Start your harvest before sunrise since the starches will still be held in the roots at that time.
Loppers can be purchased at any gardening store. Closing the loppers too fast could crack and damage the bamboo stalk, preventing it from regrowing.
Try pulling the shoot sideways with your hands first. They may be loose enough to pull by hand.
Fresh peeled bamboo only keeps for 1 to 2 days. You can cut the shoots to any size that is convenient for you.
Store the shoots in salted water for up to 5 days. Put the blanched shoots in a jar of salted water with ½ teaspoon (3 g) of salt per 1 cup (240 mL) of water. Label the date you prepared the bamboo and place the jar in the fridge. [7] X Research source You can also freeze the shoots in salted water to preserve them for longer.
Tap the stalks with a pen or your finger. Younger stalks will sound have a deeper noise while older bamboo will sound hollower and metallic. Look at the branches growing from the bamboo. Young bamboo will have only 1 or 2 branches growing and old bamboo will have many.
Hacksaws are available for purchase at hardware stores or online. Hacksaws are less flexible than regular saws and will make it easier to make a clean cut through the bamboo.
Wear gloves and safety glasses when you operate a chainsaw to protect yourself from debris. Cutting bamboo will dull the chain on the saw much faster than normal. Make sure you know which direction you intend for the bamboo to fall so that there is nothing in the way.
Bamboo that has been cut can grow back during the coming growing seasons.
Use caution when working with an open flame so you do not burn yourself. Wear gloves throughout the process since the bamboo stalks can get very hot. A gas grill or a charcoal grill will work fine for this process.
Heating the bamboo will also clean it of any blemishes.
Fold the towel in half to protect yourself from the heat.
Cured bamboo will be protected from fungi and insect infestation.
