If the fireweed has already bloomed, then it's time to follow it to the nearest meadow and start preparing tea with an amazing taste and nectar smell for the whole next year. In fact, you can find recipes for Ivan tea on the Internet, but almost all sites cite excerpts from an article by engineer Odintsov "Forgotten Drink" from the journal "Science and Life" for 1989. It is difficult to prepare the “correct” Ivan tea according to this article and quotes - many questions arise during the preparation process. I threw away more than one batch of tea until I got it. The recipe that I am posting here takes into account all the nuances, so the acquaintances to whom I give this recipe usually do not have difficulties in preparing willow tea.

The process of preparing fermented Ivan tea consists of several stages.

1. Collection of leaves

The leaves are harvested in June-August from the beginning of flowering fireweed to the moment of its fluffing. It is necessary to collect in dry weather, away from roads and polluted places, preferably in shady places along the edge of forest glades. In such plants, the leaves are more tender and juicy, they are easier to roll and ferment better, and the tea from them is tastier.

It is convenient to collect the leaves of willow-tea, holding the stem at the peduncle with one hand, and holding it down to the middle of the stem with the other (in the photo this part of the stem is limited by red ribbons). The lower leaves are left on the stem, because. they are coarser than the top ones. It is advisable to leave 3-4 tiers of leaves under the flowers. The plant needs them to lift moisture from the roots and collect dew. This method of collecting leaves does not harm the plant - it continues to bloom and produces seeds.

2. Withering leaves

Withering is necessary in order to make it easier to process the leaves 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.

Collected leaves are inspected, damaged ones are removed. And there may be snails, we remove them too. It is better not to wash the leaves before drying, because. you can wash off the beneficial microorganisms involved in the fermentation process.

Then the leaves are laid out 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.

On average, the process takes 12 hours. On a dry sunny day, the process is faster, on a rainy and cool day it takes longer (a day or more). The best temperature for drying is 20 - 24 °C at a relative humidity of 70%. A relatively heavily withered leaf rolls better and makes more good teas than an unsalted one. The remaining moisture in the sheet should be 60-62%.

The readiness of the sheet is determined by squeezing the leaf in half. If, when the sheet is folded, a “crunch” of the central vein is felt, then the sheet is not yet ready. The end of withering can be determined in another way - with a strong compression of a handful of withered leaves into a lump, it should not open.

If the leaves are already withered, and I don’t have time to deal with them, then I wrap them in the same fabric on which they dried. So the leaves can lie until we are free. Withered leaves can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days (in a bag).

If the house is very damp or, conversely, dry, or there is no time to stir up the leaves, then you can wither them in cotton or linen. It is advisable to choose the fabric for this as dense and thick as possible (bedspreads, towels, tablecloths, sheets). To do this, you need to distribute the leaves in a thin layer evenly over the fabric, fold it and twist it as tightly as possible. The fabric will absorb excess moisture, the leaves will not dry out and become very pliable for further processing. We check the readiness of the leaves in the same way - by squeezing a handful. If the leaves have not yet withered after 5-6 hours, then they can be transferred to another dry cloth and the wrapping process repeated.

3. Preparing leaves for fermentation

At this stage, it is necessary to destroy the structure of the leaf before extracting the juice, which allows the most complete extraction of useful substances from the plant and better fermentation. The juice of the leaves contains enzymes, i.e. substances directly responsible for fermentation. If there is not enough juice, then the fermentation will not be of high quality, which will affect the taste and aroma of tea.

There are several ways to destroy the structure of the leaves.

3.1. The first way is twisting the leaves by hand. Take a few leaves (7 - 10), roll them with force several times between the palms until the leaves turn dark from the juice that has come out. As a result, rolls up to 10 cm long and 1 - 1.5 cm thick will be formed. Later, the rolls are cut and small-leaf tea is obtained.

This process is labor intensive and takes a lot of time. If you have a large company, then you can wind the rolls pretty quickly.

One of the books about Ivan-tea says that the old people taught to roll rolls of leaves at the expense of one to eight: “one-two - a ball of leaves, three-four - the ball is pulled into a sausage, five-six - we press harder, seven -eight - the twist manages to roll a few more times between the palms and collect the juice.

3.2. The second way is kneading-crumpling the leaves.

This method is similar to the process of manual kneading dough. With energetic squeezing movements, the leaves are "kneaded" in a deep and wide bowl for 15 - 20 minutes. As a result, the structure of the leaves is destroyed and the juice is released. The leaves darken, become thin and slightly curled. During kneading, you need to periodically loosen the lumps and separate the sticky leaves. In the future, large-leaf tea is obtained from such leaves.

3.3. The third way is twisting the leaves in a meat grinder (grid with large holes). Periodically let the grinder cool down. Depending on the number of leaves, this takes 10 - 15 minutes. The result is granulated tea.

Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

It is believed that the most "correct" tea is obtained by processing the leaves by hand. But I really like granulated tea, and I prepare it in large quantities, so I twist the leaves in a meat grinder. Everyone decides for himself which way to choose.

4. Leaf fermentation

The properties of tea - taste, aroma and benefits of the drink - depend on the quality of this process. Leaves prepared by one of the above methods are laid in a layer of 7 - 10 cm in an enameled, ceramic or plastic container. If the leaves were twisted in a meat grinder, then we crush them a little with our hands. If the leaves were rolled or kneaded, then we put oppression on them. We close with a damp linen or cotton cloth and put in a warm place for fermentation. Periodically check if the fabric is dry. If it dries out, then wet it again.

It is impossible to say exactly how long fermentation will take - it depends on the temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the fermentation process. Too high temperature and overexposure are dangerous - tea acquires the smell of low-grade tea. The optimal temperature for the fermentation process should be considered 22 - 26 °C. Below 15 °C, the fermentation process stops, at a temperature of 15 - 20 °C, its beginning is noted, above 30 °C, part of the soluble fermentation products, which give strength and “body” to the infusion, becomes insoluble, and at the same time, the pleasant aroma of tea is lost.

If the room is cool, you can wrap the container with the fermented mass with several jackets and blankets. During fermentation, the mass is self-heating, and this temperature is enough for high-quality fermentation.

The time and quality of fermentation is closely related to the thickness of the leaf layer. With a small number of leaves, fermentation will not be of high quality. Therefore, a sufficient number of leaves should be collected for a batch of tea.

The end of fermentation is a change in the color of the mass from green to green-brown, as well as a change in the herbal smell to a strong floral-fruity aroma. There are three degrees of tea fermentation - light, medium and deep.

