just leave them on the shelf to air dry.
1278578
Trying to figure this out myself. I shook it every time I used it and still have thick sediment. What I'm doing now is adding a little water, stirring it with a skewer and storing it upside down. I still love the stuff but it is a hassle. I've read other product reviews and the complaint was it was watered down? So???
1578433
I just washed it out with dish washing detergent then let it dry. I put in the dish water. Lol I rinse it out first the swished it in the water. Idk