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| Cutting and drying |
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| After being harvested, the Rooibos are bound into bundles, which are then transported to the drying court. Here high speed cutting machines are used to cut the Rooibos into 2-6 mm lengths. The cut leaves are then fermented, a process which lends the tea its distinctive brick-red colour and aroma. Then the leaves are sundried for five to eight hours. The dried tea is then collected by machines, and eventually stored in bulk bags. |
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| Sifting and pasteurisation |
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| All Rooibos is sifted to clear it of coarser particles and tea dust,and also to ensure a uniformly cut length. After the product has been sifted, it is pasteurised with pressurised steam to eliminate unwanted bacteria, fungi, yeasts and moulds. After the pasteurisation, warm and dry air is blown over the Rooibos to ensure a stable moisture content before it is packed into 17 - 20 kg bulk bags. |
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| Packaging |
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Bulk Rooibos is exported in either 17-18 kg paper bags, or in 20 kg polypropylene bags. The paper bags can be palletised and shrink-wrapped, with a maximum of 50 bags per pallet. Apart from the African Dawn range, The Big Five Rooibos Company is also able to package other costumers' own brands.
The packaging facilities on the Estate offers a variety of options: tagless teabags, tag-and-string, loose tea, and many more. |
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