Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

[Ira]

It turned out to be somewhere in a half-liter jar. Brewed, slightly tart taste, dried fruits (you can barely feel "bath") with a barely noticeable acidity, strength like yours in an average cup. I will dry it and put it in a jar for "aging" (although, it seems to me, it is already dry enough). Thank you!!!

Ira, to your health! Drink healthy DIY tea. Let him "rest" for the time being! In the meantime, make more tea - the winter is long, it will come in handy! And go to the next topic about tea from garden and wild plants. The girls have already done a lot of it - from everything that grows. And we are happy!

[lappl1]

lappl1, I also visited your next Temko, took it into the tabs))
At the dacha, currants and raspberries grow, I will definitely try to do something, thank you!

[Yulia]

Yulia, I'm glad I got you interested in these recipes. Prepare and drink tea for health!

[lappl1]

lappl1 Thanks for the recipe, I have been collecting this herb for a long time, it grows on my site, but I just dried it, but I didn't know how to make tea. Yesterday I brought some leaves, now they are already in the oven for fermentation, since this is the warmest method in the apartment. But I have a question, is it necessary to "stir up" this mass during drying? When you read, everything seems to be clear and understandable, but when you start to perform in stages, this is where questions arise. Thickness, see 2, enamel bowl.

[I am Nina,]

But I have a question, is it necessary to "stir up" this mass during drying?

I am Nina,Thank you for using the recipe. Prepare tea for health!
I am Nina,, I read it and did not really understand about the tedding of the mass, that is, what stage - fermentation or drying you are asking about. Because first you talk about drying, and then you switch to the bowl in which your tea is fermented. I will answer about both stages.
During fermentation it is not necessary to mix the mass. Although some sources sometimes find information that the mass is being mixed. I do not do this.
A during drying It is imperative to stir the masses in the oven after fermentation, because the tea will dry faster along the edges and on top. I will quote this part of the text from the recipe:

Then we lay out the mass on baking sheets covered with parchment, in a layer of 1 centimeter and dry in the oven at a temperature of 100 * C for 1.5 - 2 hours. Keep the oven door slightly ajar. Then we lower the temperature to 50 * - 60 * C and dry it completely until the moisture is completely released.
Stir the tea periodically with a wooden spatula and check the readiness of the tea leaves to the touch. Well-dried tea has the color of ordinary tea, tea leaves break when squeezed, but do not crumble.
When the bulk of the tea reaches this condition, remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow to cool. Drying tea to remove residual moisture is carried out in a bag made of thin fabric (in an old pillowcase) in the breeze in the shade in dry weather or in a room in rainy and damp weather.

Thickness, see 2, enamel bowl.

A layer of 2 cm during fermentation is not enough. Fermentation takes place better with a larger layer - 5 - 10 cm. If there are not enough raw materials, then you can take a bowl with a smaller diameter so that the layer is thicker.
Good luck to you . If you have any questions, please ask. I will answer with pleasure.

Tell me, a hundred, and how long to keep the leaves in the freezer ??? I had a blackberry leaf for 3 hours, it froze at the edges, and greens in the middle).

Thank you, it was during fermentation, so now I will transfer it to a smaller bowl. It hasn't come to drying yet.

[Galina Iv.]

how long to keep the leaves in the freezer ??? I had a blackberry leaf for 3 hours, it froze at the edges, and greens in the middle).

Galina Iv., depends on the thickness of the leaf layer. But the longer the better. I keep at least 6 hours. Better yet, put it in the evening and do it in the morning, or vice versa. The more the leaf is frozen, the better it collapses, which means that it will be easier to twist and further fermentation will be better and faster.

[I am Nina,]

it is during fermentation, so now I will transfer it to a smaller bowl.

I am Nina,, I thought so...

I somehow read that the aspen leaf is very tasty))), but it cannot be frozen at all, it does not freeze and that's it!

Mustache is in order, CHEF, put it in a plastic container and put it back in the oven. THANK YOU!!!!

I somehow read that aspen leaf is very tasty))),

we should try to smell it ... and google about the properties of aspen, maybe we need it ...

but it is not subject to freezing at all, it does not freeze and that's it!

I wonder how! But he will succumb to a meat grinder, I hope.

