Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

There was a lump, it was fluffed up, the leaf became brown and thin and stopped walking in the bowl, but immediately became a computer. This may not be the way the color is rendered.
Kneaded for about twenty minutes, though with a break of 10 minutes

[Lily]

Lily, Today I tried such a batch for the third time. After the freezer for 45 minutes without interruption, kneading, then you get what you need.

Lilya, apparently, the photo does not convey the real color. So everything is all right! 20 minutes is enough.

Natasha, but actually I made this tea from very young fireweed. But now the sheet has become more mature and rougher. You need to try how he will behave now and how much time he needs.

Luda still placed it, and indeed it was necessary, there was a munching ... look, it seems like enough ???

[niamka]

niamka, and you look how it is?

Luda placed it still, and indeed it was necessary, there was a munching

Lily, now you've got what you need! What is the right word for you - champing! Now I will use it.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, yes, now the sheet is rougher. The first time I tried to knead, I suffered for more than an hour, but this is without a freezer. And after freezing it is much better. But 45 minutes, no less, then it turns out thin and sticky, sticks together into a lump. Now I have two batches fermented. I want to try medium and deep fermentation. And tomorrow I will be easy.
Lily, yes, this one looks like what should come out.

[niamka]

niamkaNatasha, indeed, the freezer is our second assistant after the meat grinder. It's easier for a tea-maker to live with her.

[Ludmila]

LudmilaI really enjoyed freezing. And kneading is easier than twisting in a manual meat grinder. Now you need to store the container under the large sheet and storage space. All the same, it takes up a lot of space, but it is very beautiful both in dry form and in tea.

[lappl1]

I also kneaded after the freezer. and so do not knead!

Lily, now you've got what you need! What is the right word for you - champing! Now I will use it

lappl1, niamka, and after how long do you begin to dry the processed sheet?

The recipe has three options for light, medium and deep fermentation. There, the time is different, and drying is after fermentation.

[niamka]

niamka, so I wonder how much you ferment?

After the meat grinder, I fermented for 24 hours.

it is necessary to store a container under a large sheet and a storage place.

Natasha, it's good to pour this tea into 3-liter jars. And then they are under the bed or on the mezzanine. Or the closet, if available.

[Lily]

Lilyuntil a pleasant fruity aroma appears, when it becomes strongest. So I decided to try different games at different times today. One batch is 18 hours, the second is 24 hours. And tomorrow I will do 6 hours.

and after how long do you begin to dry the processed sheet?

I try not to ferment for more than 12 hours. Even leafy. I like this tea more. But this is a matter of taste. You need to try different ones and choose the best option for yourself.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, the trouble is that banks can still be found, but there is no storage room and there is no place at all.

I try not to ferment for more than 12 hours. Even leafy. I like this tea more. But this is a matter of taste. You need to try different things and choose the best option for yourself

So I also wanted to try different options, since there is such an opportunity.

[niamka]

until a pleasant fruity aroma appears, when it becomes strongest. So I decided to try different games at different times today. One batch is 18 hours, the second is 24 hours.And tomorrow I will do 6 hours.

niamka, Natasha, right! We smell, taste, choose the best option!

I sit in the bushes .. I read ... I want delicious tea ... a raspberry leaf is in the freezer ... not enough, but waiting in the wings and my readiness ... I think how to choose the time to ferment and dry it ... at home nobody, I'm at work, then on the run ... how can I get torn?

[AlenKa]

how to choose the time to pass the fermentation and dry ... no one at home, I'm at work, then on the run ... how can I burst?

AlenKa, do not be torn. It's that simple! In the evening you put the leaves to wither. In order not to stir them up endlessly, you wrap it tightly in a thick cloth (several old sheets, curtains or tablecloths made of natural fibers). Like this:

In the morning you quickly twist it in a meat grinder (get up 30 minutes earlier), put it on fermentation and go where you need to. And dry it in the evening.

[Vinokurova]

Vinokurova, raspberries do not need to ferment for a long time for 5-6 hours, but in the heat 5 is enough!

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, after the freezer wrap like this and that's it ?.
that is, in the evening I take out the leaves from the freezer, thaw it, roll it in a towel ... but what about the sausages ?. it seems that it was written that granules are poorly obtained from raspberries and currants (((crumble into dust ... although there are almost 600 pages in the subject, do not embrace the immensity in a short time
Or get up earlier, sausage sausages and put instead of a meat grinder for fermentation?

