Ginseng growing process
American ginseng growing wild and growing in the forest was collected by North American people in the 18th century, by the early 19th century there were more than a thousand American households growing ginseng in Wisconsin. Over the past 40 years, Wisconsin has become the largest ginseng growing region in North America.
Wisconsin people prepare to plant ginseng at the end of summer. The first is drying, then the seeds are incubated in the water channels to provide water for the seeds. Wisconsin ginseng seeds will sprout in late winter, when the snow melts, sunlight and air will gradually moisten the soil. In the spring, Wisconsin people have to spread canvas to shade the ginseng under the direct impact of the sun. This shading stimulates the natural growth of ginseng. It’s like they grow in a forest covered with large trees. Thanks to this shading, the right temperature and humidity are formed to create the characteristic flavor of Wisconsin ginseng.
After 9 months, the fruit of Wiconsin ginseng begins to ripen and is about to turn bright red. These ripe red ginsengs are hand-harvested and stored in a large barrel. This harvesting process involves washing the dried ginseng seeds and burying them in the sandy soil and next season they become seeds. This process took 18 months. When the seed germinates, the sowing process begins again.
The process of incubation and development of ginseng under careful care requires at least 3 years to produce large quality ginseng roots with the best high ginsenosides content in the world.
The process of harvesting and preserving
To harvest Wisconsin ginseng, it is necessary to first remove the cover, then use a hoe and harvest by hand. After harvesting, ginseng is stored in a cold room for 10-20 days.
After 10-20 days of storage, Wisconsin ginseng is brought out and washed with water and dried for 14 days under the supervision of experts. After drying, the moisture content of ginseng drops to 10-20%. The drying stage is an important step in the harvesting and processing process. This step must not be done too quickly or it will affect the sugar content of Wisconsin ginseng. Therefore, every step in the drying process of ginseng, experts have to pay close attention to be able to produce products that meet the standards and bring the characteristics of Wisconsin ginseng with a distinct taste “pre-bitter and post-sweet”. If drying is too fast or too slow, some of the characteristics of ginseng will be lost.