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

[Veronica]

Veronica, thanks. I'd better refrain from geranium tea.

Yeah, I use geranium to catch a bee swarm, the bee queen is very greedy for geraniums, and in the bedroom it is like a phytoncide. And I don't want something in tea. Oh, downpour, I climbed down

I just remembered. We used to have 6 acres. And there is a whole clearing of white lilies. The one from which the jam is made. I cooked. It was delicious. Only the taste is very strong. So you can use the petals for beauty and add a touch of flavor?

I don’t understand ... White lily is a regale lily, or what? I've never chewed petals, and all my life I was sure that only pollen sacs give the smell. Which are plucked when selling these lilies, this pollen is the strongest allergen ... Well, at least it is not poisonous, and that's good.

Lina, and I, therefore, am not a queen bee ... I run far and quickly from the smell of any geranium. As well as from the Persian lilac. You feel good, downpour ...

[Veronica]

Veronica,

White lily is a regale lily, or what?

Yes. Lily regale. The jam was interesting. There it is necessary to grind with citric acid and sugar, then roll the rolls, string them on a string like beads and cook in syrup, gradually increasing the concentration of the syrup. Well, as usual in old recipes. Then you remove the thread and such snails with the taste of a sweet lily float in a gentle syrup. Cool. Then I made jam from everything. And from lilies, and from roses, and from acacia.
py. sy. What's not an allergen now?

[Veronica]

Veronica, definitely not just bags. My mother loves lilies, we give them all the time and grow them themselves, and always, before cutting, we break off the bags so that they do not get dusty and dirty. So lilies, even without bags, smell right from the 3rd floor to the first to the sixth! I generally keep quiet about the smell in the apartment.
Is it really possible to make jam from them? And from the others, the most fragrant?

Damn, where would I get such lilies, please mom with jam, she loves the smell of lilies so much ...

[Anastasia]

Anastasia,

And from the others, the most fragrant?

I don't know about the others, but I cooked regale from white lilies myself. Specific taste. Pleasant.

Nastya, when mine will bloom - I'll go chew. Anthers smell, pollen gets on the petals and eats. And about jam - like pink, it is cooked equally from all the herbs. But isn't it bitter? And the allergen is strong, we must not forget. I know an alcoholic tincture from petals, I did it once. Works as a good skin whitening agent.

[Veronica]

Veronica,

Yes, we used alcoholic tincture of lily leaves very successfully: we treated my grandfather's bedsores. Nothing helped, but this tincture instantly helped and prevented new sores!

Well, I have nowhere to get the lily petals, so I'm fasting, so to speak.
Radushka, thanks for the answer! My mother just loves the smell of lilies to the point of stupor, she would like such a jam.

Zachary, what did you do with her later? Did you take it as a medicine or as a tea?

As a medicine we keep at hand

[Linga]

LingaFor myself, I decided that you first need to wilt the leaves, then send them in a "sweat" package, and then follow our scenario. In any case, even a little sour tea and tea from the second batch turned out to be very black and more astringent in comparison with other teas.

Lyudmila, do you continue to adhere to the method of sweating or is it all the same without it? I don't like light and light teas like green .. I want rich in color and taste ..I understand that this is exactly the case with sweating in bags, and when drying at 150 degrees for 1 hour? Right?
They plan to make from apricot leaves, apples, cherries, currants, pears, rose leaves, lemon balm and mint.
Thank you!

And I also don’t understand the moment: we dry up in order for the excess moisture to go away .. and does sweating not add moisture again? What's the point?

[Mrrr meow]

Mrrr meow, sweating is the start of fermentation, with a whole leaf. At this time, leaf vacuoles break, releasing part of the juice, and microorganisms that work in the fermentation process are activated - in warmth and without air access. Some traditional healers use this method to prepare raw materials, especially if they need to extract juice from the leaves or make a mushy form.

[Mrrr meow]

on pear trees, even on clean leaves on the back, closer to the tail, there is such a velvety bloom ... I chose the cleanest and with a minimum. count of this plaque .. Or even such is impossible if the tree is affected? Damn .. I've already put these leaves for withering

Mrrr meow, in general, if you rinse the leaves well, you can make tea from them. Sometimes I, together with the snails, if I don't check it, twist the leaves of the fireweed. They crunch so characteristically. Nothing, they will dry out at high temperature. I never threw away the tea.

Luda, I don’t understand, but what kind of snails are on fireweed? We don't have it, but everyone is complaining ... Maybe I can't see? The last batch of tea was dried in parallel with the installation of trellises in the garden. Time kind of stopped, and I fried the granules in AG at 150 with good voltage in the network without stirring for 20 minutes, and even on the upper grill ... You should have seen how I rushed to the kitchen, remembering the drying tea! But - so I got an awesome smell of well-ripened and properly rolled silage, that is, wildly fruity-floral. Stirred, dried, poured. And the smell from the house did not disappear for three days. Now I think what it will taste like. I won't repeat it yet, but the aroma turned out well, oh-oh-very fragrant!

