Ivan tea: preparation, properties and application.

Hand-picked fireweed tea can turn into an aromatic and healthy drink if you prepare the raw materials for it correctly. At the same time, there are many ways and technologies for preparing Koporye tea at home.

Berendey

Leaves and flowers are collected and left for 2 to 8 hours in a shaded place so that they wilt slightly. This way the leaves will lose some of their moisture, but will not dry out.

They should not turn out brittle, but, on the contrary, become softer. The dried leaves are placed in a cast-iron pot and placed in a Russian oven, which has been preheated well, for about 10-12 hours.

If you don’t have a stove, you can put the cast iron in an electric oven at a temperature of +60 degrees. The cast iron pot can also be replaced with a duck pot or any ceramic heat-resistant vessel.

The next step in obtaining Berendey tea is drying. The leaves are evenly laid out on a baking sheet and kept in the oven at a temperature of less than +90 degrees until they are completely dry. This produces a granular version of tea with a dark brown tint.

A distinctive feature when preparing Beredey tea is simmering in a frying pan for fermentation.

If you put the raw materials in the dryer at a temperature of +45 degrees, the tea will turn out lighter. If you slightly remove the moisture from the plant material during drying, and then keep it in the oven, the resulting product will be very strong black tea.

Technology from the Volgograd region

The main feature of preparing fireweed in this area is the use of freezing. The collected fireweed leaves are placed in any device in which they can be frozen - from the freezer in a regular refrigerator to large industrial freezers. This allows raw materials to be processed all year round, which is important for production.

Frozen leaves undergo partial fermentation during thawing. In addition, such raw materials are much easier to process manually. Rolling sheets that have been in the freezer is faster and requires less physical effort.

Freezing fireweed reduces the preparation time of fireweed and simplifies the rolling process

Ural technology

The collected plants are fermented at temperatures ranging from +21 to +25 degrees. In this case, the leaves are placed in pans and left there for a day. Dry the raw materials in the sun. Also in the Urals, Ivan tea ceremonies are common, which are traditional brewing and testing of tea, after which people share their impressions of the taste and cooking experience.

The Ivan tea ceremony makes evenings soulful and cozy

G.A. Maidantsev

The author of the book about Ivan tea also shares the secrets of making Koporye tea. He sends the collected plants for preliminary drying, during which fireweed is dried to a humidity level of 50-60%. Next, Maidantsev crumples and twists the leaves, and then stuffs them into the pan. After this, the raw material is fermented at 55 degrees until a fruity aroma appears. Fermentation can last from 6 hours to 2 days, while Maidantsev recommends sniffing the plant material every two hours.

He cuts the fermented twists with a ceramic knife. A metal knife will not work, because... it provokes the oxidation of fireweed.

In total, preparing Koporye tea takes the author of the book about 30 hours, if you take into account breaks. From a large pan of sheets you get a liter jar of ready-made tea.

Preparation of Koporye tea most often takes no more than 2 days

Recipe from D. Samusev

Dmitry tried to dry fireweed in Belarus, and then brewed it and was dissatisfied, because the drink resembled hay. It was only much later that he learned about fermentation and began to use it. He learned that some of the cells in the leaves of the plant, if you crush them with your hands, burst, as a result of which fireweed releases juice. This juice contains not only various nutrients, but also enzymes that trigger biochemical processes and the leaves seem to self-digest. They become darker, the smell changes.

For fermentation, Dmitry finely chops the leaves of fireweed, crushed by hand, and leaves them in a non-metallic container, covered with oppression at room temperature for 1-2 days. Next, he simmers the fermented leaves in a cast iron frying pan over low heat for 40 minutes. so that the insoluble substances remaining in the plant become soluble and easier to digest. Then the heat is increased to medium and with constant stirring with a wooden spatula the leaves are dried.