I would take it out in the morning and defrost it, after work, twist it and put it on fermentation at 18-00, after 6 hours - at night or at 24-00 I would put it on drying. I figured it out.
Do we wither after the freezer? it seems that you need to fill up the freezer, and then just defrost, twist or shake and ferment.

Maybe do it on the weekend. And then it will turn out to mess around all night. 6 hours is not a long fermentation, if it was longer, then it would be possible to guess somehow.

[AlenKa]

after the freezer wrap like this and that's it?

AlenKa, not ... Not like that. Once you have collected the leaves, immediately wrap them in a cloth. After the day (or night) has passed, unfold and you can act in 2 ways:
1. Throw the leaves in the freezer, and deal with them later, when it is convenient.
2. Immediately after filling in the fabric (early in the morning, for example), twist it in a meat grinder or twist the rolls, and then put it on fermentation.

it is written that granules are poorly obtained from raspberries and currants (((crumble into dust ... although there are almost 600 pages in the subject, do not grasp the immensity in a short time

Yes, bad! And you make them with an apple, pear, plum, strawberry or ivan tea. Then the granules will be strong and the tea tastes better than the mono version.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, I apologize for writing on the wrong topic ... it's just that all three are open for tea ...

Once you have collected the leaves, immediately wrap them in a cloth.

I did just that, wrapped them in several layers of gauze and put them in the car ... while I was driving, the raspberry leaves even withered a little ... at home I unfolded them, while tearing off the cuttings, they still faded ... I put them in a bag and put them. ..
Ludmila, but how much should you take for a mixture of strawberry leaves ?. about the same to keep the granules? or still try to roll raspberry sausages in the morning and put them on fermentation, and in the evening (it will take about 12 hours) to cut and dry them ... or take everything back to the dacha on weekends and sausage and dry there ...

[AlenKa]

wrapped in several layers of gauze

AlenKa, firstly, for wrapping it is better to take a thicker fabric, then the moisture is better absorbed. You can use terry towels, or a few old curtains, or sheets, or tablecloths. Gauze, it will still be thin. But this is for the future.

and how much do you need to take for a mixture of strawberry leaves ?. about the same to keep the granules?

You can have the same amount, or less or more. How much you take, you still get granules.

or still try to roll raspberry sausages in the morning and put on fermentation, and in the evening (this will take about 12 hours)

You can do that. Nothing that 12 o'clock.There will be time, you will make the fermentation less.

or take everything back to the dacha at the weekend and sausage and dry there ...

Oh, while the time comes to go to the dacha, you’ll already make tea. And in the country you can still do it. Believe me, there is never a lot of tea. The more you do, the better. So do now as you do, and there will be new tea at the dacha.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila,
well, let's decide ...
Luda, thank you very much for such detailed answers ... I read and understand that I not only want to do it, but I will do it without fail ... the most important thing is that I even have the confidence that it will turn out delicious tea ...

[AlenKa]

AlenKa, to your health! I am also sure that you will succeed! Good luck with this exciting activity!

[Tricia]

Tricia, Anastasia, can you please tell me how you get such thin tea leaves in the "Hair of the Italian Macho" tea? He won me over. Maybe it's how long it takes to knead the leaves? How much are you kneading?

[niamka]

niamkawhile Nastya is not in touch, I will answer. Nastya has already written about this. She collected very young leaves of fireweed in mid-May. They were still small and very soft. Therefore, they were kneaded to the "hairs". Now this is unlikely to be done, if only not from the very top leaves.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, Thank you. : rose: I remember now, because I read about it. Well, I'll try to twist one leaf at a time after fermentation, although I'm not sure if the patience will be enough.

[niamka]

I'll try to twist one leaf at a time after fermentation, although I'm not sure if the patience will be enough.

niamka, honey, do you need it? Do not suffer! Mix all the leaves together. There will be great tea!

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, I have already mixed a certain amount: medium fermentation large leaf in a pillowcase is drying. In the evening I will dry for 30 hours. And before that I made 3 liters. Two are gone, I gave them away. I love to experiment. Here's another bound tea haunts. It must be done in the near future, while you can still find relatively young shoots of Ivan-tea.

[Natasha]

Two are gone, I gave them out.

Natasha, well done! We make a lot of tea so that we can distribute most of it to good people.

I love to experiment. Here's another bound tea haunts.