[Mrrr meow]

and you still adhere to the method of sweating or is it all the same without it?

Mrrr meow, I have not written anywhere that I adhere to this method of preparing leaves for fermentation. There is not a word about this method in the recipe, but in the comments last year we discussed this method. And in the comments I wrote that I don't really like this method. Although many people like it. Tea with this method turns out to be very dark. To understand if you like it, you should cook it at least once.

I understand that this is exactly the case with sweating in bags, and when drying at 150 degrees for 1 hour?

Mrrr meowwhere did you see 1 hour at 150 *? It is not necessary to dry for a long time at this temperature. No longer than 10 - 20 minutes. And in general, it is better, until you get used to it, start drying at 100 *, as written in the recipe. Then you will experiment.

Well, I mixed up the topics again ...

Perhaps I should remove the "frying" from the recipe altogether. Some girls have taken it as a basis. We read the main recipe, not lyrical digressions. And it would be nice to read the theory carefully. That is, what are the best conditions for making tea. Almost everything is in the recipe. We read it carefully!

[Veronicek]

I don't understand, but what kind of snails are on fireweed? We don't have it, but everyone is complaining ...

Veronicek, I don't see them either, but sometimes these snails slip. Infrequently. This season I saw a couple of pieces.

The last batch of tea was dried in parallel with the installation of trellises in the garden. The time of the type stopped, and I fried the granules in AG at 150 with good voltage in the network without stirring for 20 minutes, and even on the upper grill ...

Well, I was going to remove the "frying". So what? Leave?

Lyuda, don't take it away. This is one of the ways that have the right to life. You just need to carefully read the recipe at the beginning of tea making ... and not do other things in parallel, like some ... And not experiment on the very first kilogram of collected raw materials.There are some rules that need to be followed, and there are not so many of them to confuse and forget. You are all very good, accessible and correctly written in the recipe!
Next week, I still want to collect a little - how many - strawberry leaves, they are large in the shade. There will be super-elite and rare tea!

[Mrrr meow]

And I also don’t understand the moment: we dry up in order to remove excess moisture .. and sweating does not add moisture again? What's the point?

Mrrr meow, so I don’t understand. Therefore, I make tea in the way described in the recipe. Moreover, my experience has shown that this is not the best option for tea. Maybe I did wrong? Or maybe it's just not my tea.
In general, before doing anything, I must understand the essence of the processes taking place. Therefore, I did not stop at blindly copying recipes, but studied the theoretical foundations of tea making. The method of "sweating", in my opinion, violates traditional technology. But I don't impose anything on anyone. Everyone can do what they think is right.

[Veronica]

Veronica,

There will be super-elite and rare tea!

and I'm going to make from meadow strawberries. She's about to start singing. There is a question on this case.
As far as I understand, what should be done with the leaf after drying-freezing? How long does it take to ferment? I ask, because there will be one option. On the second leaves I will not type.

Lyuda, don't take it away. This is one of the ways that have the right to life.

Well lang ... I persuaded ... I'll write it in small print right now.

You just need to carefully read the recipe at the beginning of tea-making ... and not do other things in parallel, like some ...

Oh, I would just be happy if everyone read the recipes. And about the taboo on parallel cases ... it's ... you went too far. We did 100 things at a time and will continue to do so. otherwise how would you know that you haven't “fried” enough before?

[Radushka]

As far as I understand, what should be done with the leaf after drying-freezing? How long does it take to ferment? I ask, because there will be one option. On the second leaves I will not type.

Radushka, got it right. First sluggish, then frost. Or you don't have to freeze at all. The leaves are still tender. It is difficult to do without a freezer in August.
Ferment for 6 - 8 hours, like all gardeners.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, I got sweating by accident. They drove me far and long in a car in the heat. And there is no air conditioner.
So I took out completely wet raw materials from the bag. She scattered it on the table, turned it over by the open window in the evening draft, and in half an hour got it. I think sweating makes it fade faster. Not even faster, but no need to run and watch so that it does not dry out. Here!

Meadow strawberries are my same strawberries. The method of making tea is the same as for everything else. Just collect it evaporate ... Wither-scroll-ferment-dry. They scroll easily. Leafy - wither-freeze-defrost-twist-cut-ferment-dry, or ferment first, then cut. You do not need to freeze, but after freezing, twisting is easier and faster. Fermentation last year was enough for me 4 hours. Again, there is no exact time of fermentation, the main tool is your own nose and intuition ... But the leaves of strawberries, whether garden or forest, show aroma quickly.

