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

Good day everyone. Last year's tea did not work out for me. There were many mistakes. All teas have a pleasant sweetish smell, but no taste whatsoever, more precisely: grass, hay and straw, a broom ... the greater the desire to still make delicious teas! After all, I don't even know what they should taste like. May-June is colder than ever before, at night 4-8C, in the afternoon 10-15C and it rains almost every day. The leaves, of course, have grown, so I started by testing all the leaves for aroma in a bag. The aromas are very weak. But, nevertheless, I made one combined tea after three freezing times. I'm afraid to try - so as not to be disappointed. Ivan tea is not blooming yet, but the leaves have grown so huge and "fat". Made 1 batch without freezing. And I froze the second part after fermentation, I read that it is possible. It is very convenient if there is no time to dry everything at once. Yesterday I took it out of the freezer and dried it, the aroma is awesome. I have doubts about the duration of the fermentation. In one place it is written: "It is better to ferment a young leaf longer: 8 hours - the taste is better, since the leaf is very juicy and fermentation takes longer." In another: "Young leaves are the richest in tannin. They do not need to be fermented for a long time." Of course, you have to focus on the smell during fermentation, if I knew this "correct" smell. The only thing that I took into account is that after repeated freezing, fermentation is 1-2 hours. In general, the leaves around all sorts of sea, hands "itch" and the rains interfere.

[dalida]

dalida, Ludmila, there is a difference between Ivan tea and garden plants. With a longer fermentation of fireweed, the aroma can increase, it can be transformed into other shades of smell. It's different with garden ones. In my, albeit not too much, experience, I will say ... Fermenting garden ones longer than 6 hours from the beginning of twisting is not worth it. They will only lose quality. I conducted an experiment with my favorite raspberry. Fermented for 4,6,8 and 12 hours. Then it was still without freezing, without hardening. 8-hour tea seemed to me the most "tea", but 6-hour tea was more fragrant.
Now I harden all the leaves (I don't count the number of "freeze-thaw" cycles. Maybe two, maybe 10. Sometimes there is no time to make tea, and there is no room in the freezer either. You just have to change the packages).
The smell of hay or broom is most likely not due to over-fermentation, but due to improper drying. Steaming tea. The layer during frying should, indeed, be no more than 1 cm. The oven door MUST be ajar. If you dry in a dryer without frying, the rules are the same. The tea layer is thin (I leave gaps on the mesh for better airflow). And first I dry at a higher temperature, and then I lower it. I am making tea for the fourth season. I have not received a single batch with the smell of hay (except for meadow strawberries. But, I was warned that they are not suitable for tea, unlike strawberries)



Yuri K, photos, as always, are GREAT! Teasing is not good, however! Although ... And I have a BLACK ALDER! Here!

Teasing is not good, however! Although ... And I have a BLACK ALDER! Here!

Anna, thanks. Now I try to fulfill all the conditions meticulously: I brought the leaves home neatly, they did not even heat up. Withered all over the house in 1 layer (now the house is quite cool and humid), twisted it 2 times, the granules are huge. Fermented at t22-25C (this is t of the mass itself). I dried two sheets at once at 140C - 20 minutes. in one layer, convection oven and left the slot.Then I reduced t to 100C: I pulled out one leaf and poured the tea onto the Darina desktop dryer. And she poured a fresh portion of tea into this leaf - and into the oven. At 100C, both sheets dried for 30 minutes. We got two frying temperatures. As they wrote: a higher one is for taste, and a lower one is for aroma. It did not interfere, since the layer is single, only changed the sheets in places. Dried at 60-70C. I turned off the oven when half of the tea leaves were almost dry (which are small) and half were slightly soft inside (which are large). Now on the second floor lies on trays until completely dry. I'm afraid because of the cold, rainy and cloudy weather, the leaves have not gained enough taste. Hope for a sunny July. Until I found in the radius of my residence neither a sucker (although there are a lot of similar trees, but we must wait for flowering), nor an alder, I have to go to a country arboretum, I think there is.

Fireweed for Ivan tea and thyme. Just within a radius of 100 km from the city, as it turned out, you can find awesome meadows of these amazing herbs !!!!

Beautiful photos! Prompt, and fireweed is collected with flowers or only leaves, I'm going on the weekend to harvest.