With light fermentation, the leaves are fermented until the first signs of a fruity-floral smell (3 - 6 hours). Brewed tea has a mild taste and a delicate but strong aroma.

Tea of ​​medium fermentation (10 - 16 hours) is obtained with a pronounced aroma, moderately tart taste with a slight sourness.

Deep fermentation tea (20 - 36 hours) - tart, without sourness, with a relatively light aroma.

For yourself, it is best to choose the time experimentally, preparing weakly, medium or strongly fermented tea - it all depends on preferences and tastes. I prepare tea of ​​various degrees of fermentation, then I mix them in various proportions and get teas that are very rich in color, taste and aroma.

It is important not to miss the end of fermentation, otherwise the mass may become moldy. It is better to underferment tea than overferment it.

5. Drying

If, in preparation for fermentation, the leaves were twisted between the palms into rolls, then after the end of fermentation, they must be cut with a knife into washers up to 0.5 cm thick. You can cut the rolls before fermentation. Then the mass will be denser and fermentation will be better.

We lay out the fermented mass on baking sheets covered with parchment, with a layer of 1 centimeter and gently loosen so that there are no lumps.

We dry the tea in the oven at a temperature of 100 * C for 1.5 - 2 hours. The oven door should be kept slightly ajar. Then we reduce the temperature to 50 * - 60 * C and dry it completely until the moisture is completely released. Periodically stir the tea and check the readiness of the tea leaves to the touch. I mix tea like this. I lift the opposite corners of the paper, then the others. Tea is going to the center. Then, gently with my hands straighten the tea on a baking sheet (does not burn). You can also mix with a spatula, but during mixing with your hands, the tea practically does not crumble than if you do it with a spatula.

Well-dried tea has the color of ordinary tea, the tea leaves break when squeezed, but do not crumble. When the bulk of the tea reaches this condition, we take the baking sheets out of the oven and let the tea cool to room temperature. Carefully! When tea is overexposed during drying, an admixture of the smell of burnt paper appears in the smell of the finished tea.

Drying tea to remove residual moisture is carried out in a bag 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. Shake the bag from time to time so that the tea dries faster.

It is difficult to say how long the tea will dry out. It depends on the weather. It happens that in damp weather, when the house is damp, tea is dried for a week. And in dry weather, one day is enough. If it is impossible to create conditions for drying the tea, then you can heat the oven to a minimum, turn it off and hold the tea there until the oven has completely cooled down (we periodically stir the tea).

Well-dried tea is practically odorless, making a dry rustling sound when shaken in a bag. If the tea emits a strong aroma, then it has not yet dried. Granules of well-dried tea do not crumble and are not crushed, but broken.

It is important to dry the tea well, otherwise it may become moldy during storage.

You can dry tea in a thick-walled pan. To do this, the mass is dried in small portions over medium heat with constant shaking for 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat and, constantly stirring with a wooden spatula, bring the leaves / granules to a dry state.

With success, you can dry tea in an air grill. In the air grill "Hotter" this happens as follows. Put tea on a tray in a heated AG and dry first for 15 minutes at a temperature of 150 * (medium speed), mix after 10 minutes. Then dry for 20 minutes at 85 * or 105 * (depending on how the AG heats up - the speed is average). Dry at a temperature of 65 * (medium speed). During the whole process, periodically stir the tea so that it dries evenly. Be sure to keep the lid ajar - you can put a skewer.

You can dry the tea using the method that Chinese manufacturers use for certain types of tea. This method is called "frying". To do this, at the beginning of drying, set the temperature to 125 - 150 * for 10 - 20 minutes. This temperature allows the sugars of the plant juice to caramelize on top of the granules and kind of seal the rest of the juice inside. Then dry the tea as described in the recipe. This method gives a light caramel aroma and flavor to the tea.

If you have collected fireweed flowers, then do not dry them together with the fermented mass, as the flowers dry out faster and at a temperature of 100 * C they can simply burn out. They are best dried separately in the oven or el. dryer at a temperature of 50 - 60 * C. They dry out pretty quickly.

I will add that during drying there is such a magical aroma throughout the house that it is worth making Ivan tea at least once because of this alone.

6. Tea storage

Fireweed tea is stored in a dry, dark place in glass jars with polyethylene lids, birch bark or metal boxes. I store tea in disposable plastic containers, labeled with the date of preparation and the degree of fermentation of the tea.

Tea is aged in jars/containers for at least a month for the so-called dry fermentation. If you try to brew tea immediately after preparation, then it may not impress - it has not been infused yet. The longer the tea is stored, the better it becomes.

I wonder all the time - where does this “additional” smell come from after aging tea? A month is better than a week. A year later is better than six months. Well, and so on. Miracles! The longer the tea is stored, the better it becomes.

For daily use, I pour tea into metal boxes.

Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

I like to mix fireweed tea with dry flowers of fireweed, dry berries of nika, raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, mint, lemon balm, oregano ... - it turns out very beautifully, and tea acquires a new taste and aroma.

Ivan tea (fermentation of fireweed leaves) - master class

7. Brewing tea

Rinse a clean teapot with boiling water, pour tea at the rate of 1-2 teaspoons per glass of boiling water, pour hot water, cover with a towel, let it brew for 10 minutes, then pour into cups without diluting with boiling water. And immediately pour the teapot a second time, because the second infusion of tea is even tastier and more aromatic than the first. After another 15 minutes, pour tea into cups - no need for it to stop. And do not brew the same tea the next day! Even if you poured it only once, after a break it will not work out well. Drink tea hot, warm or cold. When heating cooled tea, try not to allow even the slightest boil of the drink. The subtle aroma will disappear immediately.

Leaf brewed tea is lighter in color than granulated tea. Therefore, if you want a darker infusion, then make granulated tea. Sugar makes tea sweet.

And I read this recipe for signature Gorodets tea from fireweed in Margarita Voronina’s brochure “Gorodets tea is a joy to the soul, health to the body.”

Bring the water to a boil (when the bubbles start to come off the bottom). Prepare two teapots - a large one and a smaller one. Pour one teaspoon of willow-herb into a small teapot (per one glass of water), pour boiling water over it and leave for 7-10 minutes. After that, pour into a large kettle. Pour boiling water over the already steamed tea leaves and insist again. And so - up to four times. The last time the tea leaves to insist no more than three minutes. This is done in order to consistently extract useful ingredients from fireweed. The famous hanerol, which contributes to the prevention of malignant diseases, is extracted for the third or fourth time.

