What herbs to ferment. Master class: fermented tea from the leaves of garden and wild plants. Currant leaf fermentation

Julia Vern 125 898 18

Ivan tea - this plant has been known since time immemorial, and having reached our days, it has not lost its popularity, on the contrary. It is also called Koporye tea or fireweed, and it was with it that our ancestors treated almost many diseases at a time when medications were available only in hospitals, and even then not always, many had not even been invented yet. Possessing a wide spectrum of action, it is able to have a general strengthening effect on the body and treat many ailments. You can often hear that Ivan tea is an excellent prophylactic against malignant and benign neoplasms.

If you drink fireweed regularly, you can contribute to the treatment and prevention of such ailments:

prostatitis and other diseases of the genitourinary system;
gastritis;
diseases of the hematopoietic organs;
intoxication (including alcohol and food);
enterocolitis;
stomach and duodenal ulcer;
diarrhea;
migraine;
delirium tremens;
insomnia;
asthma;
anemia;
SARS;
colitis;
hypertension and hypotension.

In addition, it is known that Koporye tea improves blood composition, prevents hair loss, strengthens the immune system and even slows down the aging process. By right it can be called the king of herbal teas.

This tea was regularly drunk by the doctor Badmaev Petr Aleksandrovich. He had some suggestions that fireweed can lower body temperature, slow down the pulse and lower blood pressure. This, in turn, contributes to the prolongation of the phase of the active life of the organism. That is why we can talk about the possibility of slowing down the aging process. By the way, Pyotr Alexandrovich died at the age of 110, and at 100 he became a father. As another property of Kopor tea - the prevention of impotence.

With physical exhaustion of the body, Ivan-tea will restore strength, because it contains so many nutrients that even seaweed does not have. Possessing a unique chemical composition, it is also very tasty and fragrant, but only if prepared correctly.

You can notice the similarities of the beneficial properties of fireweed with soda. This is logical explanation, because soda is alkali, and fireweed grows in alkaline zones - on the ashes of forest and peat fires.

The Importance of Fermentation

The first taste of any vegetable or fruit can backfire if the fruits are not ripe. Also, Ivan-tea - for him, "maturity" is of great importance. Important when collecting a plant, its fermentation and drying remains exactly handmade. By the way, all major manufacturers carry out these processes mechanized, and this greatly reduces its healing action And yes, it doesn't smell like it should.

If you collect Ivan tea and simply dry it, you will not get the desired result. Between harvesting and drying there is another very important stage - fermentation.

It consists in a kind of independent fermentation of grass, which usually takes 1-2 days. Time, as well as ambient temperature, directly affect the aroma, color and taste of the future drink. It can be yellow, green or black. The latter turns out to be something that can hardly be found in the whole world.

In total, there are several ways to ferment Ivan tea, but there are three relatively simple methods that will not be a burden even for those people who are going to do this for the first time in their lives.

Collection of leaves

This point should also be paid attention, because otherwise all the efforts made may be in vain. And here are some tips:

it is necessary to collect the upper flowers and leaves (seeds are not needed);
do this not earlier than ten o'clock in the morning, because there will still be dew on the grass;
it is not recommended to collect in hot weather, as everything will wither;
when folding the leaves into a basket or bag, it is important to pay attention that there are no insects on them.

1 way - the fastest and easiest

This is fermentation in its own juice under oppression. First you need to divide all the raw materials into two parts. The first is sent to a juicer to obtain juice, the second is placed in a saucepan, preferably made from cermet. After the grass is laid, the juice from the first handful is poured on top, then some kind of lid is placed, smaller than the diameter of the pan. Something very heavy is placed on it. It can be stones or bricks, a weight, etc., only necessarily pre-wrapped with a bag or film. In this state, the future tea is left for three days - this is how long the fermentation will last. The result will be Ivan-tea plates, which then need to be dried at a temperature of +90 degrees.

