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

It seems to me that this is a matter of taste! Of course, I tried quite a bit of tea, but I like the collection more than one tea.)

Of course, everyone has different tastes! And even for one person, they can change. In the past season, I leaned on pear, cherry and aronia. And I liked the low-fermented tea more. And this year I can't get drunk Ivan-tea, moreover, highly fermented!

I watched my game in Tescom, a ham maker, the aroma is such that Chanel would have envied. Plum, cherry and a little quince and my favorite blackthorn !! This is the best blend so far! Since I do not make in large batches, now I will only make in a ham maker, there is no airless space there, it stood for 9 hours, but I did not wrap it up, I was afraid that it was hot in the house, the aroma was good, I still rubbed it in my hands and put it on until morning.
While there is no meat grinder, I will not cut it with a knife at all, only grind it in my hands. Well to be handmade in the true sense

[Rada-dms]

Rada-dms, well, the theory turned out to be correct in practice! This means that our leaves should not be given a chance to breathe. That is, during fermentation, you need to keep them with the lid closed and with the container filled as much as possible.
Or am I confusing something? Glad, in what conditions are the leaves there? You write:

there is no airless space

What space is there? I don’t have this device, and searches on the Internet did not really clarify the principle of the ham maker.

Judging by the Beloboka ham maker, the principle is that the minced meat is laid, usually in a heat-resistant sleeve, a lid is placed on top and the whole structure is closed with springs. Then, as the meat boils down, the springs are compressed (there are special slots on the sides) and the lid goes down under pressure, pressing the meat. In the case of tea, the mass is probably simply pressed without air access.
And if the tea is closed in a vacuum jar, in theory, there will also be a similar effect, well, a little less compressed. You need to check in practice

[lappl1]

lappl1, Eva3, I had a small amount of leaves, about 1/3 of a ham. There, with the help of a spring, the contents are pressed. The leaves were slightly withered and wrinkled by hands! Then they closed them in a ham maker, it seemed to me that there was not an airless space, but rather limited and well pressed leaves. In addition, it is closed from above with a screw cap, and inside there is a little air between the plate, which presses, and the lid - the aroma does not come out! The tea stood for a long time, almost 12 hours, the leaves were not very wrinkled. An hour has dried in the oven! very fragrant!
I still crushed it dry with my hands. Brewed in a small thermos, it turned out fragrant, slightly tart, without sourness, but with hints of bitter honey, barely perceptible!





And yet, just my observation. It seemed to me that when I just crumple the leaves with my hands, they crumple unevenly, and then ferment unevenly - hence the aroma turns out to be more interesting if you let it stand a little longer. It is precisely today that there is astringency and aroma, because the dark ones gave color and astringency, depth (lower tone and middle tone), and less dark ones - aroma, well, as they say in aromatherapy - the upper tone!

Virgin, forgive me that I'm flooding here, but I can't order a dryer for the second week, yesterday they brought from ozone one tray that was bursting, today my husband took it back. My poor teas lie on a baking sheet and dry on their own

[Matilda_81]

Matilda_81, and I'm not overjoyed with my Sedona, I make yoghurts, the herbs were there! There the pallets cannot burst, the material is not the same!
Do not be discouraged, at first I dry land in a micron on convection. The alternate party does not even require additional drying
It's good that we noticed right away!

And I mean the future! I'm going to warm countries, figs, olives, lemons and cacti will grow there (just kidding!)
Did anyone make figs, did lemons or olive?

[Eva3]

Eva3, Rada-dms, thanks for enlightening about the ham maker! More or less clear.

if the tea is closed in a vacuum jar, in theory there will also be a similar effect, well, a little less compressed.

And this is, or rather, not a vacuum can, but a device for pumping air from cans. And you can compress it yourself - with a cam.

[Rada-dms]

Did anyone make figs, lemons or olive?

nope, no one has done it yet. They asked about the orange - the girl is on vacation in warm countries and decided to try it. But so far she has not shared her impressions. So that you, Rada-dms, you will be the first.

