Fermented tea made from leaves of garden and wild plants (master class)

[baby doll]

It seems to me that the smell of grass predominates, very pleasant. But I was expecting something else. Maybe that's how it should be, there is nothing to compare with.

baby doll, Yulia, not ... It shouldn't be that way. Cherries have a crazy flavor! But not herbs. These are the questions I asked laniti recently when her cherry failed. I will repeat to you:
You need to know how you made tea at all stages, starting from collection (number of leaves), withering, preparation for fermentation (manual, meat grinder?), The conditions under which fermentation took place (layer thickness, temperature, if you rolled rolls, was there oppression ), drying (temperature, drying layer). What kind of cherry did you collect - varietal or simple? And most importantly, it's too early to judge about tea. Answer the questions, please, then you can understand why this happened ..
Not very good reviews from cherries - weak tea.

[baby doll]

The cherry smelled just like leaves.

baby doll, so you have a varietal cherry. It makes bad tea. It must be made from the simplest cherry, which is sour ... By the way, I wrote about this in the recipe. A simple cherry leaves smell very strong and delicious.

[Ludmila]

you have a varietal cherry. It makes bad tea. It should be made from the simplest cherry, which is sour

Ludmila, and I make from the former varietal Vladimirskaya. It does not bear fruit, it is very old, but it is so leafy and gives an amazing aroma for tea, it has never let you down. I all wanted to uproot it, now I will not, even if it grows on the sidelines, there are no others, for some reason they do not want to grow on our site, and on others it is not a lot, (although cherry is my favorite berry)

[Yulia]

Yulia,

The cherry smelled just like leaves.

my spanky leaves in my tea smell like cherry jam. And the leaves of the unknown cherry began to smell even when they dried. True, during fermentation they began to smell like paint, but then the smell changed and the tea mix came out very good
natushka, so I think that without trying you will not know whether tea will come out or not. Old varieties like griots will surely make good tea.

[natushka]

I make from the former varietal Vladimirskaya. She does not bear fruit, she is very old,

natushkaif it does not bear fruit, then, most likely, it has already been reborn. Or maybe this sort is good. I tried to make tea from varietal cherries. Not impressed at all. Even on a batch test when collecting leaves, it became clear - there was practically no cherry smell. But those shoots from the neighbors from whom I take the leaves smells like cherries already at the harvesting stage. And when dried, such a strong aroma!
By the way, last year it was not only me who noticed it. Some girls also "burned" on a noble cherry, but the savage delighted everyone.
The noble blackberry (variety Michurin) behaves in the same way. She has both berries and leaves that are larger than the usual blackberry. And the tea is completely expressionless. I came across such bushes. The neighbor allowed to cut off everything, but when she picked the leaves, she was very surprised - there was almost no smell. And the tea failed.

I suppose that even noble varieties of southern cherries will be more aromatic than northern ones. The mother-in-law has a varietal cherry in the country. I have been making tea out of it for the second year. I can't drink it even in a mix - a wild headache starts from the crazy aroma. It smells like bright cherries with the aroma of bitter almonds and chocolate, for myself I use it exclusively for making an aromatic tincture to add to homemade martini. (Imagine the power of the aroma if there is 5ml for 3L. Martini.of this cherry infusion and the aroma of cherry is well discernible even against the background of wormwood and a dozen other herbs)

[Irina]

Irina, agree. And, of course, the varieties are different. I have 2 different varieties of cherries. But tea made from it is unimportant. But from a savage - a madman.
By the way, it's like with fruits and berries. Our locals call some apples and pears, for example, sweet. And for me they are sour, because I got used to others from life in the city of apples, Alma-Ata (translated from Kazakh Alma-Ata - the father of apples).
In general, girls, we test our leaves at the stage of collection - if they smell in the bag very good. well, the tea tends to be great.

from life in the city of apples Alma-Ata (translated from Kazakh Alma-Ata - the father of apples).

Stunned! And we have a friend who constantly drives Polish apples by trucks to Alma-Ata! I even wondered if they weren't growing there?

After the collapse of the USSR, almost all gardens in the foothills of Alma-Ata were abandoned, ruined and privatized. The revival of mountain gardening is now beginning. But everyone has apple trees in their private gardens. I had many varieties. One is better than the other.

