Altey root packaging of 100 grams - 1 kg, Kharkiv region.

Altey belongs to to the Malvaceae family, which includes 85 genera, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics, and relatively few in temperate regions. About 12 species of plants that grow in the temperate zone of Europe and Asia belong to the genus Altea. Althea roots are harvested at the beginning of the growing season before the growth of the aerial part (March - May), and also in autumn, when the stems begin to dry. Excavated roots are cleaned of soil and washed in cold water, dried a little in the sun and cut into pieces up to 30 cm long, and thick roots are cut lengthwise into 2–3 parts; to obtain cleaned roots before drying, they peel off a series of surface layers. After that, the roots are dried in the shade, spread out in a thin layer, on nets, stretched cloths, in the open air in attics and in well-ventilated rooms. Raw materials are dried in dryers at a temperature not higher than 40° C.