[Nina,]

Mustache is in order, CHEF, put it in a plastic container and put it back in the oven.

Nina,, boy! The fermentation will probably end soon, too?

I should try to sniff it

Oh no, no, ALDERS !!!! The demon beguiled)))). This by the way told you a forestry engineer))). (I grumble: well, you have to confuse alder with aspen ...)))

but about aspen I know that it has a very healing bark, it helps with heart diseases.

Oh no, no, ALDERS !!!! The demon beguiled)))). This by the way told you a forestry engineer))). (I grumble: well, you have to confuse alder with aspen ...)))

Aaaa ... We have aspen and alder mixed with growing, so I still confuse them. You need to take your husband with you to the forest so as not to make a mistake.

but about aspen I know that it has a very healing bark, it helps with heart diseases.

Also the right plant. In general, you need to read more about them ...
Thank you, Galina, for the valuable information! This is how we will expand our horizons on this topic!

when we at the institute learned the names of plants in Latin, the aspen was memorized like this: populus tremula = fluttering in vain), that is, in the wind its leaves seem to tremble and they are round and tougher, aspen grows in the forest, tall trees, and alder usually grows along ditches, rivulets, dark bark, and gray bark of aspen.

[Galina Iv.]

Galina Iv., thank you, I will look at which leaves flutter, at the shape of the leaves and at the color of the bark ... Wow, what a name! So are you a medic? or biologist? And then in the next topic, the girls are worried about the usefulness / harmfulness of different plants.

So are you a medic? or biologist?

I'm a forestry engineer), I think you need to drink different teas. As for the benefits and harms: and how much is tea made from tea leaves useful and harmful ??? You should not drink tea, 10 cups a day and all one, for example, from the same willow tea or from an apple tree. My opinion is that change teas, each drink has its own usefulness and possibly its harmfulness, it's all individually. But I am firmly convinced that willow tea is in no way more harmful than tea made from tea leaves. Our ancestors drank it for centuries ...

[Galina Iv.]

I'm a forestry engineer)

Galina Iv., our person !

benefits and harms: is tea made from tea leaves useful and harmful ???

In-in! Right to the point!

You should not drink tea, 10 cups a day and all one, for example, from the same willow tea or from an apple tree. My opinion is that change teas, each drink has its own usefulness and possibly its harmfulness, it's all individually.

Yes, I answered the next topic! I agree with you 1000%! Thank you, Galina, we are thinking right on the same wavelength!

[lappl1]

lappl1, Lyudmila. I got some Inwan tea here yesterday. True, the place for collecting was not very good: many plants were affected by some kind of brown spots. Therefore, I collected it almost by the piece, that is, each sheet was registered. In this regard, I am very afraid to ruin raw materials. Leaves gained about 1.2 -1.3 kg. At night they wilted, in the morning they went to the meat grinder and for 10 hours they have been fermenting. The temperature in the house is 23-24 degrees, humidity is 75-80%. In general, the question is this: since I do not rely on my scent yet, I want to clarify how long it takes to ferment under such conditions, if I want to get a tea of ​​medium fermentation. You said 10-16 hours at a temperature of 24-27 degrees.And if it is slightly smaller?

[Marina]

Marina, can already be dried. In general, leaves twisted in a meat grinder ferment faster than rolled leaves. The main reference point for the end of fermentation is a strong smell! It is difficult to determine this the first time, but with experience it will be easy.

collected almost by the piece, that is, each sheet was registered

Yes, tea is not easy!

Thank you! I went to dry.

[Marina]

Marina, good luck!

[Ludmila]

Ludmila, finally I typed the leaves and also came with questions. I dried them up. By the way, the aroma in the room is wonderful.
Now the question is: where to find the temperature of 24-27 degrees for fermentation?
And further,

dry in the oven at a temperature of 100 * C for 1.5 - 2 hours. Keep the oven door slightly ajar. Then we lower the temperature to 50 * - 60 * C and dry it completely until the moisture is completely released.

My oven will not work with the door ajar. The minimum temperature that I can set is in the range from 40 to 80. Can I then dry at 80, but with the oven door closed?

[Galina]

where to find the temperature of 24-27 degrees for fermentation?

Galina, I also do not have such a temperature (18 - 20), so I wrap the container with blankets. Due to oxidative processes, the mass heats up by itself, and the blankets retain this heat.