[Irina]

Irina,

And we have a friend who constantly drives Polish apples by trucks to Alma-Ata! I even wondered if they weren't growing there?

Are growing. Only they are not stored well.
We, in Ukraine, are also growing (growing). And there are very good old varieties. Some lie under proper storage until spring. BUT ... modern ones are practically a year old. True, their taste is ... appropriate. And we have quantity instead of quality. Alas and ah.

BUT ... modern ones are practically a year old.

Yeah ... and we know why ...

Girls, I make tea from several leaves - it turns out delicious, aromatic. But cherry tea smells awesome, delicious, but the color in the tea leaves is pale. The cherry is wild. I do this: I wither the leaves for a day, a couple of days in the freezer, then a meat grinder, fermentation for 8-9 hours, drying as in the recipe. By the way, I do all the leaves like that. Blackberry did that too. When I twisted it, it smelled delicious, but dry - the smell disappeared. When brewed, the tea is delicious, but without a strong aroma and pale. What am I doing wrong?

[Nadyushich]

When I twisted it, it smelled delicious, but dry - the smell disappeared.

Nadyushich, dried tea almost does not smell. If it smells, then you haven't dried it. And then it will grow moldy during storage.
Nadia, I wrote in the recipe, and on each page in the comments through the post I write that IT'S EARLY STILL TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS EARLY! OH, SO EARLY! The tea did not pass dry fermentation for 1 - 2 months in a hermetically sealed container and in the dark! Then the aroma of tea will appear.

But cherry tea smells awesome, delicious, but the color in the tea leaves is pale.

How many leaves were there and what layer was there during fermentation? At what temperature was tea dried? Because cherries should not be light tea. But the main thing is that you like it.

How many leaves were there and what layer was there during fermentation? At what temperature was tea dried? Because cherries should not be light tea. But the main thing is that you like it

Lyudmila, the layer of leaves was about 10 cm, dried for about an hour at 100-120 g, in a slightly open oven, then dried in an open oven. Then it hangs in a pillowcase for three days or more.
And also, my tea does not get warm during fermentation, although I wrap it up.

[lappl1]

lappl1, I want to clarify - is it necessary to dry the tea in a pillowcase (bag)? After drying, I wait for it to cool down, that is, it lies with me until it cools completely, and only then I pour it into the jars.

I always let him hang in the breeze, even if it is well dried, can you imagine if it gets moldy, there were such cases last year.

[Nadyushich]

Lyudmila, the layer of leaves was about 10 cm, dried for about an hour at 100-120 g, in a slightly open oven, then dried in an open oven. Then for three days or more it hangs in a pillowcase. And also, my tea does not get warm during fermentation, although I wrap it up.

Nadyushich, the layer is normal! And you might not feel the warmth of the mass.It lasts for the first three hours, and then cools down. This is normal if the temperature in the house was at least 18 - 20 *. Wait! Tea will show itself.

I want to clarify - is it necessary to dry the tea in a pillowcase (bag)? After drying, I wait for it to cool down, that is, it lies with me until it cools completely, and only then I pour it into the jars.

Yulia, certainly. You cannot feel the residual moisture. It would not seem to you, it is inside the granules. After drying in the bag, it goes away completely. I recently wrote that unaired and under-dried tea can smell like a bath. I usually take my time to do this, even a week can hang if the weather is not favorable. By the way, the granules are very different - those that have just been dried in the oven, some crumbly if you try to break them. Those that are hanging in the bag become very hard. And, of course, there were many cases of moldy tea, if it was not hanging in the breeze.
By the way, if you still set a goal and dry the tea completely in the oven, then it loses its taste and aroma. Therefore, I wrote in the recipe that do not overdry the tea. It will be very weak in all respects.