[Veronica]

Veronica, and the granules are obtained if twisted, or are they weak? And then my goof was also spinning easily, but it turned out ... a lot of dust. True, delicious

Lyudochka, fry enough or not - I don't understand myself yet. Lina also wrote about a longer frying ... Boom to try on garden ones. I want to repeat it on the apple tree, otherwise it seems to me too neutral. And sweating gives a more intense release of juice from the leaves. And the taste changes due to a change in the speed of reactions, and it seems to me that even the reactions themselves are different, tannins work more intensively, and this is not always good. I'm not very good for tea either ... Last year I tried it in the village.

[Radushka]

I think sweating makes it fade faster.Not even faster, but no need to run and watch so that it does not dry out. Here!

RadushkaVeronica has already written that sweating starts the fermentation process. By the way, scientifically, this method is called double fermentation... But in production where tea is made in this way, they do not forget to wither it.
And last year we did not dry out the leaves, but after sweating them we twisted them and fermented them again. Apparently, then I fermented for a long time. But even after a couple of hours, I didn't like the smell. some kind of wine. He did not suit me.

[Radushka]

RadushkaGarden strawberry tea is one of our favorites. Made from summer and autumn leaves. The granules are excellent, dense. From the forest I did little, it was difficult to collect, but the granules did not crumble, the color of the tea was dark.

[Veronica]

Veronica, thank you very much! I will definitely do it! And from garden strawberries and meadow strawberries. It may also be possible to dry the berries in the meadow, if the mowers do not mow everything, as they did last year. Well, the leaves will stay anyway. But I have to travel very far for wild strawberries. Alas.

Dearie, make of everything that is nearby. Each tea is good in its own way.

I report about Dzhigida (Dzhida, Wild olive).

Can be drunk as mono tea. I never thought it would be so delicious, tender. fragrant tea from these dry leaves. No wonder I worked, I want to prepare more, but go far.
Tea is transparent light yellow-lemon, taste with sourness, without bitterness, slight astringency. Very tasty.

I read it!
And I have no sourness. Sweetish, delicate, with a light aroma. Very similar to good white tea.

[Radushka]

And I have no sourness. Sweetish, delicate, with a light aroma. Very similar to good white tea.

Radushka, something reminds me that you did something with this tea not according to the script. or am I confusing? I answered you something about him. I can’t find where.

I remember something that you did something with this tea not according to the script.

no, everything was according to plan
however, I don't need sourness
most likely, my sucker is not the one that gives sourness. My berries do not turn red by autumn

most likely, my sucker is not the one that gives sourness. My berries do not turn red by autumn

It may well be. I only remember a sucker from my Kazakh life. but then I didn't make tea, I didn't eat it ... But here I don't have it. Therefore, I will not say anything about him. One thing I know is that everyone who made it really likes it.

I have a goose, too, without sourness, pleasant, aromatic, slightly tart. I almost always do it in mixes.

I collected sucker during flowering, the smell can go stupid. Loch as a sucker that I did not do it with him and he stayed. The color of the leaf did not change significantly. Yellow tea, aromatic as mono, is quite suitable without any sourness, but in addition to aroma in mixes it also dilutes the color range of black tea with its light leaf.

[Zachary]

Zachary, I twisted it. The granules are small. The tea is still good.

Oh guys, I just can’t imagine how you collect sucker. In our suburbs, they somehow planted it in the city as a greening culture. And there were bushes on the embankment, so I could not walk by while the sucker was blooming - before that the smell

nauseous. I'm already turning green right away and looking for bushes ...

... I seem to be calm about different repulsive smells, but a goof is just ATAS. Truly, what we are all different and our delicious too.

[Zachary]

The color of the leaf did not change significantly. Yellow tea, aromatic as mono, is quite suitable without any sourness, but in addition to aroma in mixes it also dilutes the color range of black tea with its light leaf.

Zachary, very nice mix turned out! Thanks for the pictures! As always, mesmerizing - I want to watch and watch!

Hello everyone! I forgot to report my tea. In May, I made about 1 liter of bird cherry. From fireweed 1 kg 3 liter jar. Country tea made from different leaves 1.5l volume.I wanted to make mono raspberries, half turned in a meat grinder, the other half could not and made a sheet of 200 grams each turned out.

Lyudmila, and in what way do you make lemon balm and mint or just dry it? I dried almost always end up thrown away .. there is no aroma in dried me.
Please advise))

[Mrrr meow]

Mrrr meow, more than I said in the recipe about linden, mint and lemon balm, I have nothing to say! Read it please! Here are quotes from the recipe:

I tried to make tea from leaves linden trees, maple, hazelnut. But this tea didn't impress me at all. Not tasty and smells like bath brooms ...

