Kratom, also known as Mitragyna speciosa, refers to the ground, dried leaves of the kratom tree. This tree is indigenous to Southeast Asia, particularly the island nations of modern-day Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia. Kratom trees bear leaves throughout the year as tropical evergreens.
People across the globe – in other words, all kratom consumers who do not live in Southeast Asia – use either powdered or crushed leaves. Both are fully dried prior to using them.
Why are kratom leaves dried? Can’t they dry out on their own?
Government agencies, scientists, and sensical people around the world agree that the presence of moisture is a direct precursor to the formation of mold. As such, kratom leaves must be fully dried ss part of processing the leaves.
As you might imagine, kratom should be kept dry as part of a proper storage process. This isn’t the only thing you need to keep in mind about storing your kratom at home.
Here are a few tips, tricks, and guidelines you should follow in your kratom-storing efforts.
Always, always, always shoot for the dark
UV degradation and photodegradation are the two major means by which substances lose their potency and even break down into different substances than what was originally stored improperly in the first place.
You’ve probably heard that storing just about anything in direct – or even indirect, for that matter – sunlight or artificial light. While every substance degrades differently, it’s safe to assume that storing kratom in an illuminated area will both decrease its potency and its shelf life.
Keep air out of containers of kratom before you store them
Whether you’re storing a Green Malaysian or Red Vein Thai kratom variety, you should always remove as much air as possible from both powdered and crushed leaf kratom you’re storing. Air has been proven to cause substances like tea and coffee to lose their potency.
The last time you purchased coffee, and went down the aisle at your local supermarket, did you see any vacuum-sealed “bricks” of coffee? Coffee companies know their coffee is fresher for longer periods of time when the air is sucked out of ready-to-sell coffee.
The point of that tangent was to stress how much air can impact your kratom. So use a food-grade vacuum sealer to make sure all the air is out of your most recent kratom buy. Maybe even consider heat-sealing kratom into jars in the same manner that jellies and jams are to ensure that your product is completely devoid of air.
Say “goodbye” to storage spaces that are exposed to heat
Many people store their spices directly above their stovetop ovens. While this makes cooking more convenient, such spices – kratom can be included as a spice or herb for this explanation – are guaranteed to not last as long as their cooler-stored counterparts.
It’s a bad idea to actually store spices in a wet, cool place – take coolers, for example. Rather, place your airtight-sealed kratom in an area that is not exposed to heat.
Cabinets that aren’t often exposed to light, pull-out drawers, wine cellars, the spaces underneath beds, and other similar locations are all prime locations to store your kratom at home without risking a loss of potency, a manifestation of mold, or another detrimental, unwanted outcome.
Thank you for the great range of information in these posts!