Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

Yes, and after the refrigerator, you can continue to wither further, and how much ivan tea can be in the refrigerator?

[vestitoleg1]

vestitoleg1, Oleg, we are neighbors, I am in the Vladimir region, so we have the same fireweed. I have enough for him to wither for 6-8 hours, but this is the second floor of the house, it is always warm there. The layer is small, no more than 1.5 - 2 cm. And yesterday I wilted strawberries and stoneberries in parallel with fireweed. The leaves are thin, so they were ready in 5 hours, I had to wrap them in a sheet. It is better to stretch the leaf layer thinner, then you can stir it less often. And in the freezer, any leaves can lie as long as you want.

Who can tell if this plant is Ivanchai?

Definitely NO)))

[vestitoleg1]

and after the refrigerator, you can continue to wither further, and how much ivan tea can be in the refrigerator?

vestitoleg1, in the recipe I wrote about it - only after the end of withering for 1 - 2 days in a refrigerator... Please note that in the refrigerator, not in the freezer. But if in the freezer, then for a long time. But I do not advise freezing fireweed now. Only in August can it be frozen when the leaves are coarse and less juicy. And now they have a lot of juice. The result is too wet mass, which will negatively affect fermentation.

[lappl1]

lappl1, dried the tea in the oven and the granules were completely dry (it was already too late and left the sheets to cool in the oven with the door open) - isn't it good to eat? And there is no point in air drying now?

[Amasar]

Amasar, Andrei, the main thing is not to dry out. You can also leave in the oven. I do this sometimes, but I don't finish drying it completely. Maybe you don't need to air dry. Break the pellet. if it breaks, then the tea is already dry. If it crumbles or crushes slightly, then the tea is raw.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, and if the tea is dry, then what? Irretrievably flawed?

[Radushka]

Radushka, yes, it will be tasteless.

Good day!
I want to consult, I make tea for the first year,
Party one. The night dried up, naturally did not stir, a layer of 4-5 cm, temperature 20-22g, then rolled up rolls, thick (took a handful and rolled them on the table) there was little juice, folded, a layer of about 10 cm, covered with a damp towel, on top a three-liter jar of water fermentation lasted 6 hours, I have a problem with smells, I didn't smell it, cut it, the dryer in the Veterok dryer is 70 g, (on the first pages I read that it can be dried there, I had to read on ...), it turned out, as I understand it , something like green, brewed crumbs, my husband said it smells like a bathhouse, as for me, it smells like haymaking .... To Junk?
Part two. I've already read it. The night was drying, stirring up three times, the layer is the same and temp. As in the first. The sheet did not crunch, the lump was kept, kneaded in a bowl like dough and washed like linen, with squeezing, the sheet darkened, the smell is pleasant, I wound the rolls cut, (this way the volume is less) a layer of 6-7 cm, a damp cloth, oppression, and for 16 hours, in the process it smelled of bananas and something else. I decided to dry in a pan, there is no oven, electric stove. Warmed up to max. Poured a layer of 1.5 cm often interfered, 3-5 minutes, the first obvious moisture left, then into the pallet and onto the dryer, Brewed it .... Tart, with bitterness, and smells like something burnt. TO Junk?
Third party. The beginning was like the second one, only after drying it was put into the freezer, there was no time, it was kneading in a basin, much easier than just dried and faster, rolled, cut, under oppression, and for 12 hours, dried already in a medium-heated (3) frying pan for 10 minutes, then from the dryer. It seems to have worked! !!!!! The color of the brew is dark brown, the taste is sour, so it should be ??
The color of the dried tea was neither in the second nor in the third case black, but rather dark green-brown. There was only a fine grate on the meat grinder, dust was obtained. Yes, the temperature during fermentation is 20-25 (evening-night), I wrapped the saucepans with a blanket.
And another question, when the leaf is dried, should it smell? Smells like a floral-fruity something, from breaking leaves to drying for 10 minutes, grows behind the house, dried at home in a large ventilated room

[YulikaSo]

