How to Make Goji Berry Powder

Goji berry powder is a powerful food to benefit personal health and wellness. Here’s how to make it in your own home.

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One of the main benefits of growing food at home, is enjoying the wide variety of flavors that aren’t in the grocery store. Of course, there are many other reasons such as: health, sustainability, and preparedness.

We grow many unique varieties of fruits and vegetables like goji berries, golden raspberries, and jujubes to name a few. Our goji berry bush is providing us with quite the bounty now that it is a few years old.

So, I am always looking for new ways to preserve food here on our homestead, but some of the tried and true ways we preserve goji berries is by freeze drying them, dehydrating them, and making (my kid’s favorite) chocolate covered goji berries.

Grinding the freeze dried or dehydrated goji berries into powder is an efficient way to store them, especially for long term food storage.

When I pack food into Mylar Bags it is helpful to have as little air in the bag before sealing, so preserving a powder prevents spaces for the air to hide, which is how the article came about!

Tools you’ll need to make goji berry powder

• A home freeze dryer (this is the company we prefer) OR a dehydrator
• Food processor or rolling pin + freezer bag
• Air tight container (mason jar or Mylar Bags)
• Oxygen absorbers (for long term storage)

Dehydrated v freeze dried

Our favorite method for making goji berry powder is by using freeze dried goji berries. We make these ourselves with our at home freeze dryer. You might have a hard time getting your hands on whole freeze dried goji berries, since they are often sold as a powder. Most goji berry powders on the market are made from dehydrated goji berries. If you are wanting the most nutritional value opt for purchasing a freeze dried goji berry powder. Here is our favorite brand for freeze dried goji berry powder.

Ingredients you’ll need to make goji berry powder

The only ingredients you will need to make goji berry powder is goji berries! Keep in mind that there are other supplies listed above that you will need to store the powder.

How to make it by freeze drying

1. Start by cooling down the freeze dryer trays.
2. Put the fresh goji berries onto the tray.
3. Load the trays into the freeze dryer and press start.
4. After the freeze dryer has run a full cycle, check for dryness. The should be complexly light, crisp and not sticky.
5. Add a little more time, if needed.
6. Once the berries are completely dry, grind them up by using a food processor, coffee grinder, or use a rolling pin to crush the berries into a fine powder. (The rolling pin method really works best with freeze dried berries.)

Make it by dehydrating

1. Put the fresh berries on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. Dehydrate the berries on the lowest setting.
3. Grind the dehydrated berries using a food processor, coffee grinder, or use a rolling pin to crush the berries into a fine powder. (The rolling pin method really works best with freeze dried berries.)
4. Store in a mason jar or mylar bag in a cool dry place.
5. Use as needed!

How to store goji berry powder

Like most food, goji berry powder needs to be stored in a cool, dry, dark environment. Depending on how long you are storing it is how it should be packaged. If you are planning to use your powder within one year, a mason jar with an oxygen absorber is enough. To store it longer than one year, consider sealing into Mylar Bags with an oxygen absorber.

Goji berry powder tips

• The goji berries should be completely dry before turning them into powder. This will ensure that they do not stick together or mold.
• Try a few different drying methods to know which is your favorite
• Use an oxygen absorber in the jar, or mylar bag before putting it on the shelf. This will keep it fresh the longest!

Serving suggestions

Goji berries can be eaten all kinds of ways! Some common ways that you might enjoy using your goji berry powder are in:

• Yogurt
• Smoothies
• Trail mix
• Baked goods like cookies or muffins
• Oatmeal
• Desserts (like brownies!)
• Salad dressings
• Granola (this is THE BEST GRANOLA RECIPE!)

Commonly asked questions 

What are the benefits of goji berry powder?

Consuming goji berries is shown to prevent liver damage, improve sleep, stabilize blood sugar, promote healthy skin, protect against cancer, provide immune support, and even protect the eyes! According to medical news today.

What are the side effects of eating goji berries?

Goji berries do not usually cause any side effects, in healthy people. Eating goji berries daily is safe. Only rare side effects, such as allergic reactions and sensitivity to sunlight, in some people.

What does goji berry powder taste like?

Goji berry powder tastes like sweet minerals with molasses undertones. It goes great in smoothies, in oatmeal, or even made into a tea.

Can you powder goji berries?

Yes, powdering goji berries is as simple as grinding up freeze dried or dehydrated goji berries into a powder. Adding an oxygen absorber will keep them fresh.

How do you dry goji berries at home?

Yes! Freeze drying or dehydrating goji berries is the best way to dry them at home.

Is goji berry powder as good as goji berries?

Yes! Goji berry powder is made from the whole goji berry. Fresh goji berries have the most nutritional value, freeze dried goji berries (or powder) would come next, then freezing, then dehydrating.

How do you grind goji berries?

Goji berries can be ground using a food processor, coffee grinder, or even just a good old fashioned rolling pin and freezer bag.

You may also be interested in:

How to Grow Goji Berries and Why You Should

Handmade Chocolate Covered Goji Berries + Free Printable

How to Grow Chinese Red Dates

Dehydrator v. Freeze dryer

Harvest Right Freeze Dryer Review (Extremely Honest)

Basic Granola and Variations

Pantry Inventory List to Boost Food Security

Yield: n/a

Goji Berry Powder

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Goji berry powder is a powerful food to benefit personal health and wellness. Here's how to make it in your own home.

Ingredients

• Fresh, dehydrated, OR freeze dried goji berries

Instructions

How to make it by freeze drying

1. Start by cooling down the freeze dryer trays.
2. Put the fresh goji berries onto the tray.
3. Load the trays into the freeze dryer and press start.
4. After the freeze dryer has run a full cycle, check for dryness. The should be complexly light, crisp and not sticky.
5. If you have any question as to whether they are dry or not, add a little more time.
6. Once the berries are completely dry, grind them up by using a food processor, coffee grinder, or use a rolling pin to crush the berries into a fine powder. (The rolling pin method really works best with freeze dried berries.)

How to make it by dehydrating

1. Put the fresh berries on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. Dehydrate the berries on the lowest setting.
3. Once the berries are completely dry, grind them up by using a food processor, coffee grinder, or use a rolling pin to crush the berries into a fine powder. (The rolling pin method really works best with freeze dried berries.)
4. Store in a mason jar or mylar bag in a cool dry place.
5. Use as needed!

Notes

1. Make sure the goji berries are completely dry before turning them into powder. This will ensure that they do not stick together or mold.
2. Try a few different drying methods to know which is your favorite
3. Use an oxygen absorber in the jar, or mylar bag before putting it on the shelf. This will keep it fresh the longest!

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