[Gulnara]

I can't order a dryer for the second week, yesterday they brought it from ozone, so one tray was burst with her, today my husband took it back. My poor teas lie on a baking sheet and dry on their own

Gulnara, just like that, in the air? Disorder! Try drying in a pan.

How long have you fermented? There are leaves, for example, pears, which immediately change color ... Therefore, it is also important to be guided by the smell ..

The leaves were fermented for 12 hours, but the lower ones (cherries, plums, quince) lay at the bottom of the pan, and on top were raspberries with currants and the remains of quince, so that it was easier to roll.
The smell was pleasant, fruity, so I decided to dry.

[Rada-dms]

And yet, just my observation. It seemed to me that when I just crumple the leaves with my hands, they crumple unevenly, and then ferment unevenly - hence the aroma turns out to be more interesting if you let it stand a little longer. It is precisely today that there is astringency and aroma, because the dark ones gave color and astringency, depth (lower tone and middle tone), and less dark ones - aroma, well, as they say in aromatherapy - the upper tone!

Rada-dms, in fact, your way of making tea resembles the production of red tea in China. Read what they write about this in a book about traditional tea production.

Red tea production

Red tea (oolong) is made almost exclusively in China. The technology for the production of red tea resembles the technology of black, but with specific features that give the finished product the distinctive properties of red tea - an original taste and excellent aroma. In the production of red tea, the depth of oxidative processes is much greater. Here, the action of oxidative enzymes and heat treatment is used to a greater extent.

Red tea production consists of the following processes: withering, curling, fermentation, browning, secondary curling and drying.

In contrast to the production of black tea, the green leaf is dried in the sun on bamboo or paper braids, sometimes heated over a fire or in a room with heated air. After drying, the effect of enzymes does not stop: the raw materials are slightly damaged and kept at a certain temperature to develop oxidative processes and enhance aroma formation. Under these conditions, fermentation begins at the damaged edges of the leaf blades, and not in the entire mass of the leaf.

Rolling and fermentation of the leaf is carried out according to a shortened scheme: the processes are suspended when the tips of the leaves acquire a reddish-brown tint and a characteristic aroma. The optimal twisting time is 30 minutes, fermentation time 2.5–3 hours. The purpose of the first twisting and fermentation of the leaf is not so much to give the leaf a twisted shape, but to partially damage the cells of some parts of the flush (up to 30–35%). The first curl destroys the delicate parts of the flush, in which deep oxidative transformations take place, giving the leaf all the properties of fermented tea.The rest, most of the leaf blade does not undergo significant changes. Thus, red tea combines in one leaf parts with normal fermentation and parts with intact cells, where the enzymatic oxidation of substances has not been completed.

Subsequent processes - heat treatment in the form of toasting, drying, holding for many hours after heating in closed boxes or hot boilers - also endow the tea leaf with some characteristic features.

The purpose of the process of toasting a fermented leaf is to change its chemical composition, develop specific properties and stop the action of enzymes. The second twisting after frying the leaf is carried out once, while deformation of the elements of the tea flush is observed, the crushing of those cells that were not destroyed during the first twisting, the release of cell juice on the surface of the leaf. At the same time, the tea juice of newly destroyed cells is mixed with the juice of previously destroyed cells, which were subjected to enzymatic oxidation and roasting. The result is a mixture of substances that give the infusion the properties of black and green tea.

The next process is drying, which in the production of red tea is carried out in the same way as in the production of black tea..

By the way, Mistletoe did a similar thing in "Village Tea", when some of the leaves did not want to spin and she sent them to ferment together.

I barely waited for the morning, so I wanted to try the tea. It turned out 350g, the already dry tea crumpled a little with my hands, that the mass was less, but the bag turned out to be impressive. In some places there were rings, I straightened them, because the leaves dry faster, and the ring remains slightly damp. If you dry with rings, then you need the whole portion to be like that.