YulikaSo, Yulia, Hello!
I liked very much how you described the process. It is immediately clear what and how they did it.
Well, first of all, you don't need to throw anything away. You read in the recipe that you need to give it at least a month for dry fermentation. Better than 2 - 3.
Secondly, a frying pan is not the best option for tea, especially with drying on an electric stove. Email it is difficult for the oven to heat the pan evenly. And if it has warmed up, then it is difficult to drastically reduce the heating. It would be better on gas. But I'll tell you about my experience. I never once liked pan-dried tea. You need to dry it in small portions, and it takes so long. But there are girls who dry only in a pan. And they like the result. Apparently, you need to adapt. I didn’t succeed. Another question - is the frying pan thick? If not, then it won't do the tea either. I would recommend buying a mini oven. Because if you are serious about tea, then you cannot do without it.

The color of the dried tea was neither in the second nor in the third case black, but rather dark green-brown.

This is from uneven and insufficient drying in a pan.

brewed dark brown, sour taste, so it should be ??

Color - yes ... Leafy is always lighter than granular. Taste with sourness? Either I perceive taste differently, or I simply don't have it. In principle, you did everything right, and you should not have sour tea.

in the process it smelled of bananas and something else.

This moment is very pleasing. So everything was correct. Here you would arrange drying and everything would be great!

when a leaf is dried, must it smell? Smells like a floral-fruity something, from breaking leaves to drying for about 10 minutes,

Do you mean, do the leaves smell during the entire withering process? Or just the first 10 minutes? You know when how. If the weather was damp, then yes, the leaves smell. And it happens very tasty. If dry, then almost none. And yes, then, as it withers, the smell disappears.
Julia, you will succeed! You need to pay a little attention to drying. And be patient. The tea will ripen. You will see.
One more tip. Try fermenting your tea overnight. And compare the result. Maybe you like it better. We have many who make leaf tea ferment it for a day. It takes less time for granular.

Lyudmila, thanks for the answer that I dried it, put it in glass jars, and in the closet, we will wait and check
Yes, I have a problem with drying, the frying pan is thick-walled, there is no other way to get a tempera above 70g, no, but I want an oven, but ... there is already a slow cooker, a skillet, a bread maker, and in order not to trample the psyche of my husband I am silent about the oven, he is already swears, everything is overcrowded with technology, by the way, last year there was an attempt to make tea, so a small batch was dried in a bread maker on the jam mode, I don't remember the taste ...
I'll try to ferment longer, the Ivan tea field is large behind the house, there is where to roam

[YulikaSo]

YulikaSo, Julia, it seems to me that the second version of your tea turned out to be the most correct one (if not for drying), because you achieved a delicious smell during fermentation. I think that about drying tea in a pan, you should contact Gala with a question - Galina Iv. by writing her a question in a personal. She is very busy and rarely appears on this topic. And he will definitely answer a question in a personal. She dries tea only in a frying pan, she worked very well the process and is satisfied with the tea. I will definitely share my experience with you. Click on her nickname. He's active. You will immediately be taken to her profile and will be able to write her a private message.
And one moment.If you paid attention, then I completely removed the freeze for fireweed from the recipe. Because it hurts Ivan tea rather than helps. Too much juice is not good for the fireweed fermentation process. You will not even notice that you get a lot of juice. And this will affect the result. It is possible and necessary to freeze the leaves of garden plants after withering. And fireweed - only old - in August-September. And now it is still very juicy. Freezing gives extra juice, which is bad for tea.

Lyudmila good, I'll try to turn to Galina,
About freezing, well, it happened for me, and there really was a lot of juice, compared to just a withered leaf, but when the kneading was not "chomping", I was still surprised that somewhere in the subject I read about it, but I have does not "chomp" in any way, now I will consider it.

[lappl1]

lappl1, that's what I want to do, sheet and would definitely freeze ...

[Kokoschka]

Kokoschka, Lily, just knead the withered leaves well. In principle, this is not difficult at all. But one of the girls didn't mix it up, showed us a photo and we all saw the leaves were not mixed. It is necessary to bring them to a complete and uniform darkening. The photo in the recipe clearly shows how it should be. And we will freeze fireweed in August-September. I did this last year, when the fireweed became quite coarse. And then everything worked out great.