That's all, our Ivan-tea is ready! When you first taste it, don't immediately try to compare the taste to something you already know, don't try to figure out what it's like. Fireweed tea is unlike anything, it has its own taste, its own and unique. Enjoy this taste!

If this article on our website was useful to you, then we offer you a book with Recipes for a living, healthy diet. Vegan and raw food recipes. And also we offer you a selection of the best materials of our site according to our readers. You can find a selection of the TOP of the best articles about a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating wherever it is most convenient for you.

What is fermentation? This is a process without which you cannot get real useful Ivan tea. It is not enough just to dry the grass and boil it with boiling water. The resulting drink will be just colored water. In order for fireweed to give up its beneficial substances, it must be fermented, and how to prepare Ivan tea, we will consider further.

Fermentation or fermentation or oxidation is a complex chain of chemical reactions that leads to the formation of a unique composition of the finished tea. In taste, it is not inferior to either Ceylon or Indian, and the benefits of fermented willow tea are enormous, not comparable to the usual black and green teas:

• antioxidant properties, that is, antitumor;
• increased immunity tone, effective fight against viruses, rapid completion of inflammatory processes; according to the latest indicator, this is the most effective plant of the Russian flora;
• pressure returns to normal;
• fermented willow leaf tea in the afternoon guarantees a good night's sleep;
• food is digested better and, in general, the work of the digestive tract is getting better; the enveloping properties of the drink help to heal gastric and duodenal ulcers;
• inhibits the reproduction of the herpes virus;
• it is a stress protector; in people who drink Ivan tea, aggressiveness decreases, headaches, insomnia, convulsions disappear, mood normalizes;
• a positive effect on the heart, the disappearance of arrhythmia;
• improvement of the condition of the skin, inhibitory effect on psoriasis and eczema, various dermatitis; fight against skin aging, increase its firmness, elasticity;
• can be taken as a pain reliever;
• reduction in the manifestation of allergic reactions;
• useful for lactating women - stimulates lactation;
• increases libido in men;
• is non-addictive and has no side effects.

Fermented Ivan tea is good and no harm. It has not only useful properties, but also a special aroma. This is a very tasty drink, the production traditions of which have been forgotten, and are now gradually being restored.

How to ferment Ivan tea at home correctly

See also . It's interesting and very easy!

First you need the right herbs. The best time for this is May, when the plant has just blossomed. Later, beans form at the top. While they are soft, in a "milky" state, then you can collect them along with flowers and leaves. Later, seeds and fluff develop in the beans. They are unfit for food.

The collected green mass must be tied. This means simply decomposing and letting it lie in the shade for half a day. The material should become a little limp, but not dry.

Grinding. If there is not much herb, you can grind it with your fingers, and large quantities are processed in a meat grinder. But this is an extreme option, the metal comes into contact with the mass and oxidizes it, as a result of which vitamins are destroyed. Even the taste of tea made "manually" will differ from "mechanical".

Transfer the resulting mass to an enamel bowl, cover and put in a warm place. It is difficult to say exactly how much to ferment Ivan tea. Often left overnight. By morning, the color of the mass will change to dark and a fruity aroma will go. This means that the juice that has flowed from the crumpled leaves has fermented.

Fermentation can be divided into two stages: one that takes place in the air and one that takes place in. The crushed leaves secrete juice, it begins to ferment. Roasting first intensifies this process, and then stops it. The longer the mass ferments, the further the fermentation will go. Thus, you can get the traditional tea gradation: green, red, black. How long, to what state to ferment Ivan tea at home depends on taste preferences. The mass should be put in a frying pan, preferably cast iron, and simmer for half an hour. You can keep it in the oven on low heat. This will speed up enzymatic reactions, another part of the substances will turn into an easily digestible form. As a result, the drink will be more aromatic and tastier, with a more saturated color.

Now the final and completion of the fermentation process. Level the mass on a baking sheet and keep in the oven at 90 degrees until completely dry. Stir. The tea will turn out granular, dark, almost black. If you reduce the temperature by half, the drink will be lighter, almost green. And if, on the contrary, you want a very strong one, then you need to set the oven to 150 degrees. Fermented Ivan tea in any case will have a lot of useful properties.

Photo of preparation, fermentation of Ivan-tea and the result.

This drink, unlike traditional tea, does not contain caffeine and does not leave a dark coating on tooth enamel. And even more interesting its taste can be made by various natural additives. Ivan tea can be fermented with other plants and berries. For example, it is good to add currant and raspberry leaves. You need to mix them from the very beginning. But the berries, the same currants, it is better to grind and pour on the mass ready for drying. You can experiment with flavors endlessly. One of the unusual and successful options is Ivan tea and maple leaves. If something in our explanation seemed incomprehensible to you, on this page you can find several videos on how to ferment willow tea.

Kopor tea. Ivan tea is also called fireweed or kopora, and a drink from it is Koporsky. Previously, the peasants had their own secrets of it. For example, the collected brushes with flowers were laid out on the floor in a rather thick layer, 5 cm, and then twisted, as if into a roll. At the same time, the plant mass was strongly compressed so that it let the juice flow and fermentation began. So the roll lay for 10 hours, and then it was still left to reach in a wooden box under a damp cloth.

Now, those who are too lazy to withstand all the traditional technology can simply put the herbs in a plastic bag, knead and leave to ferment.

Or to do it even easier -. The price of fermented Ivan tea will depend on the region in which it was collected, what additives were added. The cost is comparable to a pack of good Ceylon tea, and the benefits are much greater.

Video. How to quickly make Ivan tea at home.

Guryeva Ksenia, 19699

Warning: DOMDocument::loadHTML(): Unexpected end tag: p in Entity, line: 69 in on line 8

Warning: DOMDocument::loadHTML(): Unexpected end tag: p in Entity, line: 130 in /var/www/admin/www/website/wp-content/themes/chay-2/ext/lazyLoad.php on line 8

Warning: DOMDocument::loadHTML(): Unexpected end tag: p in Entity, line: 146 in /var/www/admin/www/website/wp-content/themes/chay-2/ext/lazyLoad.php on line 8

Benefits and harms, contraindications and side effects, the correct preparation of Ivan tea.

The well-known willow grass grows in fairly accessible places, so many herbalists successfully collect it on their own. In order for it to bring benefits, and not harm, it should be properly collected, fermented and dried. Harvesting willow-tea has its own characteristics.