What can I say about tea? I am delighted with it, the color is beautiful, medium in intensity, transparent, has fruity notes, very soft, slightly sour, there is a refreshing taste of mint (and there is none at all), maybe this is from currants.
We drink mostly green teas, good quality, not cheap. I check the quality of the tea as follows: I brewed tea, let it brew for 5 minutes, "marry" 3 times (I take a thin porcelain cup, pour it over with boiling water, pour tea from the teapot, do this three times), then inhale the aroma of an empty cup. The aroma of my tea is the same as that of green tea at 400r per 100g.

hello everyone! And yesterday I was drying with a slow cooker, everything is ok!

I want to share my observations. In Isidri I have 7 marshmallow trays and 5 nets. The quality of drying occurs in different ways, the color of the leaves is different, even the aroma is different, which I am very happy about. So you need to pay attention to such a trifle.

Have you dried the rosehip leaves? I have plenty of berries, but because of the high acidity I can't drink.

[francevna]

francevna, oo, by the way, the dog rose, there is a bush in mind near the neighbor's fence in a quiet place! I'll hit the road tomorrow!

[Rada-dms]

Rada-dms, I will wait for a review, if you like it, I will go for a rosehip. It's far from us, but the air is clean there and the blackthorn grows nearby.

I made a rosehip but haven't tried it yet.

[Rada-dms]

Girls, I ripped off the rose hips while fermenting from the smell of baldel.
Rada-dms,, about Sedona, I play softly, I can't put it anywhere on my 3 square millimeters, which are being demolished. Ludmila, I'm afraid in a frying pan on the stove or in the oven, I have gas, and I can't handle gas all my life in my parents' apartment I was electric, I'm afraid to fry them. I sit for the second day suffering over the dryers .... Sedona is big, those that look cheap are somehow gourmet, and pallets with such holes.

[Alla]

What can I say about tea? I am delighted with it, the color is beautiful, medium in intensity, transparent, has fruity notes, very soft, slightly sour, there is a refreshing taste of mint (and there is none at all), maybe this is from currants.

Alla, I am glad that you have made the tea, and you are happy with it! Congratulations !

I check the quality of the tea as follows: I brewed tea, let it brew for 5 minutes, "marry" 3 times (I take a thin porcelain cup, pour it over with boiling water, pour tea from the teapot, do this three times), then inhale the aroma of an empty cup. The aroma of my tea is the same as that of green tea at 400r per 100g.

ABOUT! And the tea passed the quality test! So everything is all right! Thanks for the test! Let us now know how to check the quality of our tea!

And yesterday I was drying with a slow cooker, everything is ok!

Thank you, Galya, for sharing the experience of drying in a multicooker! Is it possible in more detail? For those who have a problem with oven-dryers ...

[Gulnara]

The sedona is large, those that look cheaper are somehow slick, and pallets with such holes

Gulnara, I do not have an expensive dryer - "Veterok". I am very happy with her! One drawback - few pallets (5). And there are no holes on the trays, but I still covered them with a mosquito net (I checked beforehand if it smells from the temperature or not). The mesh is not cheap, so it does not emit harmful substances during drying. It is very convenient to dry with such nets. So you can not get hung up on Sedona.

And I, too, will wait for impressions of the rosehip. I have 2 bushes and saw in the field (how did he end up there?).

I don't know if I got in with your teas, but the relatives have already been warned: I have a new reins under my tail, so save yourself, who can! Yesterday I went to my mother, picked up cherry, pear, apple, raspberry and, attention, roses and sunflowers.
As for the rose. I grew up in the fresh air, so I got home exactly in the evening. It was impossible to come home to eat, otherwise they could not let go again. but I was hungry. Therefore, they were fed with pasture: acacia flowers, kalachiks, cherries. In short, they ate everything that grew on the streets. In this regard, I well remember that willow leaves were especially tasty - slightly bitter, chrysanthemum petals and rose leaves! They have a specific smell and taste.
While I was carrying my catch from my mother, the bus smelled like sunflower leaves! It's a dizzy smell. I picked up both leaves and petals.
in this regard, several questions: street cherry, covered in dust. Was it something special to wash and dry?
And what to think of with petals from sunflower flowers? Painfully they are gentle ...