Lyudmila, thank you for your help and patience in the analysis of errors. I've been making Ivan tea for 30 years. My husband drags on him, but I don't like it. Only now I realized that I was doing everything wrong. We did not dry it, but immediately twisted it in a meat grinder, fermented from 12 to 15 hours with a layer of 20 -25 cm, and then dried it where necessary, in a slightly open oven and in a dryer. The layer during drying was cm 3, so the tea smelled like brooms, but my husband still loves this tea and cannot live without it, mixes it with black. Now I would like to pick up Ivan's tea and do it right, but until I'm at home, and until it blooms, I won't find him. But, on the other hand, I make whatever leaves I can find here, mainly from abandoned gardens. And it's a pity that the electric meat grinder is at home, but here it is only manual. Therefore, you have to freeze to facilitate the process. By the way, I sent a parcel of tea to my husband and daughter for testing. They both loved the aronia tea sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo liking, and the smell and taste. I went, took out a jar of tea, stuck my nose ..... well, there is no smell! Brewed ..... not impressed! Maybe I smelled the village, I dry it almost every day and the pillowcases hang on the aisle, smell all over the apartment. Well, we will continue to master and improve this science. And thanks again for the recipes and for the experience! Lyudmila, it would be nice for you to publish a book of tea, otherwise the computer. not everyone has, and so tea makers would be significantly added.

Lyudochka, give me a link, on which page is your photo from the pantry, with a supply of tea. I want to tone myself up !!!!

[lappl1]

lappl1, thanks for the answer! Prepared a pillowcase to dry! And I do the first mix. It turns out as follows: Pear leaves - 13%, currants - 18%, cherries - 33%, apple - 36%. I remember what they wrote about cherries - 10%, but this is how it turned out to be collected, I did not separate up to 10%, I will try this way. After withering, the package with the leaves lay in the refrigerator, then I crumpled them well and rotated them in a meat grinder. Now they are fermented in a layer of 7 cm. I hope I did everything right. Then I will try to fry in a pan, dry it in a dryer at 70 degrees and then dry it in a pillowcase. Yes, in a pillowcase should you dry in the sun or in the shade? Something I missed this moment ...

Lyudochka, brought a tea mix to work: linden + pear + Plum + Irga + strawberry + hawthorn + apple tree, which I made the very first 05.05.15, the taste is awesome !!!, everyone liked it more than all the teas.

Lyudochka, give me a link, on which page is your photo from the pantry, with a supply of tea. I want to tone myself up !!!!

Luda, there is a photo of my last year's tea on the first page in the recipe. But here, too, I am showing at your request from different angles. Only this is not in the closet, but I took it all out to calculate the results of the season. It turned out last year to make 17.5 kg of dry tea. But in the photo it is 13 kg, because 4.5 kg by the time of shooting had already left with his son for Alma-Ata. By the way, the weight of the tea is taken without taking into account the weight of the flowers for decorating it.

I brought to work a tea mix: linden + pear + Plum + Irga + strawberry + hawthorn + apple tree, which I made the very first 05/05/15, the taste is awesome !!!, everyone liked it more than all the teas.

Luda, congratulations. I warned you that the more scent used in tea, the better. And more than a month has already passed. It just has to be delicious. And if it survives until winter, it will be even better.

[Julia]

I hope I did everything right. Then I will try to fry in a pan, dry it in a dryer at 70 degrees and then dry it in a pillowcase. Yes, in a pillowcase should you dry in the sun or in the shade? Something I missed this moment ...

Juliawhile everything is correct! Only if you dry it in a pan, then you need to do it in small portions and stir constantly so that it does not burn out. You need to dry in the shade. I hang the bags on a rope under the trees. The sun destroys the tea. Well, if sometimes a couple of rays hit, then it's okay - the light is diffused.

[Nadyushich]

Lyudmila, thank you for your help and patience in the analysis of errors.

Nadyushich, to your health! I am very glad that I was able to help with advice to such an experienced tea maker.

They both loved the aronia tea sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo liking, and the smell and taste. I went, took out a jar of tea, stuck my nose ..... well, there is no smell! Brewed ..... not impressed!

It's just too early to judge tea. Let it still infuse. or is it not your tea. The main thing is that the husband and daughter like him.

Lyudmila, it would be nice for you to release a book of tea, otherwise the computer. not everyone has, and so tea makers would be significantly added.