Based on the knowledge of medicinal herbs and the conviction that Ivan-grass is absolutely harmless, and even children can drink tea from it. However, not everything is so simple, when using Ivan tea, unforeseen side reactions may occur if medicinal raw materials were collected in places contaminated or poisoned with something. Even grass collected near the roadway may have a composition poisoned by exhaust gases, which is unlikely to be useful for treating a child or an adult. A contraindication is also the individual intolerance of the plant.

The instructions for use of Ivan-tea say that it will be useful in the treatment of stomach or intestinal ulcers, helps to reduce high body temperature and mental stress, depressive reactions.

Ivan-tea also helps to dissolve kidney stones, strengthen the circulatory system, and treat migraines. Tea is harmless to children and women during lactation.

You can write a whole thesis about the beneficial properties of Ivan tea. Once popular all over the world, Koporye tea is now back in fashion. And a lot of people rushed to do it on their own. People use this healing drink themselves and sell it to others, but not everyone knows how to properly collect raw materials, ferment it with their own hands and dry this miraculous plant.

If the instructions are not fully followed, then you can lose the precious medicinal properties of narrow-leaved fireweed.

Therefore, I would like to consider the most common mistakes in harvesting Ivan tea at home.

8 mistakes when picking and drying Ivan-tea on your own

Chamaenerion angustifolium (or Ivan-tea in the people)

Drying is one of the most popular harvesting methods. Then herbal tea has a light green tint. Other shades require fermentation. The shade also depends on the degree of fermentation: green, red, black.

But a fermented drink has more beneficial properties than just a dried leaf.

A non-professional can make several mistakes that will not only spoil the result and kill the healing properties, but also create a risk of poisoning.

Assembly

The main mistakes at this stage:

1. As funny as it may sound, the very first mistake is picking the wrong herb. The narrow-leaved fireweed is easy to confuse with other members of the fireweed family, which do not have such medicinal qualities: fuchsia, biennial gaura, clarkia. Take a close look at the photo below:

Fireweed angustifolia

Here, the danger also lies in the fact that it is possible to confuse the plant with the poisonous gifts of nature, therefore, before starting the assembly, it is important to know Ivan tea in person.

2. Ivan tea often grows near railway embankments and highways. This herb should not be harvested for medicinal purposes. Mistake number 2 - collecting slagged grass with unnecessary impurities.

3. Fireweed, as a rule, is harvested at the very beginning of the flowering period, then Koporye tea will have the most pronounced aroma and taste. Therefore, another typical mistake is the collection in the spring, even before the flowering period.

4. After the willow-tea fades, a seed box begins to form. After that, the leaves of the plant are no longer suitable for harvesting. Otherwise, you simply cannot get rid of fluff in tea.

5. In a hurry would-be collectors often do not carry out a quality culling of raw materials, and damaged parts of the fireweed that are undesirable in treatment fall into the general basket.

Drying at home

The final step in making homemade Koporye tea is the drying step. It is correct to carry out this procedure in a dark, ventilated room. If there is none in your house, then you can use the attic.

6. A typical violation is drying in the light, especially in direct sunlight.

Some people prefer a cooling stove or an open oven on a low heat. This is also a good option, but:

7. The slip can hide in excess of the temperature regime.

8. It is also fundamentally wrong to dry in the oven with the lid closed without fresh air.

Conclusion: self-harvesting is possible, but if you are not confident in your abilities, then buying from specialists is a more reliable option.

7 Mistakes When Fermenting Ivan Tea at Home

Fermentation

Fermentation is an important process in the processing of any tea. If you prefer black tea and even want to see a herbal drink in a similar form, then fermented fireweed is just for you. But it must be fermented correctly in order to avoid undesirable consequences and loss of beneficial characteristics.

• The fresh leaves of this herb ferment quite poorly. Therefore, they are first dried. Another mistake would be to exclude this procedure from the process.
• The drying process consists in finding raw materials in a glass jar in a well-lit room. Do not use direct sunlight for this process.

After completing the phase of the drying procedure, they proceed to the next phase of preparation - kneading by hand or in a meat grinder.

• It is a mistake to miss this stage, because it is at this moment that the juice necessary for further processing is released.
• In addition, many inexperienced harvesters pass through a meat grinder to facilitate their work, although in the end they plan to get leaf fireweed. And vice versa, they are twisted by hand, wanting to get a granular version.

Then all this mess is placed in an enameled container, covered with a lid and sent under oppression.

• Mistake #5 - Make the pressure too big. In this case, the lower leaves will ferment much faster than the upper ones. This is fraught with souring.
• The optimal time for the immediate stage of homemade Ivan tea fermentation is 10-15 hours. This process should not be delayed for 2 or more days.

Storage

The ideal way to store ready-made willow tea is in a paper or cloth bag in a dark place.

• Those who believe that an ordinary plastic bag placed on a window is suitable for storage are mistaken. In the package, when exposed to light, the raw materials may become damp.

Conclusion A: Good quality depends on many factors. Therefore, if you are not sure that you can properly procure medicinal Ivan tea, then it is better not to do it yourself, but to purchase a quality collection from professionals.

Harvesting and fermentation methods that have taken root among the people

Fermentation of leaves with branches

"The herb is sold in a pharmacy, but I like to collect it myself. I do it this way. I bring home armfuls of fireweed, and connect my relatives to beneficial fermentation. Fermentation is needed so that the herb is more fragrant and healthy.

It's done like this: take one branch of Ivan-tea, and press, grind, squeeze the juice with your hands, juice and aroma will come out, then put this finished branch in a basin, and do the same with all the branches. Then spread the grass on the windowsill, cover with gauze or a rag on top, from flies and dust. Turn over more often so as not to rot. I sometimes dry-dry right in the basin, it remains more fragrant and healthy. When the herb dries, place in a rag bag. Happy tea drinking, good luck to you!!!"

Maria

(method number 1)

Collection, drying, fermentation (manually and meat grinder), storage

"It is necessary to collect Ivan-tea for harvesting at the time of flowering. Only leaves are collected. The best time for collection is in the afternoon. Collection should be carried out in dry weather.

Scatter the collected leaves in the shade and leave to dry. We scatter the leaves on the table in the house. Drying can last from 6 hours to a day. Our leaves wither a little less than a day. The most important thing here is not to overdry them. Leaves must not break! They should look like wilted greens, but never dry out! When twisted, the leaves secrete juice.