I'll try to turn to Galina,

YulikaSo, Julia, Galya will definitely answer. Refer to her. I really want you to succeed. Good luck!

[lappl1]

lappl1, Lyudmila understood!

Hello! I want to make leafy willow tea. The recipe says, after withering, twist into rolls, put under oppression and ferment, or is it possible to twist these rolls after withering, then stir them up, mash them again like dough, for better juice extraction, and then under oppression and ferment, or is this a deviation from those process?

[Oleg]

Oleg, of course it is possible. But the meaning? It's just unnecessary and unnecessary work. The main goal of this stage is to destroy the structure of the sheet. Kneading it is easier and easier than twisting rolls. And then ... Both options are loose leaf tea.

So it's easier to knead everything at once in some kind of basin than to sit and twist rolls?

[vestitoleg1]

vestitoleg1, of course, easier ... I gave 3 ways to prepare leaves for fermentation. Everyone chooses the one that they like best. There are lovers of rolls, there are admirers of mixed tea, and there are lovers of granulated tea. I love and do only granular. Which one you choose is up to you.

I like leaf more, there the leaves turn out more beautifully after drying, and the granules after the meat grinder most fall apart, but is there an optimal diameter of the holes for the meat grinder so that the granules are better obtained?

[vestitoleg1]

vestitoleg1,

granules after a meat grinder most of them fall apart

Well, don't exaggerate! Granulated fireweed turned out for me, for example, very good. The granules are small and neat. Leaf tea also gives a lot of fines.

[Oleg]

and the granules after a meat grinder most of them fall apart

Oleg, the granules crumble in a meat grinder from insufficient leaf withering, there is no more reason. And on which grate to twist - there is no difference. I did both small and large. Do not crumble in both cases. Wither it correctly, then everything will be OK.

Thank you!!!

Luda, but it seems to me that in Oleg's case there is overdrying when withering - according to his disposition, it turns out more than a day, on the balcony. Dry wood also falls apart when twisted.

Veronica, Oleg has everything - both dried leaves and under-dried leaves ... More under-dried leaves. He didn’t stir them up on withering. And over-dried (not overdried) leaves give very strong granules. Tested many times. And I like tea more from the blended. But the grinder does not like it - it is indignant and turns off from overheating ...

Yesterday I dried all night long, stirred every 1.5 hours, on average, the wilting took 11 hours, the middle vein does not crunch, but still did not crunch a little, since not very good granules are obtained in a meat grinder, now both leaf and granulated are fermented, let's see how it goes ...

You wrote everything correctly, you need to follow the technology, wither correctly. After all, the fireweed is very obedient, it is difficult to spoil it.

[Girls,]

Girls, well please me, please ... that I have Ivan-tea ...

🔗

[Natusichka]

Natusichka, still not cold? He seems to be. Take a closer look at the leaves and flowers. And try to mulch the garden with dry leaves or hay. It grows in nature in the grass. He needs the soil not to be dry.

So I showed him before ... I was told that it was not him ...
🔗

The one that I planted in the winter froze ... and the girl gave this to me in the spring! Directly with a small twig!
Is he so or not?

[Natusichka]

Natusichka, since he bloomed with pink flowers, then he. Are these flowers?

Is very similar!!!!!
How can it be preserved and propagated now?
Does he like warmth or coolness?

[Natusichka]

Natusichka, it grows in any climate. Even in the north. But does not tolerate dry soil. It's hot in your place, so in slightly shaded places he will be better. Be sure to mulch the ground.
I would now break off the stems at a height of 30 centimeters. In a week or two, the side shoots will go and there will be lush bushes.
Read the information on this site, maybe it will help 🔗

Lyudmila I can't get in touch with Galina

I think that about drying tea in a frying pan, you should contact Gala with a question - Galina Iv. by writing her a question in a personal.

I go online from my phone and I cannot pass the test

[Lyudochka!]

Lyudochka! Showing a flower:
🔗

HE???
I will definitely read the information. And to mulch, is it to fall asleep under the plant with any dry grass?
I will water it even if it is very hot! I will cover it from the sun with my body! I want him so much !!!!