Method 2 - time-consuming, but guaranteeing an excellent result

Fermentation

It is necessary to take a linen canvas or tablecloth and wet it. Wring out so that it is not wet, but damp. In the event that there is little willow-tea, it is better to take a piece of fabric of a smaller size and moisten it with water from a spray bottle. Humidity is necessary so that the matter does not take the juice of the plant.
Fireweed leaves are laid on top, but the layer should be no more than three centimeters.
When everything is ready, you need to roll the fabric like a roll, the main thing is to make it very tight.
The roll needs to be rewound with something, for example, a tourniquet or a simple rope. After that, the most difficult process begins - for half an hour you need to knead the leaves with your hands, twisting the twist in different directions. During this manipulation, the cellular structure of the leaves is destroyed.
The leaves are left for 2-3 hours, during which the primary fermentation takes place. During this period, it is necessary to regularly check the temperature of the “roll”. If it is above 37 degrees, fermentation is completed.
Having untwisted the fabric, an unusual, but pleasant aroma will be felt - like a pear compote that has fermented. The leaves are crumpled, and if you press them, a crack will be heard. Fermentation continues:
Plastic buckets or glass jars are taken, Ivan-tea is placed as tightly as possible in them and closed with a lid. The next stage of fermentation begins.
On average, the second stage of fermentation lasts from 36 to 40 hours. However, if you want to get tea with a more delicate taste, this time can be increased, only it will be necessary to move it to a cool place.
Ivan tea, harvested in the second half of summer, is already considered late, so it needs an additional fermentation step. The raw material is taken out of the container and carefully rumpled by hand until the juice comes out.
Kneading with your hands is quite difficult, and there is not always the strength, desire and time to do it. The manual process in this case can be replaced by mechanical action. In other words, pass through a special electric grinder or meat grinder auger, after removing the knife. But, as already mentioned, the mechanical effect will make the tea not as tasty and healthy as if you make this manipulation with your hands.
The container with crumpled fireweed must be covered with a damp cloth and left in room conditions for 6-8 hours.

Drying

When the fermentation is completed, you need to immediately start drying. The oven is heated to a temperature of 100 degrees, and while it is heating, you need to take a baking sheet and spread Ivan tea on it. It will dry for one and a half to two hours. If desired, you can increase the temperature at the end of this process.

It is important to stir the leaves regularly, and do not close the oven door all the way. Also, if possible, under a baking sheet, to the bottom oven, lay down a ceramic wall tile or a couple of red clay bricks to stabilize the temperature.

In general, the most ideal option for drying is a real Russian oven, which has a positive effect on the healing properties of tea. In particular, if you put a brick in an oven, then conditions are formed in it somewhat similar to those in the oven.

The dryer can also be made from a special heating film for the sauna. This requires the following:

Put a container, it can be wooden box rectangular shape;
Spread a film on it with a working temperature of 80 degrees;
Lay calico on top.

Under such conditions, Koporye tea is dried for 12-16 hours. When it is ready, you need to wrap it in paper, put it in containers, cover with a lid and put it in a dark place. If the tea is tiled, it will be stored for decades; friable will lie for about three years. It is noteworthy that with age, fireweed only gets better, tastier, more aromatic and healthier. Therefore, you should not worry about its properties, which, as it seems, can be lost, since dry pre-fermentation will take place all this time.

3 way - the simplest and most common

After harvesting, the raw materials are poured into the shade and wait until the leaves with flowers wither a little. After that, the leaves are carefully crushed, rolled between the palms, and tightly placed in large glass jars. They are closed not with a lid, but with a damp cloth, and left at room conditions for 36 hours.

The fermented mass is taken out of the containers and dried at t ° 95-100 degrees in the oven. At the same time, you can give it a shape: round, like Puer, or rectangular, in the form of a large tile, reminiscent of chipboard, as they once did in Rus'. It is difficult to make a very large one, but even a beginner in this business can create medium-sized or small ones.

How to do it? For fermentation, the raw materials are not placed in jars, but in plastic square (or other shapes) containers and oppression is formed, as already described in the first method. But in this case, it is necessary to dry in an electric oven, where there is heating both upper and lower.

During the drying process, you need to stir the loose tea, and turn the tiles over. Thanks to this, you can determine the color of the future tea. Readiness is determined by appearance- for crumbly, and when weighing - for tiled. In the latter case, the ratio of dry tea and wet weight should be 1:5.

Ivan-tea should be stored in a dark place, while placed in a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Mandatory condition - it should not fall on sunlight. Fireweed harvested in this way will be stored for about three years.

There are many ways to harvest, but there is only one way to weld.