Now we proceed to the most important process - fermentation. For fermentation, it is necessary that the leaves give juice. This can be achieved in several ways:

• you can mash the leaves in a bowl (as we crush cabbage for salad or dough),
• you can twist the leaves (this is the longest way),
• you can skip the leaves through a meat grinder.

In the first two cases, you will get loose leaf tea. When passing through a meat grinder - granulated. We use a meat grinder - this is the easiest and fastest way.

Now we put the prepared raw materials into an enameled bucket or pan and put it under a press. Cover the bucket with a damp towel. During the whole process, make sure that the towel remains wet. Fermentation time: from several hours to one and a half days. In fermented tea, the color changes to brown and the aroma changes. The longer you ferment your tea, the more tart it will be when brewed. We ferment tea for 12-15 hours. This is a medium fermentation.

Now the tea needs to be dried. We spread the tea on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven ajar. Set the temperature to 100 degrees. Stir occasionally and check the condition of the tea so as not to overdry. When the tea is dry, take out the tray and let it cool. It is best to store Ivan tea in glass jars or tea tins. We have Ivan tea stored in a glass jar.

Elena, St. Petersburg

(method number 2)

Fermentation in a jar

"This grass is harvested mainly during the entire flowering period of this plant, from about July to August, since during this period the leaves contain the greatest amount of odorous and beneficial substances.

So, the preparation method:

• 1) we collect leaves, as much as you like, and of course, how much strength you have (for the first time I gained a little and tried to do it.
• 2) we bring it home, sort it out and wash it, then dry it and dry it a little.
• 3) then we prepare a jar of the right size, I take a three liter one.
• 4) we take the leaves and clog the container with them, very very tightly, while wrinkling the leaves and thus breaking their cellular structure, thereby preparing them for fermentation.

You can also scroll them through a meat grinder or cut them, you get finer leaf tea. Well, I mostly do large sheet.

After two days, we open and check our leaves should darken and a sweet fruity aroma should appear (more like a fermented compote, well, or something floral), the aroma is interesting and pleasant. If we want our tea to be closer to green, then we let it stand a little less in time.

Next I start twist leaves in a way similar to kneading dough, rumple until juice is released and the leaves begin to curl, while you need to make sure that they do not stick together, periodically straightening them. Well, if you scrolled all this in a meat grinder or chopped it finely, then you can lay it out on a baking sheet and start drying, which I will discuss later. Having done all these manipulations, we should get twisted leaves, which we can cut or dry whole.

We heat the oven to 100 degrees, lay out our raw materials on a baking sheet, you can take a layer of 2-3 cm, it all depends on its depth and put it in the oven, let the raw materials warm up a little, the oven will start to fog up. Now you need to open the oven a little, you can insert a spoon between the door, so that a small gap appears.

A little later, I reduce to 50 degrees and continue to dry until tender, periodically stirring our future tea. But you can also dry it at 100 degrees, the tea from such drying will be even stronger, but there will be less useful properties. Therefore, the best drying is recommended up to 50 degrees, you can also use a conventional dryer for these purposes.

At the moment I tried to dry it with chopped leaves, it also turned out well.
It is better to brew tea in a thermos, well, or in a kettle if one is not available. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and you can drink everything. In the same way, you can make tea from the leaves of raspberries, currants, cherries and many other herbs. Then you can make different compositions, mixing them, while getting tasty and healthy drinks. I wish you all a pleasant tea party!"

Eva, Borovsk

(method number 3)

Drying in the oven after a meat grinder

"When brewing, this tea has a delicate, pleasant aroma. It is pleasant to drink it, it is better without sugar in order to feel the fullness of taste. I use about 2 teaspoons of dry fermented fireweed for one cup. The tea turns out to be black, just like a store-bought one. You can brew a second and even the third time - it turns out weaker, but still tasty.

I ferment Ivan tea like this. I collect leaves during flowering (late June - early July) away from the roads. I lay out the leaves in a thin layer in the shade or dry at home, leave it for 6-7 hours. Then I scroll in a meat grinder (you can use an electric and manual one, I tried it this way and that) into an enamel bowl and cover it with a damp cloth. I leave it like this for about 12-15 hours. The mass acquires a pleasant smell.

Then I spread it on a baking sheet in a thin layer and dry it in the oven over low heat with the door ajar. It should be dried until most of the tea leaves begin to break. Turn off, let cool and transfer to a clean cotton bag and hang it in a dry place. There it will dry up to the end. To prevent mold, periodically shake the bag (several times a day). And after a month, tea can be put into containers and stored for a whole year (probably more, I haven’t tried it)."

Galina, Cheboksary

(method number 5)

Leaf collection and natural drying

“This is the second summer I have been preparing Ivan tea on my own. As it turned out, there is nothing complicated about this.

• We begin to collect leaves at the very beginning of flowering, and we cut off those that are in the middle, not the lowest ones, but not the tops either. We collect directly into the bag.
• At home I scroll through the meat grinder. In the village, I have an ordinary mechanical meat grinder, so the process is long and laborious. Haven't tried it on an electric one. As you scroll, juicy soft sausages are formed.
• After scrolling, the "sausages" are dried. But not forcibly (in the sun, stove ...), but simply in a well-ventilated room. We dried in the village in the bath, leaving the door open. In a week, it has time to dry and turn into greenish-brown dry balls.

All! Ready for brewing. Personally, we brew it together with black tea or separately, but with honey. Very tasty and healthy!"

Alla

(method number 5)

Terms of drying, fermentation, readiness

“I tried a wonderful drink four years ago. And now I drink only it.

• Collection starts in July.
• I dry it for 5 hours, then twist it in a meat grinder.
• I pour the twisted raw materials into a two-bucket enameled pan, cover with a wet towel and put in a greenhouse for 8 hours until a fruity smell appears.
• Then I lay it out on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at a temperature of 90 degrees.
• I sort the dried tea into glass jars. Drinkable after 37 days.

  Vyacheslav, Khanty-Mansiysk

  (method number 6)

Fermentation time and outdoor drying

“I tried Ivan tea and fell in love, and when I found out that it grows everywhere - I don’t want to collect, I took 6 packages and went to collect, I managed in 3 hours, it’s easy to collect, just run your hand down the trunk and grab the leaves.