I haven't been there for a long time, I read, but write - the connection ends ... About without air. Yes, bacteria work anaerobic, but oxidation with air must be present, otherwise the reaction will go wrong. So the raw material can be covered with a lid, but not kept in a vacuum. In silo pits it is a little different, there is a long, slow fermentation process, but we do not have the opportunity to ferment for a couple of months ... Yes, the taste and strength of tea can also depend on the drying temperature. If dried at 150 degrees, then the tea will be darker and stronger, and if at 50, then closer to green. In the last games I set the temperature in the grill to 120, everything dries perfectly, I made fireweed, strawberries, apple trees, pears, bird cherries, irga, plums, and pears. Continued in August.

[Veronica]

Veronica, so I think girls have dark tea, but I really like green !!! Thanks for the info !!!!!

Once I had a herbalist friend who made ointments with herbs or with their juice. So, in order for the herbs to give off juice better, she "sweated" them, that is, put the warm grass in a plastic bag and tied it tightly, put it in a warm place. The grass in the bag became more juicy. So I thought, maybe this method will work with currant and raspberry leaves? They take up a lot of space ... And then again - and granules! Tomorrow I'll go to the edge of the raspberry grove and try. What if it works out?
about drying in a multicooker - probably this can be done in those where there is a possibility of manual selection of the mode or the temperature of the modes is indicated in the instructions, not all manufacturers do this. And the multi lid should be open. And you can't dry a lot in one go, the area is small ...

[sweetka]

I have a new reins under my tail, so save yourself, who can! Yesterday I went to my mother, picked up cherry, pear, apple, raspberry and, attention, roses and sunflowers.

sweetka, join us! We are all like that here. So we will understand each other ...
Nobody made tea from a rose and a sunflower. I think the rose leaf should make some kind of tea. But from a sunflower, even a delicious smell ... In general, I doubt it. If someone decides to make a sunflower, then we will listen with interest to the opinion of such tea.

in this regard, several questions: street cherry, covered in dust. Was it something special to wash and dry?

It is advisable not to wash the leaves, since we will wash off all the bacteria ... But if it is dirty, then what to do, wash, dry, wither or freeze ... And then the script ...

And what to think of with petals from sunflower flowers? Painfully they are gentle ...

Flowers do not usually ferment. You can simply dry it and then add it to tea, if they are "tasty" ...

I haven't been there for a long time, I read, but write - the connection ends ...
Yes, the taste and strength of tea can also depend on the drying temperature. If dried at 150 degrees, then the tea will be darker and stronger, and if at 50, then closer to green. In the last games I set the temperature in the grill to 120, everything dries perfectly, I made fireweed, strawberries, apple trees, pears, bird cherries, irga, plums, and pears. Continued in August.

also at the dacha there is no Internet, it's good at least I can read, and that is not always
I also think that the strength of the tea depends on the temperature, and Lyudmila said that it depends on fermentation.
The other day I was in the city in a service center, so there one lady called the master to the stove, her switches flowed (melted), you can immediately see our man.
So you girls are more careful with ovens. I just have an oven from 150 degrees, I tried a little with the door ajar, the switches are very hot.
The girls said that you can dry it in a dryer (I have Izori), even better, try it in it, just in a frying pan, well, very good. long.
You are great, do it in small batches, for me it doesn't work out small.
I went out into the forest and gained 5-6 kg of fireweed, it's a pity for the time, I have to go again.
In the spring, they cut off the apple trees, and they shot arrows, fatten, we cut off these twigs, we still get a lot, it’s even hard to manage, but it’s a pity to compost.
Currants, raspberries and chokeberries only after harvest, this is a more fragrant leaf, why pick it off now.
Virgin, and mey has such a question, here we buy tea, there are different goodies, flowers-petals are different.
Someone additionally dried flowers, I do not mean flowers of fireweed and wildweed, this is itself a saboya, but something else, so I dried flowers of meadow geranium, also lungwort and cornflower, peony and poppy petals, but they do not smell of anything, I mean poppy, but I also want beauty
That's how much, but that's if the Internet allows.