Simmering fireweed in a cast iron frying pan significantly reduces the preparation time for Koporye tea

Among the people, narrow-leaved willowherb (fireweed) enjoys unprecedented popularity. This plant has valuable properties and helps cope with a number of diseases. Ivan tea has found application in herbal, aroma and smoke therapy, and cosmetology. The product gained nationwide popularity as an oncoprotective agent. Ivan tea neutralizes the damage of free radicals and inhibits the division of pathological cells.

The plant is recognized as a record holder for vitamin C content. In this, fireweed has surpassed citrus fruits and even rose hips. This explains the health benefits of Ivan tea. As you know, ascorbic acid perfectly strengthens the immune system, fights the aging process and has an antioxidant effect. But the composition of the product is not limited to ascorbic acid. The plant contains many other significant components and compounds.

Description of the plant

First, let's figure out what the fireweed plant looks like. This is a herbaceous plant, the height of which varies between 50-150 cm. Exceptional specimens reach 2 meters, so some consider fireweed to be a shrub. And yet it is a grass with pointed leaves. The rhizomes of the plant are sweet. In earlier times, they were washed, dried and added to baked goods.

It’s interesting how fireweed grows in nature. He likes light forests and damp soils. It is one of the first plants to colonize fires, which is why it got the name “fire grass.” It is a good honey plant and feed for livestock. Leaves and shoots can be consumed fresh, added to salads and snacks. Adult and mature plants are first doused with boiling water.

It blooms with pale pink, lilac, and less often white flowers. The flowering period lasts a month, starting in the second half of summer. As they ripen, oblong seeds are formed, collected in a narrow capsule. Their germination persists for several years.

Beneficial features

To understand the benefits and harms of fireweed for the body, you need to familiarize yourself with the chemical composition of the plant. It is he who determines the therapeutic capabilities of the product. Thus, the leaves and rhizomes contain 15% tannins. There is no caffeine in the herb, but fireweed tea perfectly tones due to the presence of tannins. They make fireweed tea slightly astringent and give the drink anti-inflammatory properties.

What Ivan tea helps with is hypertension. The product has an antispasmodic and calming effect, regulates blood pressure, and cleanses blood vessels. Thanks to the high concentration of iron, copper and manganese, it is possible to increase the hemoglobin content, maintain a high level of collagen in the body, and improve the process of hematopoiesis.

It is worth noting that fireweed tea is equally beneficial for men and women. It counteracts prostatitis and prostate adenoma, improves lactation during breastfeeding, rejuvenates and strengthens the body. Among other healing properties of the product:

calms the nervous system;
removes excess bile;
cleanses the kidneys and relieves swelling;
relieves pain and eliminates spasms;
evens out the acid-base balance;
activates the immune system;
protects the body from the action of free radicals.

The benefits of fireweed for women are evidenced by the fact that a decoction of the herb is prescribed for cystitis and thrush.

The medicinal properties of the plant are beyond doubt. Fireweed has been used in folk medicine since time immemorial, and today dry herb can be freely purchased at the pharmacy. A course of drinking the drink for preventive purposes will help men improve reproductive functions and prepare the body for conception.

The beneficial properties of fireweed flowers allow it to be used for withdrawal symptoms, migraines, anemia, exudative diathesis, psoriasis, sore throat, and otitis media. The remedy will help with various diseases accompanied by indigestion and signs of nervous exhaustion.

Blank

You can prepare plant materials yourself. What time is fireweed harvested? Harvesting is carried out in the summer, while fireweed is in bloom. The collection begins early in the morning and before lunch. It is important that the grass is dry - rain or dew will spoil the raw material. Preparing and drying fireweed is a responsible and labor-intensive process. The stem and roots are not usually collected, although they also have value and are used in cooking.
When the grass can be collected is determined by the geography of its distribution. So, in the southern regions the collection begins in June. In Rus', the best time for harvesting was considered the holiday of Ivan Kupala. In the northern regions, fireweed is harvested in August.

The question remains, how to dry the herb Ivan tea. The raw materials are laid out on a paper, fabric or wooden bedding in a layer of up to 3 cm. The plant should not be dried in the heat and sun. It is better to choose a shaded place with good air circulation. Drying is carried out for 6-12 hours, and then specific processing begins - fermentation.