• Then I trampled on the packages and left them for the night. I know that they do it differently, but I tell my method.
• In the morning, I chop with a large knife and press into jars, put them upside down. The temperature is about 25-29, sometimes put in the sun.
• I check every 6 hours for a floral smell, sometimes you have to remove the top layer (which smells) and leave the rest of the grass to ferment further (it gives off the smell of fresh grass) It is very important to monitor this process, otherwise your gulls will turn sour and look like silage. Therefore, it is better to underdo than to overdo.
• I pour out the entire contents of the cans (when ready) on linen (or any other fabric) and dry it in the shade, if it is outside (hot summer), then I bring it home at night, if at home, I shake it every 3 hours.

Such a drying process takes about 3 days, but the tea from it is not strong, more green, saturated with the taste of honey, large-leaved, but the smell is disgusting, so I add thyme and some other yellow, fragrant plant that blooms everywhere in the Black Earth region, unknown to me, it turns out very GOOD) Of the six completely clogged standard packages, it came out - 2 dry, mixed with thyme 3.

We drink tea 2-3 times a day, we re-brew a 0.5 teapot 3 times, it has a taste (although we add half a teaspoon of honey, but almost no color at the end."

Shumilova, Voronezh

(method number 7)

Drying temperature after fermentation

"I want to share a simple technology at home. The plant is called Ivan-chai and grows throughout Russia.

• Leaves must be collected before the flowers appear, not all are cut off so that the plant does not die.
• The leaves should be dried for several hours in the shade and not in the heat.
• Then you need to twist the leaves with your palms to get large-leaf tea - but this is a difficult task and we decided to make not large-leaf tea, but long leaf tea - for this you just need to turn the leaves in a meat grinder (it is better for a man to twist in a conventional mechanical meat grinder - an electric one simply does not pull) and give lie down under gauze for 6-7 hours (fermentation occurs - that is, fermentation).
• After fermentation - it is necessary to pour a layer of 2-3 cm on a baking sheet and hold in the oven at a temperature of 140 - 150 degrees until the tea is completely dry and blackened (about an hour), if the temperature is 100 * - then the tea will turn green. "

  Julia, Taganrog

  (method number 8)

Detailed fermentation process of leaves and flowers at home

In our settlement of family estates in the Smolensk region, fireweed grows everywhere, in incredible quantities, thickets are taller than human height, and in fact it would be enough to export to Europe! 🙂

• 1. So, we collect the upper part of the plant, along with leaves and flowers - they break off easily, in 5-10 minutes you can collect a hefty armful.
• 2. Next, leave for 12-20 hours (but not more than 24!) In the shade, in a dry place, to slightly wilt. The main thing is not to overdry! Enough juice must remain in the plants for fermentation. Also, it is better to dry the entire branches, rather than individual leaves.
• 3. Then we cut off the leaves and flowers from the branches.
• 4. We grind the leaves and flowers between the palms, with an effort so that the cells burst and the fermentation process begins. Leaves sap and darken.

We put it tightly in an enameled or ceramic dish with a layer of 5 cm, then press it on top with a fist, cover with a damp towel and leave for 20-24 hours for fermentation at a temperature of 25-27 degrees.

You can control the fermentation process by smell, when the process is completed, instead of the usual herbal smell, a very pleasant, candy smell appears.

• 5. We lay a layer of the finished mass on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at a temperature of 100-150 degrees, for about 40 minutes, sometimes more. Stir regularly. The finished, dried tea is dark brown to black in color.

Leave for a while to evaporate the residual moisture and pour into storage containers.
Koporye tea is ready! Happy tea!"

Vasily, Smolensk

(method number 9)

Two fermentation recipes

And now recipes for how to prepare yourself:

• 1st way. You collect and dry, so that the sheet is plastic, scroll through a meat grinder into a jar, you don’t need to tamp, close the lid and put it in the warmest place. and Wait for such a fruity-wine smell to appear. When you open the lid, it can even be such a “Pyshshshsh”. And dry, better in the sun, in the oven they didn’t really try. besides, the temperature in the oven is high and it destroys some of the beneficial enzymes.
• 2nd way. Sheet. Scored. You don’t even have to dry it, put it in a cloth bag, linen is better. And crumple it there, twist it, so that the leaves let the juice go, and then into the jar, and this one needs to be tamped, and then also in a warm place, until the Aroma appears :)

How to choose a good Ivan tea(for those who don't want to make their own)

• 1 If granulated, then see if there are inclusions in the granules, such as sticks, if there is, it means they scrolled along with the stem, and this is already the 3rd grade. With a stem, there can only be the earliest spring, from its shoots, since they are very tender, milky, but in such a stick they are barely visible, or not visible at all.
• 2. Sheet. In fact, sheet metal, which is so neat, beautiful, scrolled through rollers, there are special ones, but they are also metal, like a granulator. Therefore, both are good.

And in general COMRADES!! Don't be overwhelmed by the fact that it is passed through a granulator and a meat grinder, contact with the metal is so minimal that something fatal does not have time to happen there, the most important thing is where it is fermented. This is for those who are a fan of Eco Eco :)"

Marina

(method number 10)

Drying time for flowers and leaves in the oven

“In general, I went to the dacha in the summer, collected these beautiful flowers in the field (both flowers and leaves are used). Before drying, I separated the stems from the leaves and flowers.

Then she put them (leaves and flowers) to dry for a couple of days (2-3 days), while not forgetting to turn them over from time to time. Then there are two ways, this is either send them to a meat grinder or roll them into a tube. I did both (half and half).

Then she sent them to dry in the oven, did not dry for a long time, 30-40 minutes. The main thing here is not to overexpose, the oven does not need to be heated much, otherwise burn it. And that's it, our tea is ready! =) With long-term storage, the healing properties and taste do not disappear, but, on the contrary, only increase."

Svetlana

(method number 11)

Fermentation in a basin, drying in the oven

“I’ll write right away how I make tea from it.

• I collect the leaves directly from the stem during flowering by cutting from top to bottom.
• I lay it out in the shade for withering for about a day, periodically mix it. It is important to wither well and not overdry. A well-cured leaf does not crunch when bent.

The next step is to destroy the leaf structure in order to start the fermentation process. This can be done in a variety of ways. I tried to scroll the leaves in an electric meat grinder, but for her it turned out to be overwhelming work, a very large load on the mechanism. Maybe you need more power. You can roll "sausages", but it's a long time.