[Mishel0904]

Mishel0904, collect literally everything! Flowers - this is the most In the themes of the "Tea Club" there are recipes not only for making fireweed leaves, but even refined teas purely from color, from seed pods and other variations, look through!

Granulated tea from fireweed flower brushes (Ovelini)

Ivan-tea "White-pink" (from the tops) (lappl1)

Ivan tea is not blooming yet, but the leaves have grown so huge and "fat".

and fireweed is collected with flowers or only leaves

Girls, we discuss Vanka, mainly in his topic:

Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class (lappl1)

Immediately, I note that we have been collecting fireweed since May, there are fans of the May Vanka. It is only 20-30 cm in total, and its taste is exceptional - sweetish-floral, pronounced and spicy due to the high starch content in young plants. It is this that microorganisms use for fermentation. Therefore, for a sweetish and floral taste and aroma, it is not worth fermenting for a long time, since after fermentation, the stage of ensiling begins, leading to acidification and the transition of the floral aroma to hay. Personally, I ferment May fireweed for 4 hours. But June is already 4-6 hours. Well, that's me, explaining the biochemistry of taste and aroma. In general, whoever wants to get what, does so.

[Radushka]

Radushka, look how much wealth awaits me for an hour N A leaf with color and boxes is dried, and then the thyme is already chopped to dry

[Yuri K]

Yuri K, great! that's how much wealth! And the pictures are awesome, I won't write anything else, they will scold
The baby and I are not picking up especially now, so we put together a package for me, while we are tempering, our hands itch to start
Hello everybody

[Yuri K]

Yuri K, for some reason I see pictures in the gazebo, but not here

[Marina]

I will not write anything more, they will scold

Marina, I write:

In general, whoever wants to get what, does so.

Whoever likes tea, do it! Nobody will swear! For what? For the fact that the other person has a different criterion of "goodness"? This is stupid. Well, the daily allowance is tasty for you, do the daily allowance! It is neither tasty, nor aromatic, nor pleasant to me, I will never do this again. Well, we won't swear. Everyone does it for themselves, for their taste, this is normal and natural. And to convince each other is also stupid, we will not do that either. So write what you want, don't be afraid of your self-expression

I tested all possible leaves that grow in the country and around for aroma. The smell is very, very weak, with the exception of the bird cherry. So it's not worth making tea just yet?

[dalida]

dalida, worth it. Without trying it, you will not know what can come out of this or that material that prevails in your availability. Just carefully study the experience of the "first page", since garden and wild plants are quite capricious in making tea, unlike fireweed (which is difficult to spoil)
Keep in mind that many stone fruits have a strong almond aroma of their own, and will overpower all other aromas in mixes. This is just bird cherry, cherry, blackberry.
For all teas of this branch, one of the stages is preferable - "hardening according to Zachariah", simply repeated freezing / thawing. Then you will have a better test than the "batch" test Batch is still used mainly for newly found, not yet tested plants. Although ... many may disagree with me probably

many may disagree with me probably

what is it? Yura, you said absolutely right! After even a single freezing, you can immediately hear during thawing what the aroma will be in the tea!
By the way, our sensitivity to aromas is also very variable. Someone seems barely smelling, but someone STINKS so that it is impossible to breathe
As for me, bird cherry in tea is almost inaudible. So ... shade. And the cherry ... well, everyone knows my attitude towards it
By the way, not quite on the topic, but ... until I have grown basil in an amount suitable for a haircut, I replace it in salads with ordinary mint with tarragon and catnip. It goes well! In my life I would not have thought without trying

I'm in grief. The dryer is on strike. Either the fan works, then no ... and in such a heat to dry in the oven ... CERE! I hope my spouse will do something with this lousy

Yura, you said absolutely right! After even a single freezing, you can immediately hear during thawing what the aroma will be in the tea!

Thank you! I meant that for me the "batch test" somehow does not reveal the quality of the future tea. I am more used to defrosting / freezing. I was 100% convinced of this on the example of my sage, even when I was first shocked by it. But he did not pass the batch test, I remember, it smelled like camphor until he passed the hardening stage

[Linadoc]

Linadoc, ruler, I thought that they would scold for off-then the topic is not Vankin ... but Jurassic ... posted such pictures-could not resist was glad

repeated freezing / thawing. Then you will have a better test.