And the structure of the flower is different ... And in the first photo it is definitely not fireweed, the leaves are opposite, but the fireweed has regular ones. Or the second option is ivan tea, but not narrow-leaved like ours, but different. But all the same, the structure of both leaves and flowers is different. On the second, green intergrown sepals are clearly visible, but our fireweed finally does not have them.

Yes, and the stamens are different. I don't see the quantity. Wait, I'll go and count the fireweed.

My main photo does not open. Ivan-tea has 5 stamens, light anthers. In the photo there is a flower of a different shape, stamens with dark anthers. The leaves are lanceolate here and there, but in fireweed they grow not opposite each other, but as if in a spiral. In the photo they are opposite, for sure. Further, the leaves of ivan tea never, even at a young age, grow parallel to the ground, they stick up at an angle.

[Veronica,]

Veronica, see photos answer 1778, this is such a plant now. And 1780 is what it was at the beginning of spring.

I looked at everything. So the point is this. Natusichka has some kind of CYPRUS, not narrow-leaved Ivan tea. Earlier, these plants were combined into one genus Fireweed, but then they were divided into Fireweed and Ivan-tea, since there are differences in the structure of the plant and chemical composition. The Cyprian family includes many species. There are also medicinal, but much weaker in action than Ivan tea. And I have no idea if yours can be made into tea. But I repeat - this is not Ivan tea, from which that famous drink has been made for centuries.

[YulikaSo]

Lyudmila I can't get in touch with Galina

YulikaSo, don't worry, Galya will write the answer right into the topic. I wrote to her myself at night. In the morning she replied that she would write directly in the topic how to dry. But later. Apparently, she also wrote from a mobile ...

[Natusichka]

HE??? I will definitely read the information. And to mulch, is it to fall asleep under the plant with any dry grass? I will water it even if it is very hot! I will cover it from the sun with my body! I want him so much !!!!

Natusichka, but what is it ... Apparently, really another fireweed.But it's all useful - more or less. Grow it anyway. And in the fall, you need the roots of our Ivan tea to be passed on to you.
And you understood everything correctly about mulching. Fill the soil in the garden with hay leaves.

[Natusichka]

Natusichka,

[Natusichka]

Natusichka,
Natasha! You called me and I came. I looked at your photos in the afternoon, but I didn't have the strength to answer. After the night shift, I left on business, then fell asleep.
Actually, I didn't know what to say. I immediately doubted that this was your Ivan tea. But I'm not an expert in it, because I could be mistaken. I saw a similar flower here. When I went to the post office, a similar bush grew on the lower street near the gate. She came up, looked in, but did not call anyone. The flower, or rather the bush, smelled very fragrant. I tore off a twig, I wanted to show the girls on HP. I found pictures of Ivan-tea and for a long time compared my sample with photographs of real Ivan-tea and realized that there were still differences.
I don't even remember whether I photographed my sample or not, but most likely not. You know that I gave the laptop for repair, because I still would not have been able to upload my photos.
I myself am very interested that something is growing with us. One of these days I will go to the post office again, I will come and look again what he looks like now.
But of course it is a pity that it is not real Ivan tea.
Girls, does Ivan tea also have a strong, pleasant honey aroma?

[Nelya]

Nelya, a herbalist with Natusichka. Or a granny who does grass-ants. They would tell you what it is.

Girls, does Ivan tea also have a strong, pleasant honey aroma?

Nelya, flowers? Yes, they smell very strong and fragrant. It seems to me that you need to ask Natasha Koval about your plant on the topic of garden sauces. She is also from Ukraine and makes tea from fireweed. I wonder which one? Maybe from something like yours ??

[Natusichka]

Natusichka, it seems to me this is a willow derbein or a weeping grass.

[Vasyutka]

VasyutkaNatasha, I just looked at the derbeinik in Yandex - it looks so much like Ivan-tea from a distance!
I read about the properties - very useful. And tannins are there. Maybe you can also make tea from it?

Maybe you can also make tea from it?

I also looked in. I don’t know from the grass, but, behold, flowers are used often. Maybe just dry flowers and decorate teas? At the same time, there will be benefits.