Suppose a person drinks five cups of Koporye tea per day. This means that for one day he will need 5 grams of Ivan-tea for brewing, and two kilograms will be enough for a year (this is taking into account friends and relatives who regularly come to tea drinking). By the way, it is better to change the tea leaves every time, because the second one will not be as tasty and fragrant as the first one.

An equally important parameter is the water intended for brewing. It is worth noting that even filtered tea can slightly impair the taste of tea. The ideal option would be, for example, melt water from the mountains, but where can you get it in an urban environment ?!

Tea leaves: ready, it should exude an aroma that can be compared with compote made from dried apples and pears. If you smell rotten hay, you can say with 100% certainty that Ivan tea did not work out.

A teapot for tea leaves can be anything: porcelain, glass, ceramic-metal, and you can also take a brass samovar. Dry raw materials are poured with boiling water. It is very important to keep the brewing time. It can be from 40 minutes to 6 hours - depending on what kind of tea you want to get.

You can drink the drink both cold and hot. However, it is important to remember that when heated, it should not boil, as the taste will immediately deteriorate. It is also not recommended to dilute it with hot water.

Ivan tea is a very useful drink with sometimes strange healing properties, the effectiveness of which is hard to believe. But long-term, even centuries-old consumption of tea convinces of the opposite - that it is effective and capable of working wonders.

Such a “cure for all diseases” can be drunk by almost everyone, except for those who have an individual intolerance. It is not recommended to drink the drink too often and for a very long time, as diarrhea may begin.

Otherwise, fireweed is the most delicious, healthy, fragrant and medicinal drink. Having tried it once, it will be difficult to deny yourself such a delicacy in the future. It is only important to observe the correct technology when harvesting it.

Ingredients Garden leaves and wild plants 1 kg (cherries, apple trees, pears, currants, raspberries, etc.) Method of preparation Many people like to make tea from fresh leaves of currants, strawberries, cherries ... And they stock up for the winter ... But tea from dried leaves is not so tasty and fragrant, like fresh. Fermentation of the leaves allows you to make a very tasty, aromatic and rich in color drink. In the recipe for Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves), I described in detail how to prepare Ivan tea by fermenting its leaves. By the same principle, I make tea from the leaves of various garden and wild plants. Leaf fermentation is the transfer of insoluble (non-extractable) substances of the leaf tissue into soluble and easily digestible. In order for the fermentation process to begin, the leaf structure must first be destroyed before the juice is released. Bacteria, found in abundance on the surface of the leaf and in the air, actively contribute to the fermentation process. In order to get a tasty and fragrant tea, it is important to choose the right plants for its preparation. The main principles when choosing plants for tea are: 1. The presence of tannins (tannins) in the leaves. If there are no tannins in the leaves, then the tea will turn out tasteless. Therefore, when choosing a plant for making tea, you should familiarize yourself with the chemical composition of plant leaves by making an appropriate request in any search engine in the Internet. Young leaves are richest in tannin. There are more of them in tender raw materials. In a coarsened leaf, the reserves of tannins are sharply reduced. 2. We prepare tea from those plants whose fruits we are happy to eat - apple trees, strawberries, cherries, chokeberries, raspberries, black currant, pears, plums, blackthorns, dogwoods, suckers, grapes, quinces... In the leaves of each of these plants, tannins are present in sufficient quantities. I make tea from cherry, apple, pear, garden strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, chokeberry, pine shoots, mint and lemon balm leaves. These teas are very tasty, fragrant and beautiful. I tried to make tea from the leaves of linden, maple, hazelnut. But this tea did not impress me at all. Tasteless and smells like bath brooms... The process of making fermented tea from leaves various plants consists of several stages. Every step matters. Violation of technology even on one of them can make tea tasteless. 1. Collection of leaves. We collect the leaves in dry weather, preferably in the morning. It is advisable to choose plants that are in the shade. The leaves of such plants are more juicy, and the fermentation process will be better. It is advisable not to wash the leaves, because they contain bacteria that are directly involved in the fermentation process. But if the leaves are dirty, it is better to wash them and dry them from moisture. http://hlebopechka.ru/gallery/albums/userpics/70265/IMG_1724_28229~1.JPG You can collect leaves for tea throughout the season. In the spring they are very tender, easier to process and ferment. The tea is tender, with a delicate aroma. But it is better to collect leaves for tea during the fruiting period of plants, then the leaves, like the fruits, will accumulate a lot of useful, flavoring and aromatic substances. In autumn, the leaves are rough, harder to process and take longer to ferment. And it is more difficult to collect high-quality leaves in the fall - they are damaged by garden pests and diseases. You also need to consider that if you collect leaves before the period of fruit set, then the outflow nutrients to grow new leaves, which are necessary for the normal process of photosynthesis, i.e. plant nutrition, will not allow a full-fledged crop to form. 2. Withering of the leaves. This process is needed to make the leaves easier to process in the future. In addition, excess moisture in the leaves does not allow for a quality subsequent fermentation. As a result, tea will turn out to be of poor quality. This stage must not be skipped, since from the withering of the leaves, reactions begin to occur that partially destroy chlorophyll and other compounds that give the leaf a taste and smell of greenery, accumulate essential oils and other aromatic substances are formed that contribute to the appearance of a pleasant smell. We lay out the leaves indoors on cotton or linen in a small layer (3 - 5 cm). It is necessary to control the process and periodically stir up the leaves so that they dry evenly. Try not to let the sun's rays fall on the leaves, otherwise the leaves will dry out and not wither. For the same reason, it is impossible to dry the leaves on the street, because the sun and wind will quickly dry the leaves, which will complicate their processing and worsen the quality of future tea. More.