Oh, really. Well, at the beginning of June I made a combined tea and after each defrosting the aroma was strong, but I did not even open the bags. At every defrost, I did not know how to proceed. The houses are cool enough, that is, the leaves will thaw for a long time. I preheated the oven to keep my hand warm and put the bags there ...
Well, that's it, hold on to the freezer, now I'll test everything through it.
And about the perception of aroma: I already wrote here earlier that I adore all forest-meadow-field scents. And when I catch the scent from the leaves, I already "melt", like yesterday from a crumpled leaf of a bird cherry. I even like wormwood. So I have no dislikes yet.

I'll ask, although I'm afraid. Don't throw your slippers, okay? It seems that I read everything, but I didn't understand, I guess. So I made tea from rosehip and sea buckthorn leaves. There is color, there is astringency, there is no smell. But it (the smell) was not there when the leaves were collected. I decided that only those teas that smell in fresh leaves smell. Collected lemon balm. It smelled great. Withered, frozen, fermented, dried. The smell is gone! Where is the mistake? Re-fermented?

[Irina]

Collected lemon balm. It smelled great. Withered, frozen, fermented, dried. The smell is gone! Where is the mistake? Re-fermented?

Irina, see this thread

Fermented tea and fiber from aromatic herbs (Linadoc)

There is color, there is astringency, there is no smell. But it (the smell) was not there when the leaves were collected.

These leaves do not have a special aroma. If you did everything correctly: wilted (and how much?), Scrolled, fermented in a sealed container (again how much?), Fried (how much and at what T?), Dried, hung out to dry, closed in a jar and removed, then the aroma will appear in six months or a year of dry fermentation.

Girls, take a new one over tea. I made tea last year from the tops of willow-herb, I liked it very much, a win-win. Now the party is also being dried.
But my question is, is it possible to ferment apple cake? When I squeeze the juices, a lot of cake remains, but if it is fermented?

[Ludmila]

Hi, Ludmila!
We do not ferment the cake, because it will ferment, mash Look here:

Pomace products: 1) fiber; 2) baking powder; 3) tea additives; 4) tea substitute (lappl1)

[Sorti]

Sorti, the ruler gave very correct links - last year, at her tip, I disposed of the cake - beauty,

[Ludmila]

Hi, Ludmila!
We do not ferment the cake, because it will ferment, mash Look here:

Pomace products: 1) fiber; 2) baking powder; 3) tea additives; 4) tea substitute (lappl1)

Oops, thanks for the links. All the time I made marshmallow from cake, but the children stopped eating it, they ate. And now I know what to do with a valuable product, thanks

All the time I made marshmallow out of cake

And I'm still doing this:

Pomace sauce (Linadoc)

Sweet preparation from fruit pomace (Linadoc)

Yes, this is a holiday of some kind, how many recipes. Thank you

Someone collects the leaves in bags, but my tea season is just beginning. I tried to freeze all kinds of leaves for a test-aroma, the result: a strong aroma only in honeysuckle and bird cherry, the rest - none (raspberries, strawberries, cherries, yurga, probably sucker) - so there are tiny and green berries. I won't make tea yet ...?
Ivancha drives! (I wanted to hide the text - I don't know how)

[Ludmila]

I wanted to hide the text - I don't know how

Ludmila, press

My first tea was born today too! Yesterday I collected the vanka, tops and leaves, made it separately, in a lila in a sheet, scrolled it, roasted it in the oven and in the dryer. And I cut off the grapes, also tried it, twisted it without freezing it, once, good granules turned out and it goes easily. When can I try?

[Tatyana]

When can I try?

Tatyana, with the initiative you!
Try in a month.

These leaves do not have a special aroma.

And I have a funky honey aroma of sea buckthorn, though I torment it, not ferment it.

And I cut off the grapes, also tried it, twisted it without freezing it, once, good granules turned out and it goes easily.

The grape itself is not very, neither astringency nor color does not really give, only acid. It's good to add a little to mixes. I really liked making it with black chokeberry cake, this year I will store all the cut grapes until autumn, while the chokeberry ripens. Now it's good to make dolma from grapes

And I have a funky honey aroma of sea buckthorn, though I torment it, not ferment it.