• I do this: I take an enamel basin and knead the leaves in it. It is necessary to knead, knead, grind with an effort of 20-30 minutes, until the leaves darken, twist and juice is released. As a result, the mass decreases in volume several times.
• Then I put everything tightly in a clean glass jar, crushing it with my hand, cover it with a damp cloth and put it on fermentation. The temperature should be between 26-30 degrees. If it's cold, the jar needs to be wrapped. I ferment for about a day. The smell of the mass should be pleasant, slightly fruity-floral. I take everything out of the jar and cut it into small portions so that the tea leaves are smaller.
• Then I lay it out on baking sheets, dry it in an ajar oven, first at 80 degrees for 20 minutes, then for about 40 to the end. Periodically, I carefully turn the mass over with my hands (does not burn). The oven can be turned off when the bulk is dry, breaks easily. Leave in the oven until cool. All. Tea is ready.

I put it in medium sized cardboard boxes. For beauty, I add separately dried flowers of Ivan-tea. Also, if desired, dried berries can be added to such tea.)"

Monita_a

(method number 12)

If a child once, for the first time, tries an unripe fruit (banana, pineapple, persimmon or quince), then later he is unlikely to agree to the offer to taste it again. Even if this fruit is now the most ripe and beautiful.

So is Koporye tea. In order not to be disappointed in this drink, be sure to try to make it yourself, observing all the subtleties of the manual technology of collection, fermentation, drying and storage. Only after that you will be able to compare the true taste and aroma of Koporye tea with the options offered by firms and companies. In the latter, the high price of the goods very often does not correspond to its quality.

Ivan-chai (fireweed, Koporsky tea) is a very tasty, beautiful and healthiest tea on the entire globe!

According to the unique chemical composition, Ivan-chai will not yield to seaweed. and in terms of nutritional value and healing power, it far surpasses it.

Ivan-tea grows throughout Russia from south to north. They call it Koporsky. Along the village of Koporye, which is located not far from the Gulf of Finland, to the north-west of Izhora. Since ancient times, Ivan-tea has been used in Russia as a healing drink and treated with it for various ailments and ailments.

In Russia, it was believed that Koporye tea could prevent or cure 90% of all known diseases of that time. The remaining 10% were treated with other plants, honey, tar, mushrooms and roots. The constant intake of Koporye tea is the prevention of benign and malignant formations, prostatitis; effective remedy for problems with the genitourinary system. In addition, this tea is used to improve blood composition and reduce body intoxication; removal of food and alcohol poisoning; recovery from exhaustion. Also, Koporye tea cicatrizes ulcers of the duodenum and stomach, increases immunity to various respiratory viral infections, strengthens hair roots, normalizes blood pressure, eliminates headaches and prevents early human aging. Many healing effects of Ivan tea are similar to baking soda. And this is no coincidence. After all, fireweed mainly grows on the ashes of peat and forest fires, which is the same alkali as baking soda.

Koporye tea was exported from Russia to Europe - tohuge number. Ivan-tea contains up to 20% tannins, flavonoids, mucus, pectin and B vitamins. Vitamin "C" in Ivan-tea is 6.5 times more than in lemon. In addition, Ivan-tea contains a lot of protein, which is easily absorbed by the body, which allows you to quickly and easily get saturated with energy. The spectrum of trace elements is unique. In 100 gr. green mass of Ivan-tea contains: iron -2.3 mg; nickel - 1.3 mg; copper - 2.3 mg; manganese - 16 mg; titanium - 1.3 mg; molybdenum - 0.44 mg; boron - 6 mg and a significant amount - potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, etc. But simply dried herb Ivan-tea is not Koporye tea. Here is a direct analogy between black and green tea. Koporye tea must be fermented before drying, that is, it is subjected to natural fermentation for 24-48 hours.The time of fermentation and the temperature at which it is carried out just affect the color, taste and aroma of the final product. Tea can be made green, yellow or even black.

In terms of taste, Koporye black tea is unrivaled!

Simply dried green leaves of Ivan-chai (drying is done in the shade, under a canopy) can be used as a basis in the manufacture of soothing herbal teas.

There are several fermentation methods. I know of six of them. And all six work great! Consider in detail the three most simple, taking into account all the nuances ...

1. Easy way.

Collect leaves and top flowers (without seeds) of Ivan-chai herb. You need to collect them after 10 am, when the morning dew dries. In extreme heat, the collection of raw materials is carried out in the late afternoon. Otherwise, the leaves will "burn" in the basket. You need to collect very carefully so as not to put a forest bug in the basket. Even one insect can ruin all our work. No wonder the Russian proverb says - a small bug, but a stinky one!

And many caterpillars, ants and snails also like to eat the leaves of Ivan-tea. Their presence in the basket is also not desirable. They are beautiful creatures, but not tasty...

Dry the collected leaves and flowers slightly in the shade, knead them thoroughly with your hands, rolling them in your palms, fill them with a 3-liter jar as tightly as possible. Close with a damp cloth and place in a dark place at room temperature for 36 hours. Then take out the fermented mass, loosen and dry at a temperature of about 95 - 110 degrees Celsius, in an electric or gas oven. Optionally, flat slab tea can be formed. For example, round, like Chinese "Puer".

In some places in Russia they made slab tea in the form of a large layer, the size of a baking sheet for a Russian oven. This layer was somewhat reminiscent of modern chipboard, only black-brown in color .. At the bazaar, such tea was sold by weight, chopping off the right piece from the layer - with an ax!

In modern home conditions of a city apartment, it is problematic to make and dry a huge tile. But a small one, with a dry weight of 250 - 300 grams, is quite realistic to make. It can be formed in any plastic container from raw willow-tea grass with a low degree of fermentation under oppression. During the molding, fermentation will be completed completely. You will have to dry the tiles in an electric oven, with upper and lower heating (preferably with infrared emitters), with the convection mode turned on. The drying time will depend on the initial moisture content of the tile (which depends on the time of day, the date of the last rainfall and the month in which the raw material was collected) and its third dimension, the thickness. To save electricity, it is better to dry several tiles at the same time. Roughly like this.

When drying, it is necessary to regularly stir the drying tea or turn over the flat tiles. At the same time, it will acquire the color we need. It can vary from light brown to almost black. Drying time for loose tea is determined "by eye", and for round tea - by weighing dry tiles. The ratio of raw mass and finished dry tea should be 5:1. It is better to store Koporye tea under a lid, in a glass or plastic container, in the absence of sunlight.

Shelf life - at least three years.

2. Forgotten way.

On a damp linen canvas or tablecloth, lay out a layer of Ivan-tea leaves up to 3 cm. roll into a "twist", like a big roll, as tightly as possible.

