Preserving Grains Using Neem Leaves(Indian Lilac)

Fresh Neem Leaves

Grains when kept for long time get infested with pests and thus get spoilt. To preserve them for long time instead of using the chemical preservatives available in market, it is advisable to use natural products. Neem is best naturally available pesticide, insecticide and germicide. Neem preserves the cereals and pulses (Rice ,wheat, any type of whole or broken pulses) without any side effect effect. So why use artificial preservatives for your grains when nature has provided you with natural preservative.

Material Required for Preserving  10 kg Grains:

• 300-400 Neem Leaves

Fresh Neem Leaves

• Thin cotton cloth (muslin cloth) 

Direction for Preserving Grains:

• Pluck fresh green Neem leaves and shade dry them. (It will take 5-6 days to shade dry Neem leaves during winters and 2-3 days during summers)

Neem leaves being shade dried

Shade dried Neem Leaves

• Keep approximately 100 dried leaves aside.

• Crush rest of the leaves to coarse powder.

Shade dried and crushed Neem leaves

• Make 5cm. x 5cm pouch of the cloth.

• Fill the cloth with coarse powder of dried Neem leaves.

Neem leaves pouch being made

• Stitch the open end of the pouch to seal it nicely.

• Make 5-6 pouches for 10 kg of grain.

Dreid Neem leaves pouch for Preserving grains and clothes

• Spread the dried Neem leaves kept aside on the bottom of the container and cover with cotton cloth or dry paper.

• Fill 1/4 grain in the container.

• Place two pouches at two corners of container on the grain and then fill half of the remaining grain in the container.

• Keep the remaining two pouches at the other two corners of the container and fill rest of the grain.

• Place the remaining two pouches on the top of the last layer of grain.

• Close the lid of the container, the grains will remain pest free for almost a year.

Tips:

•  Do not make the pouches synthetic cloth or plastic sheet because the essential oils of Neem which has anti pesticide effect will not be able to permeate in the grain.

• Do not dry under the sun because it will cause most of the essential oil to evaporate and the effectiveness of Neem will decrease.                                                              

Suggested Variations:

• Instead of making pouches shade dried leaves can be simply mixed with the grains and stored. But this causes hassle in cleaning before use.

Neem A Gift from God (Uses of Neem, Indian Lilac)

Neem with fruits

Neem tree is great gift of God to mankind. It's uses are vividly mentioned in Ayurveda and naturopathy.With the passage of time, paucity of time and modernization we have started to make less use of it. The essential oil present in Neem leaves give them germicidal, pesticide, anti-fungal insecticidal and many many other medicinal properties. I wish to share few benefits of Neem.

Neem can be used for:

• For preserving Clothes from silver fish.

• Preserving Grains.

http://housekeepingexpert.blogspot.com/2012/10/preserving-grains-using-neem.html

• For curing dandruff.

http://housekeepingexpert.blogspot.com/2012/10/natural-cure-for-dandruff-neem-dandruff.html

• For curing Lice infection. 

 http://housekeepingexpert.blogspot.com/2012/10/neem-cure-for-lice-and-dandruff-anti.html

• As germicidal,Pesticide and Insecticide in garden.

• As mouth wash.

• As face pack for glowing skin

• For curing prickly heat and other skin infections. 

For The Garden : -

• Pluck 50 - 60 Neem leaves , make a paste of them and add to a bucket full of water.
• Cover the bucket and keep it over night to mulch.
• Pass the mixture through a fine sieve . 
• Take the liquid in a sprayer and spray on the plants .
• Your plants and trees will not be afflicted with pests and if any fungal infection has come onthe plants and trees it will get cured
• Do not spray the Neem solution while the trees are just about to fruit.
• The best time to spray is when the fruiting season is about to start.(before the flowers of the tree have appeared). 
• Take the mulched solid collected on the sieve and mix it with soil of your garden/pots for potted plants.This will a natural manure as well as pesticide for the soil and will not harm the beneficial bacterias and worms ( earthworm which is very useful for the soil).

For Face Pack : -

• Puck tender Neem leaves Grind them to thick paste.
• Add a pinch of Turmeric powder,1/2 tea spoon of lemon juice, and 1 tea spoon of Besan(black gram powder).
• Mix nicely and apply to the face, neck and hands.
• Leave for 15 min.
• Remove using wet soft cloth and then wash the face, neck and hands with warm water.
• Do not use soap or any face wash that day,at least for 5-6 hrs.
• Using this face pack once in every 15 days will give you a glowing soft skin as it acts as defoliator, cures acnes, cures the tendency to have acne , pimples and boils.
• Use and see the change. Compliments from one and all will follow.

Neem as Mouth wash and protector of Teeth from decaying: -

• Those who suffer from foul breath and have to use mouth freshener every now or then or suck on mint again and again to get rid of the foul smell, Neem leaves are very good.
• Take 
• 4-5 Neem leaves and 
• 10-12 mint leaves.
• 1 Teaspoon coriander seeds,
• 2-3 cm. Cinnamon piece
• Grated rind of one lemon
• 200 ml. Water
• Boil till the water reduces to half.
• Cool and filter.
• Use this extract to rinse your mouth early in the morning and before going to bed.
• After a months foul smell will be gone for good!
• The water will taste bitter, then pills which cure are bitter , some times sugar coated.