">Some herbs, such as mint or thyme, retain their flavor and aroma well when dried, but there are others that, when dried, lose all their tea appeal and become insipid. Surely you have noticed that raspberry, cherry or strawberry leaves, so fragrant at first, after drying, can only give tea a taste of hay. To preserve the taste properties of these, as well as many other leaves and herbs, it is enough to master the simple artfermentation at home.

Almost any herbs and leaves that have a pleasant taste and aroma for you are suitable for brewing tea, of course, provided that they are not poisonous. Most often used for brewing tea fermented leaves strawberries, blueberries, cherries, heather, bird cherry, tansy, sour, oregano, Ivan-tea, etc. Collecting herbs for making homemade tea can be done all summer. Blackberry, cherry, fireweed and raspberry leaves are best harvested in early summer, and strawberry and strawberry leaves are most fragrant in early autumn, when red streaks appear on them.

Fermentation at home

The process of fermenting herbs for tea takes place in several stages and will take you a couple of days. It is not difficult, but you should stock up on patience and attention.

1) First of all, the leaves should wither. To do this, they are scattered on a flat surface with a layer no thicker than 5 cm and kept in the shade for about 12 hours. It is important to protect the leaves from direct sunlight and prevent them from drying out. To do this, the leaves are periodically stirred.

2) The next stage of tea fermentation is its twisting. The withered leaves have become soft but not brittle, and can now be rolled between the palms of the hands into small sausages or smaller balls. Twist should be until the leaves turn dark from the juice that has come out. Here you can be creative and experiment with a tea bouquet, twisting together withered leaves of various fragrant plants.

3) Now you can go directly to the fermentation of herbs for tea. To do this, twisted leaves should be placed in a shallow enameled bowl, spreading them along the bottom in an even layer no thicker than 5 cm, covered with a damp cotton cloth and left for 6-12 hours in a warm place. The speed of the leaf fermentation process will depend on the temperature in the room. Ideally, it should be no lower than 24 ° C and no higher than 27 ° C. A change in the aroma of raw materials from herbaceous to fruity-floral indicates that fermentation is complete. It is important not to overheat the raw material and not to overexpose it, otherwise homemade tea will acquire an unpleasant smell of low-grade "public catering".

4) The final stage fermentation of tea from herbs and leaves is drying. The leaves are dried on baking sheets or sieves covered with parchment paper. Raw materials are distributed in an even layer no more than 1.5 cm thick and dried in an oven for about an hour at a temperature of 100 ° C. Periodically check the degree of drying.

Properly dried tea is black, the tea leaves break when pressed, but do not crumble into dust. When the main part of the raw material reaches this degree of drying, you need to slightly reduce the temperature and increase the draft.

Storing homemade herbal tea

Ready tea retains its properties best in glass jars under tight polyethylene lids. At proper storage the taste of the drink will be fully revealed in a month, and over time beneficial features herbal teas will only get better.

Ivan tea, or more scientifically, narrow-leaved fireweed, has long been known as the "weed from the fires." He got his nickname due to the fact that after fires he is the first to grow on scorched soil in order to prepare it for settlement by new crops. The seeds of this plant, due to their volatility, can be effectively dispersed by the wind and sow vast fields. But it is far from a weed, as many believe it to be. This is a valuable plant that has been used as a tasty and healing drink since ancient times.

