I cut mine fresh and then heat treated it two ways. For the smaller poles I treated them in my gas grill with a huge industrial cookie sheet to protect from the flame. You must pop all the culms first or your tubes will explode. for the large tubes I heat treated with a hand torch like for plumbing. it will get bright green then turn golden brown and very sticky. the moisture will literally pour out of the end in steam and drips. after that I air dry for about 2 to 3 months so 8 weeks minumum to complete the process. you can search google for more accurate description and temperatures.