Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

Hello dear forum users.

Hello Anatoly! What is your avatar - in the subject! Handsomely!

how to deal with snails on leaves?

we recently touched on this topic in passing. You know, Anatoly, I'm not fighting them in any way. While collecting the leaves, if I see it, I will throw it off. Then, when I wither the leaves, I also come across - I will throw it away. When the leaves lie on the table when twisted in a meat grinder - they also come across - I throw them away again. Well, while I'm twisting it, 2 - 3 times I hear a specific crunch in the meat grinder and note for myself that I got another one, right in the tea. I'm not worried about this. The Chinese eat them, so 2 snails per 1 kg of leaves is okay. Moreover, they will twist in a meat grinder, and then they will fry in the oven. As Mistletoe noted - protein ...

After all, the time for their bulkhead goes immeasurably - about 3 hours per kilogram.

Anatoly, why does it take you so much time? In a meat grinder 1 kg of leaves is processed for about 10 minutes. Or do you manually twist the rolls? I recommend then freezing the leaves before processing. It takes me 40 minutes for 1 kg of leaves. And such rolls spin quickly, easily. And more juice stands out. And fermentation goes better.

And what to do if you are afraid to make noise. On the weekend I'll go again to be afraid, it's scary ..

I am always afraid. But in silence. Our boars are outright mischievous. Already all the villagers have registered in the potato fields. And we do too.
I'm afraid, but I still go to work every day for fireweed. There is a week left - another, and you will not collect any more fireweed ... Then it will not be scary to collect garden leaves in your garden (or neighbor's) ...

[Linga]

replenishment in the ranks of tea makers! (Mom's friend is now also "gone"!)

Linga, it's great that the fireweed business lives on and multiplies! For me, in addition to delicious tea, it is a pleasure! I hope that this will also be a fun experience for your mom's friend. Give her thanks! And you, of course, too, that you are moving the recipe further than our site!

Here is lappl1 sincere thanks for your answer. Along the way, I will note that it takes me 3 hours not to scroll but to bulkhead the leaves (maybe you really shouldn't try so hard?). By the way, I came up with a way to deal with snails: in the evening, rinse the whole mass of leaves, put it in the chill overnight and cover it with glass for example. I think snails will crawl onto the glass, for example, in the garden they always do that. I will try. In any case, thank you very much. And if you can ask: can you scroll the leaves after freezing and not roll and cut the rolls? Or as an option - defrost and grind in a food processor? Thank you in advance for your response. There is still a lot of thought and experimentation on this topic .... We will work.

And if you can ask: can you scroll the leaves after freezing and not roll and cut the rolls? Or as an option - defrost and grind in a food processor?

I will answer, since I tried it. I didn’t have time to twist everything into rolls and therefore I ran some of the frozen leaves through a meat grinder. It turned out to be a very raw mess. After drying, by the way, for quite a long time, a lot of dust turned out. In general, the tea turned out in the form of dust. I don't know how it tastes, but I won't do that anymore. It is better to pass only withered leaves through a meat grinder.

[Anatoly]

sincere thanks for the answer

Anatoly, to your health! Always happy to help.

By the way, I came up with a way to deal with snails: in the evening, rinse the whole mass of leaves, put it in the chill overnight and cover it with glass for example.I think snails will crawl onto the glass, for example, in the garden they always do this

I already wrote about washing the leaves in the recipe itself, and throughout all the topics. In the technology of production of traditional (Chinese, Indian and Japanese) tea, there is no stage of washing the leaves. The fact is that bacteria live on the leaves, which actively participate in the fermentation process. It is even recommended to wait 3 - 5 days with the collection of the leaves, if it rains, so that these bacteria colonize the leaves again. If these bacteria are washed off, then fermentation will be much weaker. I noticed this myself (wash - not soap, but collected after the rain) and, it seems, Rada-dms wrote about this - she noted this feature of washed leaves. The aroma, taste and color of the finished tea are weaker. So, you can look for another method of dealing with snails.
In general, I don’t think that you have more of them than I do - we live not far from each other geographically. While the leaves are drying, they creep out. And you can easily see them when tedding. I think if 5 snails get into tea, nothing bad will happen. After heat treatment, there is no hint of them.

and after freezing, you can scroll the leaves and not roll and cut the rolls? Or as an option - defrost and grind in a food processor?