And it is right! Experiment for health! And to find young shoots, make yourself a plantation of young Ivanushka, breaking off the stems at a height of 10-15 cm. New shoots in three to four weeks will give you a young fireweed.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, but can you store tea in a vacuum? .. pour it into a bag, pump out the air ... and seal it ... or in a can with a vacuum lock? ..

[AlenKa]

AlenKaLast year, Mistletoe tried it. But her acquaintances criticized her, summing up some theory under this method. Like it will interfere with dry fermentation. I haven't tried it myself, but Mistletoe gave it up. Better in simple jars with plastic and screw caps.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, thanks ... can you cans cans, cans, plastic, glass ?. any that are in stock?

[AlenKa]

AlenKaAnything, just not from under pickled cucumbers, so that the smell does not pass into tea later. And, of course, tight-fitting. And then you need to put them in a dark place.

[Luda]

And it is right! Experiment for health! And to find young shoots, make yourself a plantation of young Ivanushka, breaking off the stems at a height of 10-15 cm. New shoots in three to four weeks will give you a young fireweed.

Luda, thanks for the advice. I must do so when I go to the next. once to the village. The main thing is not to lose this plantation on the field later.

Natasha, you won’t lose, at the end of May I broke off the stalks of willow tea, I almost cried, it was a pity, but today I went to that place - there are huge, wide bushes with a lot of stems!

[Elena]

Elena, it's good! I wanted to dig up its roots in the fall and bake bread. I read that fireweed flour is a natural preservative, bread does not spoil with it. I wonder how much. And also try coffee from the roots. I tried roasted barley coffee. I liked it very much!

[Natasha]

I wanted to dig up its roots in the fall and try some bread. I read that fireweed flour is a natural preservative, bread does not spoil with it. I wonder how much. And also try coffee from the roots. I tried roasted barley coffee. I liked it very much!

Natasha, you try. But it seems to me that it is unrealistic to collect, peel and dry with the flour of the roots of fireweed. They are so thin!

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, thanks for the picture. I have not seen these roots. But we have a lot of fireweed. If you dig up, rinse from the well in the basin with a hose, I think it's real. Dry also on a coffee grinder. Sorry for the coffee grinder, really, but there is no mill.

[Natalia]

Natalia, forgot to clean? You also need to clean each spine. But you try, I will support you, but for now mentally! Last year, in the fall, I was going to collect roots, even went with a shovel. But she returned, because there was nothing to do with a shovel - there was no way to get to the ground. Such thickets! And the grass is a solid carpet. In general, it was cold, difficult, and I went home. I wanted to ask my husband for help, but he had 2 cars unloaded with firewood, so she didn't distract him. And when he was more or less free, there were the first frosts and it was impossible to dig the earth at all. So I was left without roots.

[Luda]

Ludamaybe I will also walk back and forth with a shovel. If you don't try, you won't know.

[Natalia]

Natalia, take a walk! Now you can still dig something there - the grass is not so dense and high. Maybe even take a crowbar with you. Come on, try it, and then tell it. Maybe I'll go as soon as I'm free.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, I read that the roots are harvested in the fall. And our land is not dense, clean sand, like on the beach.

[niamka]

Tricia, Anastasia, tell me, please, how do you get such thin tea leaves in the "Hair of Italian Macho" tea? He won me over. Maybe the point is how long it takes to knead the leaves? How much are you kneading?

niamka, Natasha, I apologize for being late with the answer - I come home late from work.
Yes, in the photo I have tea from the topmost leaves or from the gentle middle ones.
In fact, such tea can be obtained in the summer, if we return to the place where we collected ivanushka in late spring. Just on the broken off stems, a new young and dense growth will appear. Here from it and knead the tea leaves-strings. I don’t twist anything separately and I don’t advise you, because it will take a lot of effort and time. And the same result can be achieved by conventional kneading of the sheet. As you knead the dough with your hands, knead the sheet from edge to center. Until the release of juice when squeezing a lump and to well-moist (from juice) hands. And even a rather dense sheet "curls" into wavy "hairs". Another nuance: for a beautiful uniform black color of tea, it is advisable to remove the stems - they do not turn black, only turn brown (since they have no tannins, probably) and give an uneven color.
About fermentation: 8 and 12 hours was not enough for me - the herbal smell is present. But 24 hours, as it turned out, is very good. But our summer is not hot yet, and I am rather withering the leaf.
Lyudochka, thanks for helping with the answer!