I'm tormenting too. I really liked this tea. Like good green tea and not cheap varieties. I also want to try autumn sea buckthorn tea.

Is it possible in detail how to simmer sea buckthorn for tea?

Is it possible in detail how to simmer sea buckthorn for tea?

Wither, stuff tightly into a bag, tie and put in a slow cooker for 6-8 hours at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. Then frying and drying. I fry in a pan until the aroma appears, and transfer to the dryer. I dry at a temperature of 60-70 degrees. It turns out whole leaf tea.

I also want to try autumn sea buckthorn tea.

By the fall, it is already all eaten by someone, I collect mainly young shoots.

By the fall, it is already all eaten by someone, I collect mainly young shoots.

Well then fine. I also languish, only in a clay pot in a slow cooker at the same temperature. I dry it in a frying pan, in an airfryer and in a dryer, then I mix everything. delicious!

And at


I really liked making it with black chokeberry cake, this year I will store all the cut grapes until autumn, until the black chokeberry ripens. Now it's good to make dolma from grapes

I don't have a blackberry, I still can't plant it, I still have to be puzzled by this question.Where do you use the berry? And twist the grapes with black chops together?

I don't have a blackberry, I still can't plant it, I still have to be puzzled by this question. Where do you use the berry? And twist the grapes with black chops together?

I do not have it either, the neighbors ditch. She made apple-aronia wine. I put a pinch of stewed leaves + a spoonful of cake in the meat grinder (my daughter helped me, it is more convenient in 4 hands
) and so on for the whole game. And then for frying and drying. The granules are good, strong.

[liusia]

liusia, LudmilaHow many already read, these processes (with a multicooker) ---- I also languish, only in a clay pot in a multicooker at the same temperature --- I have a multicooker in a new package, so the question is: on which program ?. .. and they also write that you can put it in a multicooker right in the package ... the package won't melt?

[Galina]

on which program?

Galina, in my opinion on heating.

package will not melt

No, it won't melt.

[Galina]

Galina, I have Shtebochka. I do it on heating.

these processes (with a multicooker)

Green tea - fermentation in Brand 100 yogurt maker and Brand 701 multicooker (MariV)

Regarding getting good granules, I read that berries are added, but only then not everyone likes the compote taste. Perhaps you can add berries without a pronounced taste, for example, blackberry or yurga, because you can dry them in advance. I specially froze the black chokeberry last year so that I can add something now. Or maybe prunes or dried apricots thinly cut and twist with leaves that are poorly granulated ...? Any dried fruit, the same raisins.
From the experience. I tried to look for something tea in the wild, in the fields there is already a riot of flowers, which, unfortunately, I do not know, are more modest in the forest. But the permeability is not any: after the monthly rains, the grass is scarcely knee-deep, but mostly up to the waist and up to the beard. So I struggled with a bicycle under my arm - a trainer for the whole body. As a result: bitten by mosquitoes, burnt by nettles (she is as tall as me) and all in thorns from last year's thistle, but pleased with what he saw and found: meadow and forest geraniums everywhere, glades, drupe (somehow little is written about tea from it), strawberries - similarly everywhere, raspberries, cherries - in thickets, wild apple trees, bird cherry trees, yurga, sea buckthorn, wild willow everywhere (the same is hardly mentioned), sage is just beginning to bloom - how much work ... And on the way I collected mushrooms on tincture for giving. In general: eyes in a run, neck around and constantly thinking: when will I work in the country, but I don't even have time to go to work! But this is all 100% positive.

Maybe add berries without a pronounced taste, for example, blackberry

You can, I added black chokeberry last year, the autumn leaves were dry and poorly granulated, but wonderful with berries.

From the invented. I pour tea, including into glass coffee jars, they have different necks, but I want to pour the tea as soon as possible, so as not to spill it all around. I have a large funnel for ordinary glass jars, I pour jam through it. I bought a disposable cardboard cup, its neck is just a little larger than a hole in the funnel, cut off only the bottom itself, made four vertical slots from the bottom and just above the middle - that's it. I insert the funnel into the top of the cup and, squeezing the cup at the bottom due to the slots, I get the desired diameter, that is, I insert the bottom of the cup into any jar, the whole structure holds well.
Question. I have not yet realized which granules for fermentation and frying are better: small or large. I always twist it twice. Both small and large are always tight.