The leaves become very juicy after freezing.... Of these, it is good, quick and easy to twist the rolls. With our own hands we can squeeze out of such leaves normal amount of juicerequired for the fermentation process. If we twist the frozen leaves in a meat grinder, then we get an extra amount of juice and fermentation will be worse. Here is what is written about this in the same book about tea:

Water in cells is the medium in which the interaction of substances dissolved in it takes place. It is known that at high dilutions, some reactions cannot occur or take much longer to completethan it is necessary for the end of a particular production process. Therefore, the leaf must be dried to the same moisture content. The leaf can be wilted normally, underwired or overwrought. A relatively heavily withered leaf curls better and produces more good teas by the nature of the leaf than an unfinished leaf. Experiments in India have found that the best tea is obtained with a dry matter to water ratio of 1: 2, that is, the remaining moisture in the leaf should be 60-62%

Just a few days ago, I twisted the leaves that were practically not withered. First, they crumbled. Secondly, there was a lot of juice. Thirdly, after 20 hours I got sour tea, which does not happen with a drier mass. Yesterday I made tea of ​​25-hour fermentation from a normally withered leaf. The tea did not even think to sour and would have withstood 12-20 hours. The smell was great. Can you imagine how much juice will be from the frozen leaves? So, if you want to twist the leaves in a meat grinder, then they need to be dried, not frozen.
As for chopping leaves in a combine, our girls had such an experience, but unsuccessful - weak in color, aroma and taste. I explain this by the fact that when processing leaves on a combine, they are chopped with very little juice release on a limited part of the leaf. As a result, fermentation is very weak. Of course, you can mash the leaves with your hands, as when kneading dough or before pickling cabbage. Then put pressure on the mass during fermentation. But all the same, such fermentation will be weaker than that of granulated tea from leaves simply withered before twisting in a meat grinder. And the volume of the finished tea is much larger than the granulated one. That is, you need to prepare a lot of storage space.

There is still a lot of thought and experimentation on this topic .... We will work.

I absolutely agree with this! I am not the ultimate truth. The girls, taking the recipe outlined by me as a basis, began to change the conditions for making tea. They like the result. I tried to repeat some of the girls' experience and it disappointed me. For example, the method of "sweating" the leaves.So, Anatoly, think, try, experiment! And share with us your observations and results. We really missed the male look!

[Elena]

I will answer, since I tried it. I didn’t have time to twist everything into rolls and therefore I ran some of the frozen leaves through a meat grinder. It turned out to be a very raw mess. After drying, by the way, for quite a long time, a lot of dust turned out.

Elena, Thank you ! While I was typing a long answer, you confirmed my thoughts!

Thank you all for your answers. I'll take everything into account. Tomorrow again to the forest for raw materials.

Tomorrow again to the forest for raw materials

Have a good hunting !

[A.V.]

A.V.Yesterday I picked Ivan-tea flowers for syrup and while walking we tied a plastic bag in a knot, so the snails all crawled up to the knot. I neatly untied the knot, chose the snails (we did not grab the small, large ones in flowers) and put the flowers in a bowl. In the morning there were no more snails. you can try that.
And when I collect, I look so as not to grab them, and they: facepalm: still manage to hide in my bag.

[Oksana]

Oksana, so they are small - like it or not, take it with you!

Today I went to my birthday and took with me the tea made a month ago. I gave it a treat and tried it myself. I liked the tea very much, I cannot compare it with the usual one, it is much tastier, although it was not possible to prepare exactly according to all the rules. Maybe that's why I didn't really feel the fruity aroma, but I can drink this tea even without sweets. Lyudmila, thank you for opening such a topic. I will now look for places where fireweed grows

[natushka]

I gave it a treat and tried it myself. I liked the tea very much, I cannot compare with the usual one, much tastier

natushka, I am glad that you still tried the tea! And that you liked it!

thanks for opening such a topic. I will now look for places where fireweed grows

To your health! It is a pity that there are a few days left to collect. Today I collected Ivan tea for the last time. In principle, it is still possible, but the sheet is not the same - rough. And I decided that was enough! Now I will do from gardening.

Luda, thanks for the links. I am reading. Here's another question that worries me. All the same, dust on the leaves. Something I do not want to brew it in ready-made tea.
In my dacha I found a small plantation of fireweed right on the site. She laughed that she hadn't noticed before. But it is not enough there. Already started pushing, but I will collect a little for trial. So the leaves are plny, I spilled them all. Now I think in a day you can already collect? So there is not only dust, but also pollen that flies from everywhere, etc.
Or are you not paying attention to it? Apparently we city dwellers are so sterile that we bother with or without.
Girls are writing from the dacha from the tablet, sorry for the mistakes and typos, it's not very convenient.