In general, I have experience in writing textbooks and other educational literature. But mostly the state published them. And when I tried to publish at my own expense, it turned out to be very expensive. Well, then it was not my money, but the customers. And now it will be very problematic to do. Yes, and I leave the village a couple of times a year. So, I would write a book to write, but if someone took the trouble of publishing it and promoting it on the market. With my current lifestyle it will be very difficult for me to do this ..

without taking into account the weight of flowers to decorate it

It's just a wonderful miracle, not Lyudmila, the tea master !!!!! What an excellent work ability !!!! Lyudochka, thanks for the pictures, she encouraged me !!!

girls, hello)) I boast - I bought 750 grams of tea rose petals on the market today))) I again twisted the meat grinder and dried it, 105 grams came out dry. hung in a bag to dry.
and yesterday my mother brought from the island (we have a plot of 45 acres there, of which 30 are planted with strawberries)))) different leaves - raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries, apple trees, cherries - about 3 kg. I have already wilted and twisted half. if the rest is put in the refrigerator until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? (otherwise the hand hurts to turn the meat grinder, and the electric one heats up a lot, I'm afraid to burn it)

[Hang out]

I bought 750 grams of tea rose petals on the market today))) I again twisted the meat grinder and dried it, 105 grams came out dry. hung in a bag to dry.

Hang out, that's lovely! The petals are on sale in the market! Can you see a photo of these twisted petals? Very interesting!

45 acres, of which 30 are planted with strawberries))))

This is the scale! it is even difficult to imagine how to care for this strawberry.

if the rest is put in the refrigerator until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? (otherwise the hand hurts to turn the meat grinder, and the electric one heats up a lot, I'm afraid to burn it)

Natasha, if you do it tomorrow, you can put it in the refrigerator. If later, it is better in the freezer. They will then be twisted better in a meat grinder than simply dried. Some girls don't twist just withered leaves at all - only through the freezer. I also do this with autumn leaves. The process is greatly facilitated.

I'll take a picture of a rose tomorrow)
freezer full of fruit, no room. will stay in the fridge until tomorrow

[Hang out]

Hang out, Natalia, Thanks, we'll wait .

[Radushka]

Yesterday I made tea from a mixture of leaves pear-70%, mulberry-25%, grapes, apple, strawberry-5%. It turned out 800g. Something was drying hard, very hot here. Dried for 20 minutes at 150g, 30 minutes at 100g and dried in Isidri. When drying, for some reason, it smelled strongly of prunes, and then the smell of dried pear, like in compotes. Haven't brewed it yet, but the aroma of the tea is delicious.
Radushka, I add goof to the cherry, plum, cherry plum, to the fact that it gives a dark tea leaves.

[Alla]

Alla,

Radushka, I add goof to the cherry, plum, cherry plum, to the fact that it gives a dark tea leaves.

Thank you my dear! I don't have cherry plums, but there are cherries and plums.
Loch itself is very to my taste. Only, it's a pity that the granules are crumbling. Maybe in a mix with cherries they will be stronger?
I have already resigned myself to the idea that the goof should be made sheet, if that

[Radushka]

Radushka, I did a sheet, it is easy to work with it.

[Alla]

Alla, but as? Mono, and then interfered with others?

The first teas I made mono, and then I liked the mixed ones more. I mixed several mono teas after drying, they still change the aroma with stirring during long-term storage, but I left the sucker separately, I add it according to my mood.

I left the sucker separately, I add it according to my mood

So I thought so! Thanks for the advice!

[Alla]

Something was drying hard, very hot here.

Alla, and Rustic always dries longer, because his granules are denser. But it's worth it!

Good day to all!
I am reporting. Dried a mono-apple tree at night. Meat grinder without freezing. The leaves are a little dry. I thought they wouldn't twist. Everything is twisted. Sprinkled a little with water, however, then. Fermentation 6 hours just in the room. It was about 25 degrees.
Dry with frying at 150 for 10 minutes, at 125 for 10 minutes. Dried out at 60. Hangs out on the veranda, because on the street on weekends it often carries smoke. The costs of the metropolis. (but you don't have to cook a shish kebab. Sniff it and that's enough. Saving, however)
The tea turned out to be beautiful, brown. Brewed beautifully too. The taste of ... tea. Plain, black. Of course, we will wait for dry pre-fermentation. But, even if the taste does not change, it is quite possible to replace black tea.
I will not interfere with anything yet. I wonder what will happen to apple tea in the fall?