Good tea time everyone!
The latest messages do not require special comments from more experienced tea-makers, so they all silently look out of the thickets of Vanka and other plants. And I, silently pouring another 10 kg of Vanka's ready-made mix into plastic boxes, draw the tea-makers' attention to Vladimir's very good result in the fermentation of the Crimean iron pot, which he described in a recipe that was hardly noticed by anyone:

Fermented tea from Crimean iron (Tatar tea) (Vladr59)

Of course, few people have the opportunity to make tea from an iron pot, but, firstly, readers of this topic living in the Crimea have this opportunity, and secondly, this experience is applicable to other similar plants of the labiate family, fermented with whole flowers and inflorescences.

[Vladr59]

secondly, this experience is applicable to other similar plants of the family Labiata, fermented with whole flowers and inflorescences

That is why we are silent Let's try to analyze by priorities:
firstly, to discuss tea from Vladr59 it will be interesting all the same to the Crimeans. This is also evident from the absence of the plant in other regions. No raw materials - no experiments - no discussions.
Secondly .... This is another story, I tried it, for example. Lips, they are luciferous, right? Then let's remember my sage, types of mint, oregano, thyme. My "sonata" is described in almost the same way: collecting, drying, freezing, granulating, fermenting, drying.
Third - On the example of sage. Actually, there was no trash, due to the binding component (pear leaf), but I did not get clear granules either. In the mono version, it would probably just be trash. Conclusion - it is better to cut and not granulate the lacustrine. Which I do calmly with thyme, oregano and mint.
Fourthly, I didn’t get any tangible "wow" effect from the fermentation of these herbs to taste, with the exception of sage. Why bother then? I have stopped. I make mono versions of these herbs, add them to ready-made mixes when brewing at will
The recipe was seen, read. But there was simply nothing to comment on



That's what I can't figure out in any way, it's with Tavolga (meadowsweet)
It turns out there are a whole bunch of subspecies of them ... And we are shown in the videos and articles only one - it seems like a viscous leaf. And they say that it grows only in wet, swampy places. Yesterday we went for 200 km to take pictures of nature, I saw a stunted plant with similar panicles of flowers, but I was confused by the leaves, which were not typical, and I did not collect it. And probably in vain! In the very heat, in the steppe, around the water bodies for kilometers there is nothing. I just didn't take a picture ... And under the cut is a link to subspecies (subtaxa).

🔗

[Linadoc]

I make mono versions of these herbs, add them to ready-made mixes when brewing at will

I also switched to mono additions to the main mixes. Unless, I mix basil and lemon catnip right away. And I make a custom mix - pear + raspberry + 5% monarda. Melissa is different, mint, oregano I do not ferment at all. I twist it twice and dry it at 40. I twist it, not cut it, because I save storage space. "Dust" does not bother me at all. There is a separate jar in which all the dusty fraction is collected for the season. And, believe me, this is ... the MOST delicious tea!
Due to the terrible heat, tea production has stalled. Made just one large batch of fermented rose petals-mono (600 g ready) and two 1 kg batches of finished garden mixes. Pear + apple + raspberry + black currant + 10% black alder and Pear + apple + raspberry + "tails" of large-fruited garden strawberry + 10% black alder. Now the shearing of this very "strawberry" is taking place and after picking the berries of the black currant there will be a shearing of its leaves (a lot of those burnt from the dry wind). In the freezer, 450 g of Ivanushka leaves are waiting for their turn. I will mix with garden ones.
Linadoc, thanks for the link to the iron tea. I will definitely go to read. It is a pity that there is and will not be, most likely, the opportunity to do and try

I also switched to mono additions to the main mixes. Melissa is different, mint, oregano I do not ferment at all.

So I am doing the same now, just do not twist. The meat grinder will jump, exactly, on the same thyme. The stem is like a wire. Yes, and oregano too, and if you "sand" only the leaf and the color for twisting, then nifiga will not gain mass, we have these herbs almost bald, everything is usually

but I don’t get clear granules either


So I had it the same way, I had to cut the remainder, though there weren't very many raw materials, but I liked the cut tea more (I made it with wild pear)

[kartinka]

kartinka, have you read what herbs and plants were you talking about?