Luda, thanks for the links. I am reading. Here's another question that worries me. All the same, dust on the leaves. Something I do not want to brew it in ready-made tea.

I have all my leaves (even if it's not Feng Shui)
then I dry it with a sheet and then use the technology (however, I make tea through freezing, and leaf tea)
ferments normally

Nobody washes tea bushes before collection. When I buy two laurel brooms in the market in late autumn, after breaking off the leaves from the twigs, I wipe each leaf with soaked cotton pads. I will say that there is a lot of dirt on the leaves.

[Altusya]

Altusya, I wash absolutely all the leaves. I am allergic, pollen is deposited everywhere. I pour cold water into a basin, lower the leaves, mix everything quickly, put it on a lattice sieve (the water is always very dirty). Then, in hand-drying, I scroll the leaves, transfer them to the fabric, fold them, hold them for 12 to 24 hours, then into the freezer. Everything turns out well, the tea is pure, transparent, and I drink this tea without fear of getting allergies.

Nobody washes tea bushes before collection. When I buy two laurel brooms at the market in late autumn, after breaking off the leaves from the twigs, I wipe each leaf with soaked cotton pads.I will say that there is a lot of dirt on the leaves.

I don't know how it is now, but earlier on the bags with bay leaves it was written "wash the leaves before using."

Virgin, thank you, calmed down. And after all, wine is made from not washed grapes. FiK knows him, so she asked. And the trouble is, all the cherry leaves are almost in some moves. Well, someone crawled on them and left a trace. The husband said that it was inside the caterpillar eating them like that. Well, here's another problem to choose leaves. The garden was started long ago. I only started gardening this year, until I get to the garden, I study theory and practice.
Girls, please advise me more. Let's leave tomorrow at lunchtime, well, at 12 o'clock. What is the best way to preserve the leaves if they are picked in the evening on the eve?

And the trouble is, all the cherry leaves are almost in some moves. Well, someone crawled on them and left a trace. The husband said that it was inside the caterpillar eating them like that.

I did have
threw
I'm so calmer

Let's leave tomorrow at lunchtime, well, at 12 o'clock. What is the best way to preserve the leaves if they are picked in the evening on the eve?

save from the cottage to the house? Without a refrigerator?

Yes, home. There is a refrigerator in the country. So I'll dial in the evening, right? and what should I do with them? We leave tomorrow at 12 noon

Yes, home. There is a refrigerator in the country. So I'll dial in the evening, right? and what should I do with them? We leave tomorrow at 12 noon

in the evening I would put it in the refrigerator right in the bag (not washed)
and in the morning I drove in it
if it gets very hot on the road, it is probably better to untie the bag (so as not to start fermentation)
at home, put the package in the refrigerator again until the time when it will be possible to tackle the leaves

I once had fireweed in the refrigerator for a day or more - I transferred it normally
then washed-dried-frozen
and tough leaves such as cherries or blackberries will have nothing at all
the main thing is not to overheat them in a tied bag, so as not to start unscheduled fermentation and not let them get wet

Thank you very much, so I will: victory: 7

So there is not only dust, but also pollen that flies from everywhere, etc. Or do you not pay attention to it?

I don't pay attention to pollen. Honestly, I don't see her. And I have no dust, since the village is located far from roads and industrial enterprises.
I wrote my opinion about washing the leaves in the recipe, I repeatedly touched on this issue in the comments. My opinion has not changed since then.

Nobody washes tea bushes before collection.

And no one washes the leaves after collection either.
I have had the experience of fermenting tea from the foliage leaves. The comparison is not in their favor ...

Lyudochka, thank you, I understood everything.
Let's go swimming today, well, I noticed with all my eyes the islets of fireweed. We go the other way back, looking the guys somewhere to the side. The husband says something is blushing there. I, let's go and see them. They went out, we followed them. Yeah, just Ivan tea plantation. And the leaves are ripped off the stems as you taught, Luda. Although the tops are broken in some places.
If I had known before ... in a week, apparently, he will start pushing. The package that was typed and in the refrigerator, as the girls advised.

[Altusya]

Altusya, I'm glad you found the fireweed. Make tea with pleasure! To your health and your loved ones!

If I had known before ... in a week, apparently, he will start pushing.