Why is fermentation necessary, and how does proper fermentation of fireweed tea affect its properties? Light fermentation ensures better digestibility of beneficial components. Conventional drying will not allow the raw materials to fully open during cooking. Fermentation increases the benefits of the product by 2-3 times.

Now you need to understand how to properly ferment fireweed at home. There are several processing options. Traditionally, there are 3 fermentation methods:

under pressure– the raw materials are divided into two parts, one is passed through a juicer, the other is tightly stuffed into a pan. Pour the resulting juice on top and press down with a lid and weight. The pan is left in this form for three days;
on a damp tablecloth– the linen fabric is moistened, and the leaves are laid on top in a 2 cm layer. The fabric is rolled into a tight roll, secured at the edges with a rope, and then twisted for half an hour, like wet linen. Then the raw materials are left alone for 2 hours. Afterwards, the leaves are transferred to a glass jar and compacted tightly, left under the lid for 36 hours;
using a meat grinder– the leaves are ground by hand or passed through a meat grinder. This is a common method that saves time. How to make fireweed tea through a meat grinder? Exactly the same as in the previous methods. The finished raw materials are placed in jars, covered with a damp cloth, and kept for one and a half days.

Regardless of the fermentation method, by the end of the period, grass plates are obtained, which are dried at a temperature of 90-100ᵒC for 2-3 hours. This drying ensures long-term storage of fireweed and improves its taste. Keep raw materials in a dark place for no more than 3 years.

We found out how to collect and dry the herb fireweed, now we will learn popular recipes for preparing the drink.

Recipes

The healers knew how to brew the drink correctly and what to add to increase its benefits. So, take 1 tablespoon of leaves per serving, and you can brew them up to 5 times. For medicinal purposes, the drink is consumed warm, and to quench thirst and strengthen the body - cool. How often you can drink fireweed depends on the purpose of treatment. In acute inflammatory processes, it is allowed to drink a glass up to 5 times a day. The standard dosage is 1-2 glasses throughout the month.

From pressure

The hypotensive effect of the product allows it to be used for hypertension. How to properly prepare fireweed tea at home to gently and safely lower blood pressure? The traditional recipe involves the use of fireweed alone in a dosage of 2 tablespoons per 500 ml of water. Mint, lemon balm, and motherwort are designed to enhance the effect of the product. It is necessary to mix the ingredients in equal proportions, brew with boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. It is useful to alternate the intake of this tea with an infusion of rose hips and hawthorn. After a month of therapy, the pressure will return to normal.

For prostatitis

Men can take medicinal herbs for preventive purposes and for existing genitourinary diseases. 1 tablespoon of raw material is brewed with 250 ml of boiling water and left, wrapped in a towel, for 1-3 hours. For taste add 1 teaspoon of honey. You need to drink tea every day for a month. For chronic prostatitis, a repeated course is needed, which is carried out with a break of 1-2 weeks.

For gastrointestinal diseases

The product helps with gastritis and ulcers, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and constipation. It is recommended to drink strong tea from the fireweed herb (1 tablespoon per glass of water), as well as infusions. Currants and mint are added to fireweed, which improve the anti-inflammatory properties of the drink and relieve stomach cramps.

It is better to brew the collection in a ceramic teapot. Take 1/3 boiling water for 2 teaspoons of the mixture, leave for 10 minutes, and top up. Take it warm. You should drink the drink throughout the day.

To rejuvenate the body

The plant removes toxins, exhibits antioxidant activity, and has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, hair and nails. It is recommended for those who want to preserve youth and beauty. The product regulates metabolic processes and maintains immunity at its best.

So, how to use fireweed tea to stay young and full of energy? It is necessary to mix fireweed, linden and mint herbs in equal proportions, add the same amount of birch buds. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with 2 cups of boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes. Take before bed and in the morning on an empty stomach. You can have breakfast in 20 minutes.