The minimum temperature that I can set is in the range from 40 to 80.

Can I open the door at 80 *? If possible, dry at 80 *. It is impossible to dry with the door closed, since the tea will not dry there, but steamed and may lose aroma and taste. It is better then to dry in a thick-walled frying pan - first over medium heat, shaking constantly, and after 20 minutes - at a minimum, with constant stirring. It is good to place a flame divider under the pan, if available. Ate a lot of tea, then divide into 2 parts. It is important not to dry out the tea. It is better to keep it slightly damp than dry. Then dry in the pillowcase.
The ideal option for drying tea is in an electric dryer, if available.

Lyudmila, thank you for your prompt reply!
With fermentation I understood. Doable. Drying is much more difficult.
Unfortunately, my oven does not work at any temperature with the door open, I don’t have drying, a thick-walled frying pan, too. And the process has already started ... The batch is very small, trial. The only thing I have is a divider

and it is impossible to abruptly interrupt fermentation in the microwave (2-3 minutes), and dry at a temperature of 60?

[Galina]

I don't have a drying pan, neither a thick-walled pan

Galina, is there anything like a cauldron? If this is not the case, then dry it in any frying pan, but with a divider and stirring often.

[Sens]

and it is impossible to abruptly interrupt fermentation in the microwave (2-3 minutes), and dry at a temperature of 60?

Sens, in theory, probably you can. But I don't know how this can be done. I dried the nuts, but it did not work out evenly for me - something burned, but something remained raw, although it often interfered.

[Sens]

Sens, in theory, probably you can. But I don't know how this can be done. I dried the nuts, but it did not work out evenly for me - something burned, but something remained raw, although it often interfered.

sorry, I didn't formulate it exactly.
if you interrupt the fermentation in the microwave, you can create a temperature of 100g there. for 2-3 minutes.
and then dry in the Isidri dryer at 60 gr. ?

Lyudmila, I don't have a cauldron either
But everything is fine, just now my husband told me how to get out of the situation with the oven, what needs to be done to make it work with the door ajar.

[Sens]

Sens, and in your microwave can you create a temperature of 100 *? it's just that my microwave is such an old woman that she has no such function.
Why not dry right on Isidri? After all, you can put up 100 * there. Then you don't need to bother with a microwave.

just now my husband told me how to get out of the situation with the oven, what should be done to make it work with the door ajar.

Well, our husbands will always find a way to get around the ingenious technique! So, dry in the oven calmly, without cauldrons, pans and dividers.
Good luck!

[lappl1]

lappl1Unfortunately, in my Isidri 60g is the maximum temperature.

in the microwave 100g you can - because the water boils. but exactly 100gr. I can't install either

[Sens]

Sensprobably you can. But then I would prefer to dry in a pan, because in the microwave everything happens so quickly that there is a risk of burning the tea. Somehow I'll try to do it on purpose. But if you are sure that you can control this process, then you can try to dry it in the microwave.

Well, my Kaporsky gulls are ready! What can I say that of all the teas that I managed to prepare, and these are raspberries, currants and cherries, Ivan tea has the most pleasant aroma. I liked it so much during drying ... I can imagine what will happen in winter. At every opportunity I will run after fireweed. I want to try all kinds of fermentation, both leafy and granular.
And by the way, now I can already see for sure which teas I have spoiled and which have not. Here with Ivan-tea ... no, with IVAN-CHAY everything worked out perfectly. Now I can see it already.
Thank you very much, Lyudmila!

[Marina]

Marina, Congratulations! Well, after practicing on more affordable flavors, with IVAN-TEA everything went like clockwork for you! And do not worry with the rest of the teas - by autumn-winter they will stand up and become better.

What can I say that of all the teas that I managed to prepare, and these are raspberries, currants and cherries, Ivan tea has the most pleasant aroma. I liked it so much during drying ... I can imagine what will happen in winter

Because IVAN-CHAI is the King among other things of tea. If you do not spoil it, then you cannot dislike it! Therefore, I prepare it more than 50% of all the tea I have prepared. And I advise everyone who grows it!