Altusya, we have it already pushing with might and main. Yesterday I promised myself that I was finished with fireweed this season. Today I went for raspberry leaves to the forest and saw thickets of fireweed between the forest and a strip of oak trees, which were in the shade throughout the day. Not a single yellow stem, not a single fluff. there are stems without flowers at all. Well, my soul could not stand it! I picked up the packages. I am making ivan tea again today. When twisted in a meat grinder, then all the granules are strong, there are no crumbs at all. But fireweed with fluff has coarse leaves and, no matter how dry, they crumble. So, as in the beginning of summer tea will be.
Therefore, you can still find tender and juicy leaves. Well, as a last resort, do what you have.
So do it Altusya, blooming Sally. It is better to make from old leaves than not to make at all.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, how I want to try Ivan-tea !!! They promised to bring Siberian Ivan-Tea from the store.

[Alla]

Alla, I understand you! Glad wrote that her Ivan tea is better than store tea! Try Siberian and then share your impressions. We need to think about how to give you tea! My mail did not accept the parcel with Ivan-tea, when I wanted to send it to my friends.

[on the first page]

Dear tea-makers and tea lovers!
To make it easier to navigate through the numerous pages, on the first page recipe in Notes I posted active links on the main questions of the topic.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, looked at the first page. Nicely written. Now it will be very convenient for beginners, and it doesn't bother us once again to read.

They brought me granulated Siberian Ivan tea, there was no leaf. There is almost no aroma, I will brew tomorrow.

[Alla]

Alla, Thank you ! Yes, now it's easier to navigate the themes! I would be glad if it helps newbies and not only.
How quickly the tea arrived! I wonder what he is. How will you taste, please share your impressions. And the aroma of dry tea may not be strong. Or is it fresh tea from them, not infused. It will still be possible to understand what kind of tea, if you brew it. Today I looked at this tea in the internet. It looks beautiful. I liked the granules of their tea. I wonder what they are turning it on?

They brought me granulated Siberian Ivan tea, there was no leaf. There is almost no aroma, I will brew tomorrow.

wow! waiting for feedback)

Luda, thank you for such a detailed separation in the comments. Well, it became very convenient. And a bunch of questions disappear by itself.
I twisted the fireweed and put it on fermentation. It turned out not much, so if it doesn't work out I won't be upset. And there are only two heaps of cherry and apple leaves. So there definitely won't be fermentation.

Let's see

And there are only two heaps of cherry and apple leaves. So there definitely won't be fermentation.

why doesn't it happen?

It turned out not much, so if it doesn't work out I won't be upset.

When we make Ivan tea, we first tune in to the positive! And we start doing and EVERYTHING will always work out!

[Altusya]

If I had known before ... in a week, apparently, he will start pushing.

Altusya, and you look in the forest, in the shade, there the leaves of the willow tea are still tender and did not begin to bloom.

why doesn't it happen?

Because the mass is not large. And the rules say that the layer should be from 5 to 10 cm.

By the way, now the mass looked cold. It just needs to be warm. After all, the process is going on there. If so, then my process has not started or what?

Because the mass is not large. And the rules say that the layer should be from 5 to 10 cm.

put in a smaller bowl - a bowl or a tea cup, and the layer will be thicker
but this is for the future, now I would not touch anything

By the way, now the mass looked cold. It just needs to be warm. After all, the process is going on there. If so, then my process has not started or what?

not the fact that there will be some tangible warming up
the process is going on unambiguously (it simply cannot be otherwise)
smell it, forget about tea for about six hours, then smell it again - and feel the difference
everything is fine there, don't worry

It's great that I first read this topic, started making teas from the leaves of fruit trees, and then bought the store Ivan-tea.
The granules are dense (like small worms), dark green in color, almost black. The aroma is very weak herbal and somehow resembles bad coffee. Brewed with boiling water, dusty foam appeared on the surface, removed it with a spoon. The color is cloudy, dark brown, no taste. I don’t like this tea, my husband didn’t appreciate it either, it’s a pity for 330r money for 100g. It feels like the fermentation went badly. I imagined a completely different tea, but my expectations were not met.

[Altusya]

Luda, thank you for such a detailed separation in the comments. Well, it became very convenient. And a bunch of questions disappear by itself.

Altusya, glad you liked! Read on! We wrote a lot there.

if it doesn’t work out I’m not upset. And there are only two heaps of cherry and apple leaves. So there definitely won't be fermentation.

Everything will be fine! If there are few leaves, then you can put fermentation in a small bowl - a glass, for example.