Precautionary measures

The presence of individual intolerance excludes the use of the drink. Fortunately, allergic reactions to the product are rare, but there are other contraindications to the use of fireweed:

age up to 6 years;
phlebeurysm;
renal failure;
high blood clotting.

The preparations should be taken with caution during pregnancy and lactation. Before carrying out treatment, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the doctor.

Koporye tea should be consumed as a drink after the so-called fermentation. We will learn about this in more detail later, but for now about the benefits and harms of fermented fireweed tea.

The benefits are obvious due to the presence of a huge amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements in this product.

The plant contains ascorbic acid six times more than lemon, vitamins A, B and PP, it contains potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, selenium, iron, calcium, zinc, sodium. It can be successfully used as a general strengthening, tonic and healing agent.

Due to the presence of essential oils, the properties of the drink are preserved for three days. Let us dwell on the medicinal properties and contraindications of fermented fireweed tea.

Did you know? Ivan tea is considered a high-calorie product, containing about 100 calories per 100 g. Therefore, it is indispensable for travel, long-term hunting or fishing–strength is restored faster.

Medicinal properties

Thanks to its beneficial components, Koporye tea has been used for the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases since ancient times.

It has a proven anti-inflammatory and enveloping effect on diseases of the stomach and intestines. Tea helps with gastritis, stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers and other similar ailments, and is effective for various types of poisoning.
Has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system. If you drink fireweed drink regularly, the so-called alkalization of the blood occurs, which is necessary to maintain its normal pH level. It promotes the formation of new blood cells and has the property of stopping bleeding.
Ivan tea can be used as a substitute for valerian for the prevention and treatment of various neuroses. It has a calming effect and helps with anxiety and depression.
For a long time, the drink has proven itself as a universal remedy for diseases and disorders of the genitourinary system. It normalizes potency, fights prostate adenoma and prevents it from developing into cancer. Has a therapeutic effect in kidney disease and cystitis.
It is used as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug. There is an effect on diseases of the oral cavity and bleeding gums.
Ivan tea acts as an immunomodulator, works as a powerful antioxidant and body cleanser, normalizes blood pressure, relieves headaches, and has a general strengthening effect.

Did you know? In Rus', the first mention of Ivan tea as a healing drink dates back to the 12th century. Alexander Nevsky tried it and gave instructions to develop production in Koporye.

Contraindications

Since fireweed itself has a therapeutic effect, it does not need to be used in combination with other medications, especially antipyretics and sedatives. You need to use it in doses, not in buckets, and take breaks after a month of use.

Otherwise it will cause stomach upset. It is not recommended for children under six years of age; they should drink with caution if they have blood diseases.

What is fermentation and why is it done?

The fermentation process is used to prepare Koporye tea at home. Let's look at what the tea fermentation process is from a scientific point of view.

The basic idea is that the plant secretes juice, which reacts with air, leading to fermentation and oxidation, then it is dried.
After this treatment, fireweed retains all its beneficial properties and the drink acquires a fruity taste. If you simply dry the leaves, the brewed tea will be tasteless and useless.

Therefore, there is an answer to the question of what fermented tea is - it is a drink with a pleasant fruity taste that retains all the benefits of the plant.

Collection and procurement process

To obtain a healthy drink later, it is important to understand what fireweed looks like. In nature, the plant is as tall as a person, perennial, with pink and purple flowers.

Fireweed leaves are collected and prepared. The flowers are dried or fermented as an additive to a tea drink, and the roots are dried and ground into flour. Flatbreads are baked from this flour and added to dishes.

Koporye tea is collected during its flowering period, that is, throughout the summer. It is necessary to distinguish angustifolia fireweed from other species of this family. In swampy and damp places you may encounter marsh and small-flowered fireweed.
It is quite easy to distinguish them from fireweed - the height of others is no more than 20 cm.

