equipment for placenta encapsulation services

[mrslifeofreilly]

I'm bummed to hear that it is a requirement of PBi to do it at the mom's house. That just isn't practical or cost effective for me right now with two little kids.

I ordered the book Placenta: A Gift of Life, hoping it will have some good info on encapsulation and I think I may get some advice from a local midwife that offers it also.

So as far as sanitation/health goes, what are the most important things to be aware of when choosing equipment. In post earlier about dehydrators Brie had some good info for thought on considering sanitation when picking things out.

1. I think a knife is pretty straightforward and easy to sanitize. I'm assuming you have a dedicated 'placenta' knife and not just one you happen to have in your kitchen drawer at home?

2. Pot for steaming and steamer pot or basket - both are usually made out of SS, so again, I'd think easy to sanitize. Since the pot underneath doesn't actually come in contact with the placenta, do you have a separate placenta steaming pot, or just one from your house?

3. cutting board - here's where I'm stumped. I've only seen wooden (yuck) or plastic cutting boards. yes, plastic ones can be bleached but I know they usually get lots of knife knicks in them and I'm guessing that could be an issue? Do you use a new one for each placenta? I can find the thin ones locally for about $3 each, so replacing each time would be an option.

4. grinder or mortar and pestal. I remember several of you said you used little electric coffee grinders - how do you make sure they are sanitized well (if you don't have a dishwasher)? Also, I'm still torn on the grinder vs mortar and pestal given that I read something about an electric grinder affecting the energy of the placenta in TCM.

[Brie+3]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrslifeofreilly 1. I think a knife is pretty straightforward and easy to sanitize. I'm assuming you have a dedicated 'placenta' knife and not just one you happen to have in your kitchen drawer at home?

I have a dedicated placenta knife. Something to keep in mind, it's just like cutting any other meat and can become dull over time, so think about how you intend to sharpen the knife as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrslifeofreilly 2. Pot for steaming and steamer pot or basket - both are usually made out of SS, so again, I'd think easy to sanitize. Since the pot underneath doesn't actually come in contact with the placenta, do you have a separate placenta steaming pot, or just one from your house?

Don't use a vegetable basket. It's SUPER annoying to clean! That said I have dedicated pots because there is some build up that happens along the sides of the bottom pot, and that build up can be thrown into the dehydrator and used.
This is the type I use (the one I purchased from BedBathAndBeyond, came with the sauce pan, it's just not listed on their web page)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrslifeofreilly 3. cutting board - here's where I'm stumped. I've only seen wooden (yuck) or plastic cutting boards. yes, plastic ones can be bleached but I know they usually get lots of knife knicks in them and I'm guessing that could be an issue? Do you use a new one for each placenta? I can find the thin ones locally for about $3 each, so replacing each time would be an option.

I have dedicated thick paper cutting boards from daydots. I use one for each placenta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrslifeofreilly 4. grinder or mortar and pestal. I remember several of you said you used little electric coffee grinders - how do you make sure they are sanitized well (if you don't have a dishwasher)? Also, I'm still torn on the grinder vs mortar and pestal given that I read something about an electric grinder affecting the energy of the placenta in TCM.

I actually found the mortar and pestle harder to clean not to mention it took forever to grind one placenta and it was so heavy to lug around. Over 1 hour vs under 5 minutes! The switch was clear!
The thing to look for in a grinder is that all the pieces can come apart and go into the dish washer; which is why I just forked out the money for a magic bullet, the blades unscrewed and came apart to be washed.

[mrslifeofreilly]

Ok, so we don't have a dishwasher. I was planning to spray everything down with a bleach solution first, then wash in hot soapy water, then I could boil things too. Good enough?

[raeben]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrslifeofreilly Ok, so we don't have a dishwasher. I was planning to spray everything down with a bleach solution first, then wash in hot soapy water, then I could boil things too. Good enough?

hot soapy water first with a scrub brush, rinse, then cold water/bleach soak. boiling or dishwasher is just bonus.

[TO Doula]

I have separate everything. I'm not particularly squeamish about using household stuff for this, but I'm not the only one in my household, you know? It also means I can have it all set aside and take with if someone wants it done in their home. I bought a synthetic cutting board that had a commercial food prep-approved kind of sticker on it. (Oddly enough, wood is actually safer than standard nylon cutting boards.) I also bought a Cuisinart spice grinder that has a removable, dishwasher-safe cup and blade system - I linked it in another post.

All parts of your steamer need to be cleanable. The placenta itself only comes in contact with the upper pot, but the water and steam are carrying placenta particles - and presumably cooties - all over. So, the water pot, the steamer insert and the lid all require attention. I'm also wearing an apron(!) so I don't have to worry about blood or bleach spots.

I'm washing as Raeben describes: hot, soapy water, rinse, brief soak in bleach solution. I *hate* chlorine bleach, but it seems to be recommended in this situation. I'm following the washing techniques in the City of Toronto food handlers cert guide (it's google-able). Raeben was talking about a three-sink setup - that would certainly be easiest, but you can also use a basin with bleach water for the soaking stage, or just fill up the sink you did the rinsing in with water and bleach after the rinsing part is done. Air dry.

Since I'm preparing a grab-and-go bin of stuff I also have oven mitts and dishwashing gloves in there, parchment paper for the dehydrator, a couple of plates for filling the capsules on (paper plates would work well for that). Knowing myself, this will make it easier for doing at home, too, since I won't be digging around for things I need half way through.