Not everyone knows how the correct fermentation of Ivan tea is carried out at home. To create a high-quality natural product on your own, you should try hard. Trite to dry and drink the leaves is pointless. In this case, you will not get either those tastes or healing properties, which fermented fireweed possesses.

Ivan tea contains in its structure insoluble useful material. Only proper processing helps to turn these substances into soluble and allow the body to absorb them.

Fermentation involves several stages:

Collection of leaves.
Their jerkiness.
Twisting.
the fermentation itself.
Drying.
Storage.

Only after that you can brew and drink tea. And let's look at the most popular ways to ferment this amazing herb.

Collection of leaves

This point is fundamental, since if the leaves are not collected correctly, all further efforts will be simply in vain. Here are some simple tips:

You need to collect only the top leaves and flowers (seeds are not needed).
The collection of fireweed is carried out after 10 am. The fact is that up to 10 hours, most often, there will be dew on the leaves.
Experts do not advise collecting leaves in the heat, as all raw materials will wither and lose all properties.
After collecting the fireweed leaves, you need to pay attention to the fact that there are no living creatures on them.

The easiest (standard) way

Top flowers and leaves without seeds are collected. As mentioned above, it is necessary to ensure that no living creatures, in this case bedbugs, are caught during the collection. Even a small insect can spoil the smell of future tea. Not in vain, even in ancient Rus' our ancestors used to say: “The bug is small, but it stinks!”.

The leaves are slightly dried in the shade and intensively kneaded in the hands. Further, the leaves and flowers are folded in a jar, tamping very, very strongly. It is closed with a damp cloth (this measure is necessary so that the cloth does not absorb the willow-herb juices). After that, the container is placed in a dark place for 1.5 days, that is, for 36 hours. Then the material is taken out of the can, loosened and dried at a temperature of 95-105 C. Usually dried in an oven. If you wish, you can make tea of any shape from the starting material (round, slices, oblong, etc.).

When drying, it is important to constantly monitor the condition of the fireweed. It needs to be mixed all the time (if it is a tile, turn it over). During drying, you will notice how the leaves begin to take on a beautiful shade: from light brown to darker. The drying time of loose fireweed depends on you, that is, you focus on the eye. If tea is dried in the form of a slab or rolled up, then drying is determined by weight. The ratio of raw leaves to dried should be 5:1. That is, if you put 100 grams of raw leaves, then they will be ready when only 20 grams remain.

Store ready-made tea under the lid, in an opaque container and always in a place protected from the sun. Shelf life is not more than 3 years.

The old way

Ivan-tea fermentation did not begin in our time. Even our ancestors enjoyed this drink. But then there were no ovens to dry fragrant leaves, so a slightly different method was used.

Fireweed leaves are laid out on a dampened tablecloth with a layer no higher than 3 centimeters. After, the canvas is twisted into a tube tighter. Outwardly, it should resemble a large cigar.

As in the case of a jar, the tablecloth is moistened so that it does not absorb fireweed juices.

The tube is tightened with a rope and intensively kneaded with hands, bending it in different directions. Knead it for about half an hour. This method allows you to destroy the cellular structure of fireweed leaves. After that, the twist is left for the duration of fermentation. Initial fermentation takes up to 3 hours. Sometimes the temperature of the tube should be checked. If it has risen a lot (more than 37 C), then the pre-fermentation is over.

Dried grass should turn out, with a great smell of fermented fruit.

After, this grass must be put in jars, well tamped and closed with a lid. Now Ivan tea is fermented in full. The final fermentation takes 36-40 hours. Its duration, of course, can be stretched if you put the container with the product in a cool place. In this case, the finished tea will get a more pronounced taste and aroma. If the fireweed is harvested in the late period (July-August), another stage of "fermentation" is carried out.

To do this, we take out the material from our jar and begin to knead it until the leaves begin to give juice.

Advice: If you are too lazy to crush fireweed by hand, then you can put it through a meat grinder. Before this, you should get the auger so that it does not cut the leaves. However, please note that this method of preparation is considered undesirable, since the taste and quality of tea will not be the same.

