The entire process of goji berry harvesting

I. Core Principles of Goji Berry Harvesting
(1) "Three No-Harvesting" Standards
No Harvesting in Rain: Goji berries harvested on rainy days easily absorb excessive moisture, leading to mold growth inside the fruit and affecting quality.

No Harvesting with Morning Dew: Goji berries with morning dew contain too much moisture, which is unfavorable for subsequent drying processes and can lead to rot during processing.

No Harvesting When Immature: Immature goji berries whose stems have not fully turned red have lower nutritional and medicinal value. During harvesting, ensure the stems are red.

(2) Golden Harvesting Period
Seasonal Selection: Mid-summer to early autumn (July to September in the Northern Hemisphere), when goji berries reach peak maturity and are rich in nutrients.

Daily Optimal Time: After 10 AM each day (when dew has dried), as the fruit surface is free from excess moisture and suitable for harvesting.

II. Manual Harvesting Techniques (Premium Medicinal Grade)
(1) Tools
Bamboo Winnowing Basket: Used to hold harvested goji berries. The bamboo material provides good ventilation and prevents the berries from being squeezed or deformed.

Cotton Gloves: Prevent hand sweat from contaminating the goji berries, maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of the fruit.

(2) Harvesting Technique
Pinch the Fruit Stalk: Use the thumb and index finger to pinch the fruit stalk, gently lifting in the opposite direction to preserve the integrity of the fruit stem and avoid damaging the fruit.

Layer-by-Layer Harvesting: Harvest in the order of outside to inside, bottom to top, ensuring the harvesting process is uniform and efficient.

(3) Sorting
On-site Removal: Remove damaged fruits and unripe fruits at the harvesting site. Strictly grade the berries to ensure consistent quality of the harvested goji berries.

III. Mechanically Assisted Harvesting (Commercial Large-Scale)
(1) Vibration Harvesting Machine
Amplitude Control: Amplitude ≤3cm, reducing fruit skin breakage rate and avoiding quality deterioration caused by fruit damage.

Complementary Shade Nets: Harvested goji berries are caught by shade nets, preventing quality deterioration due to direct sunlight exposure.

(2) Color Sorting and Grading
Infrared Spectrum Identification: Using infrared spectroscopy technology to identify the maturity of goji berries. Fruits with sugar content ≥18% are classified as premium grade, ensuring excellent quality of harvested goji berries.

IV. Critical Post-Harvesting Connection
(1) 4-Hour Rule
Timely Processing: Harvested goji berries must enter the drying or dehydration process within 4 hours to prevent quality deterioration due to prolonged accumulation.

(2) Washing
Place the screened goji berries into a bubble washing machine, where the tumbling and surging of the bubbles will gradually remove the mud, dust, and residual pesticides from the surface of the goji berries. During the washing process, it is crucial to strictly control the water flow rate and washing time to avoid damaging the goji berries. Subsequently, a spray washing machine is used for a second rinse to ensure that every single goji berry is thoroughly cleaned.

Avoid Contact with Metal Containers: Metal containers easily cause oxidation reactions with the nutritional components in goji berries, reducing their quality.

These contents cover the entire process of goji berry harvesting, from core principles to specific harvesting techniques, to key post-processing steps, ensuring that every step from harvesting to processing meets high-quality requirements.