[Veronica]

About no air. Yes, bacteria work anaerobic, but oxidation with air must be present, otherwise the reaction will go wrong. So the raw material can be covered with a lid, but not kept in a vacuum.

Veronica, thank you very much - we put everything on the shelves ... Now we will ferment tea competently ...

If dried at 150 degrees, then the tea will be darker and stronger, and if at 50, then closer to green.

Here, it turns out, where the dog is buried ... I dry at 100 * C, but my oven is very hot. When baking bread, I usually set the temperature to less than 30 - 40 degrees than indicated in the recipe. Otherwise it burns. Probably, my tea does not dry at 100 *, as it is written on the sensor, but at 130 for sure ... Therefore, my tea is all dark ..

[Verunchik]

I also think that the strength of the tea depends on the temperature, and Lyudmila said that it depends on fermentation.

Verunchik, the strength of tea cannot depend only on temperature. There are many factors involved.
Fermentation degree plays a critical role. Try comparing tea fermented for 3 hours and 20 hours, and make all other conditions the same.You will see the difference in color and strength. A 3 hour tea will be lighter than a 20 hour tea. And much!
Withering degree - is also very important. A weakly wilted leaf produces a lighter tea. In a heavily wilted leaf, the concentration of juice is higher than in a weakly wilted leaf. And tea made from such a leaf will also be darker and stronger.
There are a number of other factors that affect the taste, color, strength and aroma of tea. In various posts I periodically share this information. But still not everything is clear ... It is good that there are people like Veronica, who competently, as a specialist, can clarify certain points.

[Gulnara]

Gulnarabut does it taste like rosehip tea?

in a frying pan on the stove or in the oven I'm afraid

Place a divider under the pan, make a small flame.

[Ludmila]

Alla, I am glad that you made the tea and you are happy with it! Congratulations !

Ludmila... thanks for the compliments. My husband appreciated the tea, but said that he liked cinnamon tea very much. I told at work about my new hobby, so today I was answering the phone about tea for half a day.

Someone additionally dried flowers, I do not mean the flowers of fireweed and wildweed, this is itself a saboy, but something else, so I dried the flowers of meadow geranium, also lungwort and cornflower, peony and poppy petals, but they do not smell of anything, I mean poppy, but I also want prettiness More: https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/in...on=com_smf&topic=389380.0

I didn't dry the flowers, but I drink green tea, which contains lavender flowers and blue cornflower.

[Veronica]

So, in order for the herbs to give off juice better, she "sweated" them, that is, put the warm grass in a plastic bag and tied it tightly, put it in a warm place. The grass in the bag became more juicy. So I thought, maybe this method will work with currant and raspberry leaves?

Veronica, what a coincidence! I wrote about this method Galina Iv. on page 44:

Girls, when I go to the subway every day for 35 minutes there and back and so as not to stare at people, I buy small brochures like "My beautiful dacha" and the like. In No. 13 for July, m-c opened a page with the headline: "Ivan tea: an attack or a healer?" This article provides the following tea making technology. (At times I did not understand anything there).
“I put the leaves in a bag and put them away for a day to steam, not in the sun, but in the shade, so that they do not burn out. I don’t keep leaves for more than a day…. After the leaves have lay for at least 12 hours in a bag in the shade, take a large board and a rolling pin ..., spread it out in a thin layer and start knocking on them ... so that they give juice. Then take a bunch and roll up a ball or sausage and lay it on another board to dry. I dry in the sun.
Second way. We collect it all the same, put it in bags and scroll it in a meat grinder ... I spread the resulting mass in a thin layer on the board and cover it with a damp cloth. I put it to dry in a warm place. You need to dry no more than three days.»

Indeed, it will be interesting to crank this trick with currants and raspberries.