For a small amount of grass, the canvas is better to take a smaller size, while him too do not forget to lightly moisten with clean water from a household spray bottle. Otherwise, he will take some of the valuable juice from the leaves.

We tighten the twist with a rope or a rubber band and carefully knead it with our hands, bending and unbending it in different directions for 20-30 minutes, thereby destroying the cellular structure (vacuoles) of Ivan-tea leaves. It is more convenient to do it together. Then we leave the twist alone and give the initial fermentation for 2 - 3 hours. Periodically check the temperature of the twist by touch. With a noticeable warm-up (more than 37 degrees), we finish the initial fermentation.

It turns out such crumpled grass with a pleasant smell of fermented pear compote.

Young apical (May) shoots are so tender that the destruction of their cellular structure occurs during laying in the container. At the same time, a characteristic crunch is heard while pressing the green mass with a hand.

We fold it, tamping it very tightly into plastic buckets or glass jars under the lid for complete fermentation. In order not to confuse them later, we will write the date of the bookmark on the lid. We finish fermentation after 36-40 hours. Its duration can be increased by putting the raw material in a cool place. This will give the tea a more subtle flavor. For late tea (preparations in July - August), we do an additional fermentation stage.

To do this, the raw materials taken out of the bucket are thoroughly washed with our hands until the juice appears.

Important point!

If there is no time or effort to perform this operation, then the mass can be passed through the auger of the meat grinder with removed knives or a special electric grinder. But in this case, the taste and medicinal properties of tea will be weaker ...

Then leave alone in the form of a small pile, covering it with a damp cloth, for 6 - 8 hours at room temperature. As soon as the tea acquires the properties of soft rubber to the touch, it must be dried quickly.

To do this, put the future tea on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at a temperature of ~ 100 degrees Celsius. At the end of drying, the temperature can be slightly increased. This will allow you to "calcinate" the tea leaves in the likeness of coffee beans. Not only the color and aroma of tea will improve, but also its taste.

Don't forget to stir often! Keep the oven door slightly open. In order for the tea not to roast, it is advisable to put two red clay bricks or ceramic facing tiles on the bottom of the oven.

Julia Vern 295 895 23

Nectar smell and amazing taste - this is how Ivan-tea, well-known to everyone and beloved by many, also called fireweed, characterizes it. In ancient times in Russia, infusions were made from it and taken orally as a real medicine that could cure many diseases. Today we will find out when to collect Ivan tea, how to harvest, dry and ferment this miracle plant at home, evaluate all the complexities of these processes and think - is it worth starting this whole thing?

June and August are the best time to collect Ivan tea.

Choose dry weather, and consider a few more points:

• The plant should grow away from roads, where layers of dust and other dangerous elements do not settle on the leaves.
• It is desirable that the place was a little shaded. For example, next to a forest belt. It is said that such leaves will be easier to ferment.
• Collect leaves only from the middle of the trunk, starting at the peduncle. Leave the lower ones, as they are necessary for fireweed to feed with moisture. Also, the lower leaves are rough.

There is no need to destroy Ivan tea, because next year you may no longer find it - the plant will simply die at your hands.

Even in a separate bag, you can (and even need to) collect fireweed flowers. Dry them at home, put them in a jar and then add them to your favorite tea.

withering

By the word, you can understand that during this process, the leaves should “wither” a little. To do this, pour them on a newspaper or other surface for a maximum of a day. 24 hours will be enough. However, this layer should be no more than five centimeters, and you will also need to periodically mix the leaves so that they are all in approximately the same condition.

You can not leave them on the street, and in the house you need to choose a place where they will not reach the sun's rays. The sun and wind will dry them, not letting them wither. If you notice bad leaves, be sure to remove them, as well as snails and other debris. In no case should you wash it - just sort it out.

When the day comes to an end, squeeze one sheet in half. If the midrib crackles, it's not ready. This usually happens in cloudy and rainy weather, and you have to wait more than 24 hours.

Twisting

If you have a large volume for harvesting willow-tea, it is not recommended to perform such an action manually. It is better to scroll through a meat grinder. When this is not possible, take the sheets and rub them between your palms so that they end up twisting into a “sausage”. This must be done until a little juice comes out.

Before you dry Ivan tea, you need to prepare it. To make it real, high-quality and tasty, pay special attention to the fermentation of willow tea at home. She plays a huge role.

After twisting by hand or with a meat grinder, put the leaves in a plastic or ceramic container, or you can take enamelware. If you twisted them with a meat grinder, put additional pressure on them with your hands to tamp a little, and if by hand, cover with a lid and put stones on top in order to create pressure for a while. Cover with a cloth and leave to ferment. Now consider the fermentation methods, because they determine what the tea will be like in the end.

1. Light degree - 3-6 hours. A fruity-floral scent begins to emerge. The taste of tea is soft, the aroma is strong, but delicate.
2. The average degree is 10-16 hours. Tea has a slight sourness, tart, pronounced aroma.
3. Deep degree - 20-36 hours. Tart with a light aroma.

Remember that it is better if it is a little under-fermented than over-fermented, because the likelihood of mold is high.

Drying

This is the last process. Let's talk about how to dry Ivan tea at home.

If you scrolled the leaves by hand, after fermentation, cut the "sausages" into half-centimeter pieces. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spread the leaves in a layer of one centimeter. Loosen a little so that there are no lumps left. Now you can dry Ivan tea in the oven.

Warm it up to one hundred degrees and leave to dry for up to two hours. Open the door just a little. Then lower the temperature to around 50°C. So the leaves should finally dry out. It is important that it needs to be stirred periodically. Try to touch: the tea leaves should break and take on the appearance of real tea. Be careful not to overdo or ruin your efforts.

After that, it still needs to be dried. When it cools down at room temperature, pour it into a bag of thin fabric and hang it outside (you can use a clothesline). If it's raining or cloudy, find a place for it in the house.

Time is different. When ready, it will rustle in the bag when shaking. You can also dry it in a pan with thick walls: for half an hour, while constantly shaking.

Leaves are not dried if:

• there is a strong aroma;
• the granules are crushed and crumble easily.

Ivan tea should be stored in glass jars, or in metal / birch bark boxes. The jars are covered with polyethylene lids. You can put containers, for example, in a pantry, or another place where it is dry and dark. To enjoy the taste of your own handmade tea, pour the tea leaves into a tin.