[Alla]

The granules are dense (like small worms), dark green in color, almost black. The aroma is very weak herbal and somehow resembles bad coffee. Brewed with boiling water, dusty foam appeared on the surface, removed it with a spoon. The color is cloudy, dark brown, no taste. I don't like this tea, my husband didn't appreciate it either,

Alla, I don’t know what had to be done to make the tea not work. And they made an advertisement for themselves! It seems to me that there was no fermentation there at all - they twisted and dried. And the dust came from somewhere. Not otherwise, that they had raw materials lying somewhere in dusty bags. It is a pity that the first meeting with Ivan-tea disappointed your expectations. Definitely, you need to try our Ivan tea.

After all, the process is going on there. If so, then my process has not started or what?

Late today I went to my computer. But the girls answered you correctly. The process starts from the moment of twisting. So weak or strong, but fermentation will still be there. In general, we are waiting for news from you - what happened and how.

[May and June tea from tender and juicy leaves turns out better than tea from leaves of the last month of summer]

Girls boys! I want to show you how different Ivan tea made from old, rough leaves and tender, juicy leaves.
The fireweed season is already coming to an end. Mostly fireweed is fluffed. Lots of dry leaves (especially at the bottom of the stem). The leaves are already rough and tough. But there are places where you can find fireweed with delicate leaves and not even blooming yet. I found such a place in my place - thickets of fireweed are located between the forest and a strip of oak trees. There is practically no sun there. The fireweed is taller than me (reaches for the light). a lot of non-flowering. Although I promised myself not to make ivan tea again, I could not pass by this.
In general, when I began to twist the leaves in a meat grinder, we can say that I plunged into the beginning of summer, when the granules were strong and there were almost no crumbs. The last games I got were already tiny. I can't say yet if the tea tastes different. I will test it closer to winter. But it is already clear that May and June tea from tender and juicy leaves turns out better than tea from leaves of the last month of summer... Moreover, this summer is very dry.
Conclusion: it is necessary in the following seasons to actively harvest Ivan tea at the end of May - June, and then switch to tea from the leaves of garden and wild plants.
But the photo on the left is tea made from rough leaves. On the right - tender and juicy. The leaves were withered in both batches to the same state. Fermented at the same time. The difference is visible to the naked eye:

Because the mass is not large. And the rules say that the layer should be from 5 to 10 cm.

Lyudmila once wrote that she had a few leaves, so she fermented even in a glass!) That is, you need to take smaller dishes.

Girls, it's already worth drying. It's hot on the street and in the apartment, and here I turned on the oven. Zeeeee!
since I was not up to him yesterday, fermentation took 20 hours.
Let's see what happens.

Virgin, my layer is not thick in the oven. It has been worth an hour, interfered 3 times. The temperature is 100 degrees. It feels like it's already dry, crumbling in your fingers. Maybe he's enough already?

Let's see what happens.

Everything will come out fine! I always dry in a cast-iron skillet.

Galina, can you share your experience, how do you do it in a frying pan? And when I was at the dacha, I had time for a car, but there is no oven, but there is a frying pan with a thick bottom. I would have done everything there, but I had to wait until I would return to the city.

[Altusya]

Altusya, yes everything is very simple! At the dacha I have gas, I first turn it on to the fullest, heat the pan, spread the willow-tea and at first, without leaving, with constant stirring of the mass, I begin to dry, break the washers. He even "hisses" at the beginning from the juice, after 2-3 minutes I turn down the heat and soon to a minimum. I do not go far, I stir occasionally, especially it dries quickly around the edges. All this will come with experience, I dried it somehow in a thin frying pan, it didn't work, I dried it out ... I don't dry it in the oven at all !! I have an electric stove in my apartment, first I heat it up, and then I dry it on the "two", when it’s almost ready, on one, when I feel dry, I leave it in the pan, the way will finally come. Something like this.

The tea stood at 1:10 approximately. Pulled it out. It seems to me that it is no longer necessary to dry it at 50 degrees. And so it crumbles. Does this mean that I dried it out or what? After all, Luda wrote that first at 100 degrees, and then at 50-60.

Either I'm breaking the process, or I'm trying to strictly follow the rules and find fault more.

Luda, thank you. That is, you are drying no matter what temperature is there. And also good tea comes out. Ha, so you don't have to do everything according to the rules.

[Altusya]

AltusyaYou will soon feel it yourself
And in the pan you get EXCELLENT tea !!! If you see that it is dry, then you do not need to dry it anymore.
but do not overdo it with the temperature, it is better to dry longer, but over low heat.