After we have crushed our raw materials, we put it in the form of a pile and cover it with a damp cloth for 8 hours at room temperature. After 6 hours, we begin to check our pile for elasticity. If the raw material has acquired a rubber structure, then immediately dry it.

To do this, spread the raw materials on a baking sheet and put in the oven. We set the temperature to 100 C. During drying, periodically mix or turn over the fireweed. Also, the door should be ajar. Ideal if you have clay bricks. They will help regulate the temperature and thanks to them, Ivan tea will not stick to the bottom of the baking sheet. After 1.5 hours the tea will be ready.

In general, people who do not have experience with this material can easily dry up to 500 grams of the finished product in 1 day.

Fermentation in own juice

This is also a fairly popular method that allows you to get fragrant fireweed plates. To do this, the collected raw materials are divided into two parts. The first part will go under the juice, the second will be the raw material for fermentation.

The first part must be passed either through a meat grinder or through a juicer. The second is preferable. Consider the fact that there will be very little juice, even when using the coolest juicer. Therefore, if you have drawn a little, do not worry - this is normal.

Now take the second pile and put it in the pan. Fill this pile with juice. We take a lid, it should be smaller in diameter than the pan and put this lid on our material. From above we put a heavy load of at least 20 kg. Fermentation in its own juice is carried out for three days. After fermentation, the raw materials must be dried well. Dry it in the oven at a temperature of 90 degrees.

Why ferment Ivan tea?

Fermentation is fermentation. That is, during fermentation, chemical reactions, which change the structure of raw materials. In this case, it only improves its performance. In addition, the taste of tea itself is no less important, which is not inferior in quality to Indian or Ceylon tea. We are used to drinking ordinary green or black teas that do not provide any benefit. Why not please yourself with a more delicious drink, with the following arsenal of positive properties:

Tea has antioxidant properties.
Increases the immune system of the body, effectively resists viral diseases, relieves inflammation.
Studies have shown that fireweed is considered the most useful plant in the Russian flora.
Normalizes pressure.
The constant use of fermented fireweed allows you to get rid of insomnia.
The use of tea allows you to cure stomach ulcers, restore the normal functioning of the digestive tract.
Effectively fights the herpes virus.
The constant use of this drink can improve the psychological state of a person. His irritability decreases, headaches disappear, depression disappears.
Effectively fights arrhythmia.
Improves skin condition, fights acne, wrinkles.
Has a mild analgesic effect.
Has no side effects.
Not addictive.

Fermented fireweed is very healthy drink. In addition, this is not a banal tasteless medicine, on the contrary, tea has an amazing aroma and taste.

If our article was not enough for you, then we suggest you watch the video.

Mint is very useful plant, the properties of which everyone knows. Initially, it was bred around the 17th century in England, from where it was brought to Russia in the 19th century. Today on the territory of our country you can find many mint plantations. From the moment of its appearance, this herb began to actively explore both the culinary and medical markets - it was added to various dishes, treated diseases, and the dried product was used to flavor the air. But most often it was used and is used to this day for brewing tea. In general, mint fermentation is a simple process, but it requires some time and knowledge to complete. Let's figure out how to prepare a fragrant herb for making a delicious drink.

Procurement of raw materials

Before fermenting mint for tea, it must first, of course, be collected. Moreover, this should be done at a certain time. The most fragrant and tasty drink will turn out if the raw materials for it begin to be harvested at the beginning of summer - in June or in the first decade of July. During this period, the plant is in the flowering phase, and its leaves are maximally saturated with essential oils.

On a note! It was after the summer rain, when mint leaves fall Sun rays, they begin to give the air the most intense flavor! And this is the best time to collect raw materials!

Leaves should be torn off initial stage bud formation, but not before. Otherwise, the essential components will not be enough, respectively, tea from such raw materials will not be very saturated. A similar result will be obtained if you collect leaves from mint that has already faded - the raw material will lose its freshness and intense smell.
Harvesting mint should not be carried out both in wet weather and in extreme heat. In both the first and second cases, it will quickly acquire an unattractive brown hue.

Recommendation! If the summer turned out to be dry, and there was no rain for a long time, which led to the accumulation of dust on the foliage, before collecting raw materials, the plants must be washed with a hose or watering can and wait until they are completely dry.

