Because lotus seeds bloom early and late, it is necessary to collect them in batches. Lotus seeds should be harvested seasonally, not too early or too late. Premature harvesting, lotus seeds are still tender, large moisture content, easy to dry after drying, and have poor quality and low output value; late harvesting, on the one hand, the lotus seeds are easily blown by the wind and shaken into the water, and then cause loss; another On the one hand, the peel of the lotus seed becomes hard and it is not easy to peel. The appearance of lotus seed harvesting is that the lotus root appears turquoise, the lotus holes are open, the edges are black, the peel of the lotus seed appears grayish yellow or grayish brown, and the seeds are full.

The lotus seeds mature in batches . The first lotus seeds are generally harvested in July in the Yangtze River Basin . Because the fruits harvested at this time are mature in the weather of Huangmei , they are called " plums " , also known as " million " . As the first batch of lotus seeds , so-called " early seeds " and " reporters " plums generally reach harvesting maturity within 30 to 40 days after flowering . Due to the higher temperature at this time , the lotus seeds mature quickly , generally every 2 ~ The lotus seeds harvested from August to September are harvested once every 3 days . The fruit is mature in Futian , . So it is called Fuzi , also known as " Fulian " .

Fuzi generally arrives at 30 to 35 days after flowering and matures . Due to exposure to sunlight , the color of the lotus flower is dark . Fuzi matures quickly in hot and dry conditions , . So it should be harvested every 2 to 3 days . Fuzi grains are large and full , with good quality and high output value . Their output value accounts for 65% ~ 70% of the total output value of lotus seeds . The lotus seeds harvested from late September to October have matured fruits of autumn , . So they are called " autumn seeds " , also known as " autumn lotus " . During the maturity of Qiuzi , the temperature is relatively low , and the sun is not so strong . The lotus canopy is not easy to black . It only needs to become turquoise , the lotus holes are open , and the edges are slightly black to harvest . Qiuzi matures slowly and can be harvested once every 5-7 days . Qiuzi is small in size and slightly inferior in quality , and the output value generally accounts for 20% to 30% of the total output value .

When harvesting lotus seeds, you can open a road every 2 to 3 meters. Each harvest is carried out along the same road. Pick the lotus tent by hand, or use a small hook with a handle to hook the lotus tent. Take it to the field and peel the lotus seeds. When harvesting deep-water lotus, when the water level reaches 70 ~ 80 cm, the boat must be harvested. During harvesting, one person slowly walked on the stern of the boat, and one person stood at the front of the boat and hooked the shower with a small hook with a handle. The cultivation conditions of deep water lotus seeds are inferior to that of shallow water lotus, so the output value is generally not as high as that of shallow water lotus, and the quality is generally lower than that of shallow water lotus.

After harvesting , the lotus seeds should be taken out as soon as possible , and spread thinly on the ground to be exposed to the sun . Flip up and down 2 or 3 times a day for about 5 to 7 days . When the lotus seeds can get out of the shell , it is dry . The dried lotus seeds are called dried lotus , and the dried lotus can be stored in sacks . The specific method is : take a few sacks and dry them , and then put the dried lotus in a sack and store in a cool place . In the dry place , place a layer of 20 cms thick dry husk , and then put on linoleum and reed mats to prevent moisture , and avoid rain and snow in the storage process , . So it can be stored for a long time .

After the lotus seeds are shelled , peeled , and the heart is removed , the remaining lotus meat is called hyacinth lotus seeds . Hyacinth lotus seeds simply absorb moisture and mold and worms during storage . Therefore , care should be taken to store them in a low-temperature , ventilated and dry environment . For a small amount of storage , you can use 2 kgs of dried spicy yarrow for every 50 kg of dried macaroni , pad it in the lower part of the container , and then put it in the lotus seed and seal it , . So it can be stored until the next year . A large amount of non-rotating storage can be stored in sacks and other cold storage .