Now I need advice too. Today I picked up some fireweed, I went through it, now I'm wilting (7 hours have passed since the collection), soon it will be possible to pass it through a meat grinder and put it to ferment (the temperature in the room is 22 degrees). But until nightfall he will not have time to ferment, and at night he does not want to watch and then dry - what to do? I want granular, there will be no way to twist.

[natushka]

natushka, if the leaves have not yet been twisted, then roll them into the fabric on which they were wilted, leave them in a room where it is not dry (I put this photo on the recipe page). And tomorrow, continue making tea.

Lyudmil, thanks! So I will, I read about it, but I thought that it would be too long to leave it this way overnight. Then I will wrap it up and put it on the balcony, the temperature outside will be somewhere around 15 degrees, it may not dry out and rot. Just now, we have withered, I went to clean up, I thought at first to wrap it up and put it in a bag and refrigerator, but I changed my mind.

[natushka]

the temperature outside will be around 15 degrees, it may not dry out and rot.

natushka, normal conditions on the balcony - everything will be fine until tomorrow.

And today I gave a sniff of my work to the people who brought me fireweed. I heard ABALD !!! Thanks again!

[Irina]

Irina, I am very glad that the tea turned out! Drink it with pleasure and health! Well, the briquettes did not spoil it! And by autumn-winter, the smell will multiply. So ask your friends for more fireweed. And more!

So ask your friends for more fireweed.

Thanks again!
Already asked

Small report. I'm afraid the tea won't work. In the evening, I put the leaves wrapped in a towel on the balcony, but it became dramatically warmer (up to 22 degrees) and the towel began to dry out. Then she wrapped the leaves in several towels and put them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. In the morning the leaves were wonderful - greenish, without crunching veins, but not sluggish (only slightly crushed). She began to scroll in a meat grinder and here ... the grill with the largest holes (6mm) clogged completely, although it scrolled without effort, the leaves were not grinded with sausages as in the picture, but with a continuous small mass - if this mass is dried (it seems to me), dust will turn out. Maybe it was necessary to scroll without a knife? I took off the knife and put a grate with two curved holes (I don’t know what it’s called, I can make cookies or something else), I twisted it, I crushed the "minced meat" (cm6 turned out), covered it with wet gauze, put a plate on top, the temperature is now 21 degrees.I won't throw it away yet, I want to see what happens. Yes, I really wanted to spin the rolls, but I wouldn't have had enough for a day, something doesn't work out. And one more interesting moment - yesterday, when I put the leaves to wither, they smelled of grass at first, then a very light floral smell appeared, in the morning the smell was again grassy. So far, somehow, it’s a pity that I don’t know where else to look for Cyprus, where I found it all (about 800gr), and it’s scary to walk far into the forest alone.

[natushka]

natushka, do not worry, I also grinded finely (there is a photo above) and at the beginning of drying in the oven the whole apartment smelled of "bath brooms", and then the smell changed, and although I do not feel anything floral in it yet, it smells deliciously sweet dried fruits (would sniff and sniff)

[auntyirisha]

auntyirisha, and you grind with or without a knife? I had wet semolina porridge with green foam running through the grate with a knife. So now everything is mixed with different grindings. There was a sticky green mass, now it is fermented from 7 o'clock in the morning (already 5.5 hours), but I still don’t feel the green and strong aroma, though the temperature is 23-24 degrees. And you had a lot of liquid, maybe you really need it to flow? Or I rammed it too hard, something seems to me to be fermented for a long time.

[natushka]

natushka, just was able to go to my computer, sorry! It's already time to finish the fermentation. Don't worry, everything will be fine.

can you really need to flow? Or have I rammed too hard

Don't let it flow. And it was necessary to press the mass with a little hand. Granulated tea is not strongly rammed, but rolls need to be fermented with oppression.

I won't throw it away yet, I want to see what happens.

Of course, don't throw it away. Well, it will turn out almost wrong, but still there will be tea.

I started scrolling in a meat grinder and here ... the grill with the largest holes (6mm) clogged completely, although it scrolled without effort, the leaves were grinded not like in the picture with sausages, but with a continuous small mass -

Granules usually crumble if the leaves are not sufficiently withered. Or is it the features of a meat grinder. My fireweed never crumbled.
Generally, natushka, keep doing. That is, you can already dry the tea. What about the smell? Is the herbal smell gone?