To begin with, we want to clarify the question that many natural tea lovers ask and want to choose the most suitable raw material - is it possible to ferment mint? There is a lot of controversy in this regard, since it is known that given plant and without fermentation gives the drink a rather rich aroma. But here, as they say, it's a matter of taste - someone prefers to drink more "calm" drinks, someone with an intense smell. However, even in the first case, fermented mint will not disappear - it can simply be combined with other herbs, each time getting a new one in its own way. palatability drink.

So what is the fermentation process? Its biochemistry is quite complex, and we will not delve into it. Let's just say that this is a kind of oxidation process of the leaves, when, after harvesting, they are somewhat dried and twisted, as a result of which the integrity of the leaf surface is violated and the release of juice begins. Then the fermentation process starts.

On a note! The fermentation process is facilitated by various bacteria that are both on the surface of the leaves and in the air, and after a certain time the mass changes its color and smell!

So, mint fermentation at home is carried out according to the following scheme.

Freeze

The collected raw materials must be carefully sorted and washed. Damaged leaves, as well as stems, are not suitable for fermentation, so we immediately discard them. Then the mint should be thoroughly dried and divided into several identical bunches. We put them in plastic bags or wrap them in foil and send them to the freezer for a while.

Remember that the packaging must be sealed. If you are not sure of its integrity, then it is better to place the mint in a separate compartment, away from other products, as the leaves will quickly absorb odors.

You can also use plastic containers. They are tightly closed with lids or, if it is possible to put the raw materials separately, I cover them with a clean towel.

On a note! For successful fermentation, mint must spend at least three hours in the freezer, but it is better to leave the raw material for six hours or overnight!

Fermentation

After the leaves have spent sufficient time in the freezer, they must be removed and transferred to a bowl.

On a note! The mint will feel slightly damp to the touch, as when frozen, the juice contained in the leaves freezes and begins to expand. As a result, the cell walls are destroyed, and the juice comes out!

Now the raw material must be crushed. You can do this with an ordinary knife or skip the leaves through a meat grinder. In the latter case, you will get small neat granules. Then we proceed directly to the fermentation of mint for tea. We put the resulting mass in a bowl, install a press on top, for example, three-liter jar with water. We leave everything for three hours. After this time, the crushed leaves should acquire a richer flavor. We remove the press.

Drying

Spread the fermented mint mass in a thin layer on a plastic sheet or a large baking sheet.

On a note! wooden surfaces, for example, a sheet of plywood or a drying cloth is not recommended, as such materials can absorb some of the juice, which subsequently significantly reduces the aroma of the drink!

We leave the tray in a well-ventilated room or on the street, only in the latter case it is necessary to build a canopy so that direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves. After about a day or two, the raw material will dry out, after which it can be decomposed into canvas bags or small glass jars and sent for storage.
This completes the fermentation of mint leaves for tea. Store the finished tea leaves preferably in a dry place under a tight lid.

This fermentation process produces a very fragrant rich tea, which for many may seem quite "vigorous". Therefore, it is advisable to pour the granules into a cup carefully or add them to other drinks.

How to get a more gentle mint tea?

For those who prefer a more gentle mint tea, the leaves can be fermented in the following way:

we collect mint leaves at the beginning of summer, carefully sort them out, wash them under cold water and dry well;
we twist the raw materials in a meat grinder or grind them with our hands;
On a note! When twisting mint through a meat grinder, you can see how its color changes instantly. This is the oxidation that enhances the aroma and flavor of the product, but not as much as in the fermentation process described above!
lay out the raw materials on cling film, wrap it from all sides;
preheat the oven to 60 °, turn off and send the prepared mint, leave for several hours or overnight;
after unfolding the film, lay out the leaves on a baking sheet and dry at a temperature of no more than 90 ° for an hour.

Advice! Here you can use the dryer, setting it to about 40-50 °. The exposure time is not more than 40 minutes if these are granules, and about half an hour if the leaves were rubbed by hand. Then we reduce the temperature to 30 ° and dry the mint to the end!

Whether you need to ferment mint for a long period of time or use the second option is up to you. In slightly fermented leaves, the smell will be no less intense, but the color of the drink will remain just as beautiful and it will certainly be transparent. To brew it, you will need no more than 4 minutes, and as a result you will get a very tasty and healthy mint tea.

Be healthy!

All materials on the site are presented for informational purposes only. Before using any means, consultation with a doctor is MANDATORY!