How to win big with Moringa

Moringa powder processed from the leaves

Moringa leaf powder

The leaves after harvest should be stripped off the stems, washed, and dried in a shade (sunlight can destroy vitamin A). The dried leaves are made into a fine powder using a grinder and stored in an air-tight container. Vitamin A retention is enhanced if the leaves are blanched before drying. As a nutritional additive, two or three spoonfuls of the powder can be added to soups or sauces or put it in hot water and drink directly. Moringa leaf powder can be stored for up to six months when protected from light and humidity.

150 grams sells at Sh370. The powder can also be made into tablets and capsules. This is for direct intake as a supplement.

Moringa juice

Fresh leaves are crushed and pounded in a mortar with a small amount of water.

For larger production, a hammer mill is used to pound young moringa shoots (not more than 40 days old) together with little water (about one litre per 10kg of fresh material). Then it is filtered and diluted with water and sugar is added for taste.

Alternatively, a spoonful of more moringa leaf powder can be added to a litre of water. Then stirred together, strained and sugar is added. Juice or juice concentrate is stored in a refrigerator. In the market, 300ml is sold at Sh700.

Moringa oil

Moringa oil or Ben oil is obtained by pressing the seeds. The oil content of de-hulled seed (kernel) is about 42 per cent, which is yellow in colour. It can be used as a lubricant for fine machinery, it is also useful as a vegetable cooking oil.

The free fatty acid content varies from 0.5 to three per cent. Indian Ayurveda claims that moringa oil also possesses antitumor, antipyretic, antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities, and are being employed for the treatment of different ailments in the indigenous system of medicine, particularly in South Asia.

Moringa oil has tremendous cosmetic value and is used in body and hair care.

Moringa oil has been used in skin preparations and ointments. It has nourishing and emollient properties, making it an excellent massage oil due to the presence of palmitoleic, oleic, and linoleic acids, vitamins A and C and unsaturated fatty acid. 120ml goes for Sh750.

Moringa flavoured tea

Moringa can be flavoured and packaged into tea bags for intake. Common flavours are strawberry and peppermint flavoured tea bags. You can consider including some tea(chai) in the blend or pure moringa with the peppermint or strawberry blend.

Moringa seed cake

Moringa seed cake, also known as moringa oil cake is a byproduct of oil extraction from Moringa seeds. It is used as an organic fertiliser and as a natural water purification agent. Moringa seed cake is rich in Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Nitrogen, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Nickel. This helps improve soil fertility when used as a fertiliser.

Moringa honey

Moringa farmers can place beehives on their moringa plantations. Honey produced by bees that get nectar from moringa flowers is known to have medicinal properties that are associated with moringa.

Soups and shakes

Moringa can be mixed with other soup and shakes ingredients to create instant highly nutritious drinks.

Root preparations

The moringa tree has been called the "horseradish tree" because a similar-tasting condiment can be made from its pungent roots. Even when the plant is only 60 cm tall, it can be pulled up and the roots harvested.

The roots from young plants can also be dried and ground for use as a hot seasoning base with a flavour similar to horse radish.

A tasty hot sauce from the roots can also be prepared by cooking them in vinegar. The root bark (which contains two alkaloids as well as the toxic moringinine) must be scraped off. The interior flesh is pounded, then mixed with salt and vinegar.

However, it can be dangerous to consume the roots too often or in large amounts. Even when toxic root bark is removed, the flesh has been found to contain the alkaloid spirochin, a nerve paralysant.

Other products include Moringa Chips, Moringa Kernel Pepper Fry, Moringa bark oil, Moringa dhal, Moringa shampoo, Moringa soap, Moringa face cream, and Moringa soup mix.