[Radushka]

Radushka, well done ! Tea will certainly improve in the fall. But even the fact that it reminds you of regular black tea already means a lot.
Radushka, after 125 *, you would still dry it by 90 - 100 *, otherwise I'm afraid that it didn't dry enough in 20 minutes to dry it at 60 *. Although you know better. Your oven is a normal size, so the layer may be thinner when drying than in my mini. I still do not think to dry out in 20 minutes.
I highly recommend mixing the apple tree with something. She's so good at mixing.
by the way, be prepared that now it will always be difficult to twist the leaves of the garden plants. Therefore, it is better to freeze everything after withering.

Girls! Can you please tell me, has anyone tried to make tea from lingonberry? After all, its leaves are dense, is it suitable for making fermented tea? Previously, my grandmother always brewed lingonberry leaves instead of tea, but simply dried, without any additional processing. Tea was infused overnight on the stove, it got a very beautiful color. Today I was gathering lingonberries in the forest, I want to try to make tea. But I do not know if it will work out ... I would like to get advice from the experts in the "tea business".

[BarsaRyza]

BarsaRyzaHave you read the list of active links to reviews about tea from different plants at the end of the recipe in the comments? There is also a link to the lingonberry leaf. Please look by clicking on the word "Lingonberry".
I made the tea and wrote a review on page 125 ..

Now I saw, found ... Thank you! But I will try to do it anyway, I want to compare the tastes of leafy and fermented.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila,

I'm afraid it didn't dry enough in 20 minutes to dry it at 60 *

Dry-dry! I am afraid that I dry out at 60 even.And the layer is not quite thin in the oven.
Today "accidentally" brought, in addition to grape leaves (planned), also cherries and cherries. I completely forgot that we collect cherries after cutting down a certain number of branches. And on them leaves. And now my hand will not rise just to throw them away. And the mother-in-law was angry with the cherry for the lack of berries and threatened to cut it down. I had to save the tree by preparing leaves for tea.

Dry-dry! I am afraid that I dry out at 60 even. And the layer is not quite thin in the oven.

Sweetheart, see for yourself. You probably have a good oven, so it dries quickly.

And now my hand will not rise just to throw them away.

A familiar symptom! I dragged cut cherry branches from neighbors to me.

And the mother-in-law was angry with the cherry for the lack of berries and threatened to cut it down. I had to save the tree by preparing leaves for tea.

Eh, he doesn't understand! We must somehow convince her.

Eh, he doesn't understand! We must somehow convince her.

And I treated her to tea. Changed my mind

[Radushka]

Radushka, Oh how good! I saved the tree! But now the mother-in-law will take ... tea. Or maybe she will start doing it herself.

No. She's 83. It's hard. She is a garden-garden and even then with difficulty maintains.

Well done mother-in-law! May God give her strength and health! Then treat her to tea more often.

I also dedicated this day to tea with apple leaves. And I had some grapes. I wanted to use these leaves for dolma. But she changed her mind and, together with the apples, wilted, froze. My meat grinder coped with the apple cider with difficulty. I paused several times. But the result was worth all the effort. After drying, the pellets were fine and did not differ from industrial tea. But the flavor !!!!!! I think this mix will be my favorite. Tomorrow I will take a short break in my tea shop, and the next tea will be again apple-grape + strawberry. And then, and then ... ah, it's a pity that there are only two hands.

[Lyudochka,]

Lyudochka, I couldn’t stand it ... I made tea (as I wrote earlier), after drying it in a pillowcase for almost a week, it is in the bank for a week ... when I opened it ... the smell is just stunned! Brewed ...
🔗

How (in appearance)?
The taste is very tasty! I remind you: leaves of wild pear, sweet cherry, cherry, mulberry, a little raspberry ...

And dried the tea rose petals. And also ... I don't even know if it will go or not ... I dried some flax flowers, they are so blue, beautiful ... I wonder if they can be added to teas for beauty? I can take a picture tomorrow.

Narwhal yesterday cherry leaves in the village. They lie wither. And they smell like ROSE! And from the same cherries, when I used to vomit, they smelled like cherries. Straight, I wonder what the tea will smell like?