IN THIS ARTICLE Equipment | Harvest | Prepare | Make | Store
Aloe Vera is a plant that has been used to treat health conditions for many years. The gel extracted from the Aloe Vera plant is used in creams, gels, ointments, drinks, and capsules. It is safe for most people to use Aloe Vera topically (on your skin) for minor care. Have you ever wondered how to make Aloe Vera Gel at home?
All you need to make Aloe Vera Gel at home is a sharp knife, a teaspoon, a medium bowl, a blender and some Aloe Vera leaves. It’s that simple.
Whether you use store bought leaves or you grow your own Aloe Vera, read on for my simple step-by-step instructions. You can also learn to grow your own Aloe Vera plants with the help of my article called, How to Grow Aloe Vera in a Pot or Container.
What Equipment Do I Need To Extract Aloe Vera Gel
The best thing about making Aloe Vera gel, is no special equipment is needed. The list below is everything you need and can be found in almost every kitchen.
- Gardening gloves (good quality gardening gloves)
- A sharp knife
- A teaspoon
- 2 medium sized bowls
- A strainer or sieve (I prefer the basket type)
- Cutting board (Chopping board)
- Ice cube trays
- Freezer bags or air tight container
- A blender or stick blender
How Do I Harvest Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is very easy to harvest. I like to wear gardening gloves to protect my fingers and hands from the spines on the leaves. Gloves aren’t essential though.
From a large healthy plant, remove only large thick leaves from the bottom of the plant. Cut each leaf with your sharp knife by slicing close to the stem. Be sure to leave enough leaves on the plant so it can remain healthy. We want to do this again next season.
How Do I Prepare Aloe Vera To Make Gel
Rinse each leaf with water to remove any dust or dirt, then stand each leaf, cut side down in your bowl. Put the bowl aside for 30 minutes. During this 30 minutes, your leaves will release a yellow colored sap. The sap is a type of latex and we don’t want it in our gel. Let it drain into your bowl.
Remove the leaves from your bowl and place them on your cutting board. Using your sharp knife, cut the leaves into sections about 4 inches (10 cm) long. Now run your sharp knife along each edge to cut off the sharp spines. Be very careful.
Using your sharp knife again, turn each section of leaf onto its side, an edge where you sliced away the spines. Now slice through the other side of the leaf so that you divide it in two (slice the the segment in half lengthwise). So that we end up with 2 halves of each leaf and the inside of the leaf exposed.
How To Extract Aloe Vera Gel
Take your second clean bowl and your teaspoon. Using your teaspoon on edge, scrape the gel out of the center of each leaf into the bowl. Go over each leaf 2 times, being careful not to get any green skin into your bowl. It takes a little effort to get all the gel from the leaves.
Clean and rinse your first bowl as we’ll need it again. Set the Aloe Vera skins aside for your compost.
How To Blend Aloe Vera Gel
Using your blender, pulse the Aloe Vera gel into a smooth liquid. It doesn’t take long to have it looking great. It’s done when it looks bubbly and white.
TIP Instead of using a bowl, try a jug with a handle. It makes the gel easy to pour.
Pour out the blended liquid through your strainer (sieve) into your cleaned first bowl. The strainer (sieve) will remove any lumps and green skin that found its way into the gel. You now have perfect fresh Aloe Vera Gel.
How To Store Aloe Vera Gel
Now that you have this wonderful fresh Aloe Vera Gel, how do you look after it until you need it? It’s actually very easy to store long term. Here are 2 methods I’ve used.
Method 1, freezing your gel. Pour your Aloe Vera Gel into an ice cube tray and put into the freezer. Leave it overnight until frozen solid. The next day, transfer cubes from your ice cube tray into a freezer bag. Write the date on the front of the bag so you know when they were first frozen. Return your bag to the freezer. Frozen, your Aloe Vera Gel will be good for at least 12 months.
TIP I prefer to use good quality freezer bags as they can be reused many times. This is my favorite brand.
Ziploc Gallon Food Storage Freezer Bags, Grip ‘n Seal Technology for Easier Grip, Open, and Close.
Pack includes 60 Ziploc brand Freezer Bags for food storage made of durable and long-lasting BPA-free plastic* *Product not formulated with BPA (Bisphenol A). Our triple system seal features an extended tab, new, easy grip texture and a double zipper.
Method 2, lemon juice. Take 1 quart (1 liter) of Aloe Vera Gel and mix in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir this so it’s well mixed. Transfer the gel to an airtight container, a Mason jar (preserving jar) is a good example, and place this in your refrigerator. This will last about 8 months.
How To Use Aloe Vera Gel
Your Aloe Vera Gel can be applied directly to your skin, this is true for most people. It will provide moisture, help minor cuts or wounds to heal, provide relief from sunburns, and also relief from skin irritations like insect bites. Aloe Vera Gel has been used like this for many years. For details about the risks of using Aloe Vera, the following link has an excellent summary, Is Aloe Vera Safe?
Conclusion
The benefits Aloe Vera brings are well known and have been used for many years. Whether you use store bought leaves or you grow your own Aloe Vera at home, you can make your own gel, it really is simple. Best of all, your gel has no additives, it’s nothing but the Gel.
Now that you’ve learned how to make Aloe Vera Gel, the next step is to learn how to use it. Write and tell me all about your experience.
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