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, you are of course right. The strength depends on a combination of several factors, and if they, these combinations, add up successfully, then the tea turns out to be noble. I meant exactly the strength of the finished drink, to clarify. Drying is allowed at higher temperatures, but already in industrial conditions. At home, it's better not to exceed 150. And if the leaves contain essential oils, then a maximum of 70 is better and convection is mandatory.
I wanted to try to sweat raspberries tomorrow, but I had to go to Moscow. Will be back Sunday night and be sure to experiment. Theoretically, it should work.
Yes, leafy bird cherry changes the smell. Tea is 12 days old, the almonds are almost completely gone, and the smell of blooming bird cherry has become clearer. And the 13-year-old nephew really liked the irga of one week old. She promised to pull on a couple of kilograms
I saw your answer. Yes, a similar way.But my aunt Sofia, a herbalist, I don't know in what generation, kept the herb in the bag for less than 12 hours, that's for sure, but how much time is needed for each plant. I will definitely try! And I will unsubscribe what happens. And in general, I need to remember my childhood, to do herbs, otherwise I don't like medications lately with side effects ... I'll go look for old records, even grandmothers ...

Today I tried pear tea (plus some apple, plum, gooseberry). Fermentation 17 hours.


Sweet and tart taste. Very intense. Liked it!

[Veronica]

I wanted to try to sweat raspberries tomorrow, but I had to go to Moscow. Will be back Sunday night and be sure to experiment. Theoretically, it should work.

Veronica, I also think it should work. After all, the softer the sheet, the better it will twist in a meat grinder. Nobody bothers me to try it. I'm bothering myself - today my husband and I cut a large bag of blueberry twigs. Now I was tugging at the leaves for 1 hour, tugging at 65 grams. I put it in the freezer. The rest will be peeling tomorrow. How much tea will I make? But the smell from the leaves is such that it did not discourage the desire to further peel.
I will look forward to hearing from you about the experience with sweating. Perhaps tomorrow I will try to make currants or raspberries.
And I also really liked Irga. I can't say anything about bird cherry - I have removed the box of tea on the mezzanine so far that I can only appreciate it in winter. Hopefully, my tea will also develop the aroma of blooming bird cherry.
VeronicaThank you again for such valuable information. Maybe you can find something useful for us in grandmother's notes? It would be great !

Today I tried pear tea (plus some apple, plum, gooseberry). Fermentation 17 hours.

Mistletoe! It can be seen that it is delicious! And, as always, beautiful! Only you can't see anything! Let's insert such pictures, as you ask for yourself in the topics - a larger size!

Only you can't see anything!

Well, Duc I'm not at home. Click on them, they will increase.)

Well, okay, while you're not at home, I'll press ...

I brought fireweed today, collected it in the dew, the smell in the bag is amazing. I decided to leave it in the bag until the evening, I'll see what happens.

Near the thickets of fireweed, I found an unfamiliar plant: I crumpled a leaf - the smell is pleasant. Google suggests that this is a field sage, maybe who is familiar with this plant?

I found another option for myself in response - Veronica long-leaved. This plant looks more like my find than sage.

This plant looks more like my find than sage.

Valentina, I also think that this is Veronica.

[Alla]

Alla, francevna, fruity, soft taste, with residual acidity, the smell during fermentation was very strong. I really liked the taste, though I brewed the granules that were not completely dried, the color was like green tea

[vvagre]

vvagre, this is definitely Veronica. (huh, I'm a nerd)

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, and how do you want to process blueberry leaves? If through a meat grinder, then you can try to twist with the soft part of the stem. They are, these leaves are not only small, but also harsh. But tasty.
Yesterday I was going for a walk with the dog. I stopped to talk to a neighbor. I saw a growing assortment - right there "but you can ...". Naturally, they allowed it. But when seven sachets began to pour out of my pocket one after another ... The neighbor's look became very strange!
yes, an idea came to my mind. Girls, if anyone grows actinidia, i.e. lemongrass, try making tea. Should be very aromatic. Unfortunately, I have not. And the neighbors too ...

But when seven sachets began to pour out of my pocket one after another ... The neighbor's look became very strange!