3... Leaves of aromatic and spicy plants (mint, lemon balm, pine shoots ...) is another story. The aroma of the fresh leaves of these plants is given by essential oils. If you prepare tea from them, as described above, i.e. ferment and dry at a temperature of 100 *, then you can get an unpredictable result. During fermentation, the smell of essential oils is transformed, and when dried, it evaporates. Therefore, the aroma for which we love these plants is lost. It is better not to ferment them, but to oxidize them. To do this, without withering, twist the leaves in a meat grinder and immediately send the resulting granules to the dryer at 40 - 50 * C for 40 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 30 * and dry to the end. Granules dry quickly.

[Dilara]

Hello everyone! I forgot to report my tea. In May, I made about 1 liter of bird cherry. From fireweed 1 kg 3 liter jar. Country tea made from different leaves 1.5l volume. I wanted to make mono raspberries, half turned in a meat grinder, the other half could not and made a sheet of 200 grams each turned out.

Dilara, decent stock! Well done!
How does it taste? Have you already tried it?
Dilara, you teased us with forest geraniums, we asked you questions back. Answer please. Are you making tea from it now? If so, how?

Hello everyone! I'm a newbie. My name is Natalia. Usually I add fresh peach leaves to coffee when brewing - they give the taste of amaretto. The dried leaf does not give this taste. Today, having studied the master class, I made tea from peach leaves. The smell was delicious when dried. Immediately I brewed something, I did not understand whether there was a taste of amaretto or not. Does anyone have any experience in making peach leaf tea?

[Mrrr meow]

Mrrr meow, more than I said in the recipe about linden, mint and lemon balm, I have nothing to say! Read it please! Here are quotes from the recipe:

Thank you))
I did not find on the first page in the list of teas links to reviews and experience in making tea from quince and plum. Did someone do it? Does it make sense to mess around?

[Vasyutka]

Vasyutka, Nataliya, welcome to the tea topic.
Probably there is cooking experience. But I don’t remember it because most tea makers don’t have such a plant.
If you carefully read the recipe, then you noticed the following words:

Better let the tea brew for about a month for the so-called dry fermentation. If you try to brew tea right after brewing, it may not impress you. The longer the tea is stored, the tastier and more aromatic it becomes..

But don't count on the taste of Amaretto too much. Because fermentation and drying at high temperatures "kill" or transform the essential oils of plants.

Lyudmila, I don't make tea from geraniums yet. I have to go for it, I have no opportunity. Today I asked a grandmother. she also made tea from geraniums. But these people are already few. who remembers. I still drink tea only from fireweed, the rest are infused. The tea was delicious. Raspberry leaves I could not completely miss not a simple not e-mail. the meat grinder failed, I don't even know how to proceed.

[Mrrr meow]

I did not find on the first page in the tea shop a link to the experience of making tea from quince and plum. Did someone do it? Does it make sense to mess around?

Mrrr meow, were not found because it is unrealistically difficult to shove over 600-odd pages to link to every plant mentioned in the comments.
But ... if you read the recipe itself, you will see in the list of recommended plants plum:

It is better to make tea from those plants, the fruits of which we gladly eat - apple, strawberry, cherry, blackberry, raspberry, black currant, pear, plums, blackthorn, dogwood, sucker, grapes ...In the leaves of each of these plants, tannins are in sufficient quantities.

Mrrr meowThere are so many plants that you can ask whether you can make tea from them for a very long time. But you can do it easier. In the recipe I wrote 2 principles for choosing the material for tea:
1. Presence in leaves tannins.
2. Making tea from leaves, the fruits of which are delicious and we eat them with pleasure.
I quote myself, i.e. the recipe:

In order to make a delicious and aromatic tea, it is important to choose the right plants for its preparation. The basic principle when choosing is the presence of tannins (tannins) in the leaves. If there are no tannins in the leaves, then the tea will turn out to be tasteless. Therefore, when choosing a plant for making tea, you should familiarize yourself with the chemical composition of plant leaves by making a request in any search engine on the Internet. Young leaves are richest in tannin. In delicate raw materials, their content is 20-30%. In a hardened leaf, the reserves of tannins are sharply reduced. Beste to make tea from those plants, the fruits of which we gladly eat - apple trees, strawberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, black currants, pears, plums, thorns, dogwood, suckers, grapes ... In the leaves of each of these plants, tannins are in sufficient quantities.

Of quince did! Praised. I wanted to give a link to it, but I could not find the text, and it takes about three days to search, as a minimum. I don't have such time yet.

Does it make sense to mess around?

Mrrr meow, the meaning is always there if you consciously make tea, that is, take into account the principles of choosing plants for tea, which I constantly write about in the comments, and not just in the recipe. If the plant fits these principles, then why not try making tea? It's so interesting to discover new things for yourself. And then - what one likes, another does not like. I don't like tea made by sweating, but many people like it. So you have to try.