Did you know?Collecting leaves does not harm the plant if done carefully and without damaging the stem. The plant is an excellent honey plant; honey production per hectare can reach 600 kg.

Collecting leaves

Leaf collection begins in June and ends in August. It’s good to find a corner away from the roads so that the product is environmentally friendly. You need to collect young leaves, starting from the inflorescence and going almost down.

The stem is strong enough that you can simply drag it from top to bottom with force. You need to leave several tiers of leaves near the inflorescence - they will help the plant to continue to grow well. It is advisable to collect the leaf in the morning, when the dew has already disappeared in dry, warm weather.

Opinions vary as to where it is best to do this. Some recommend open areas with plenty of sun, while others point to shaded areas and the edges of fields.
The latter claim that in such places the leaf is more tender and juicy.

Important!Fireweed leaves should be collected only until the flower becomes pubescent. It is difficult to remove fluff from leaves; they are tougher and have significantly fewer beneficial properties.

Withering of leaves

Withering is done in order to remove excess moisture from the leaves, which will interfere with fermentation. From this it is obvious that there is no need to wash the sheet before harvesting. Next, we place the leaves on the fabric in a ball no more than a few centimeters in height and leave to dry for about 12 hours.

The leaves should be stirred. The optimal air temperature for this process is up to 26°C with a relative humidity of about 70%. If the temperature is higher, the leaf will wilt faster. The leaf is dried most often in the house in a dark place, less often in the open air.

In the latter case, there may be only a light breeze and shade - strong wind and sun will dry the leaves rather than wither. The easiest way to check whether the leaves have wilted is to take a few and squeeze them in your fist.
If they are not ready, they will disintegrate; if they are ready, they will remain compressed. Then the leaf moisture content will be approximately 60%.

Important! If you dry out the leaf during the withering process, do not add water.–the raw materials are spoiled. You need to collect fresh ones and repeat everything again.

Preparing for fermentation

The leaves have wilted and the process of preparing it for fermentation can begin. It is necessary to destroy the structure of the leaf and extract juice from it, which contains enzymes responsible for the process itself. This will allow the beneficial substances to be released from the plant as completely as possible.

If there is not enough juice, fermentation will go poorly, and the tea will lose its taste and many useful properties. There are several ways to ferment fireweed at home; we will focus on the most used and proven ones.

Curling leaves

We take up to 10 leaves of the plant, put them together and roll them between our palms to form a “sausage”.
This is done with effort until the leaves become darker. This means that they have released juice.

Crushing leaves

Another recipe for making ivan tea at home is kneading. The raw materials are placed in a bowl, preferably enameled, and crushed like kneading dough.

After 15 minutes, the leaves secrete juice and darken, become thinner and somewhat curled. During the process, the leaves need to be separated and lumps avoided.

Twisting in a meat grinder

A common way to prepare Koporye tea at home is to grind the leaves in a meat grinder.

To do this, use a mesh with large holes; the meat grinder needs to cool briefly during the twisting process.

Fermentation

Fermentation technology is directly related to the methods of preparing leaf mass. The twisted leaves are placed in layers in a pan and a weight is placed on top.

All this should be covered with a cloth slightly moistened with water and left in a warm, but not hot place. The best fermentation temperature for fireweed tea is up to 26°C.

If the temperature is low, the processes stop; if it is high, some of the products that give the tea strength and taste do not dissolve; it will smell and taste like ordinary cheap tea.

In time, this process can last from 3 hours to 3 days. Longer fermentation means stronger tea. You can extend fermentation to a maximum of 12 days, but after 3-4 days you need to move the container to a cooler place and make sure that the mass does not become moldy.
There is a way to ferment rolled leaves in a three-liter jar.

You need to stuff it tightly with leaf sausages, cover with a plastic lid or damp cloth and leave to ferment in a warm place. Fermentation time is no more than 40 hours.

Crumpled leaves can also be fermented using a three-liter jar. Hiking technology – the leaves are laid very tightly and covered

and left in a warm place for a day. The aging time depends on the desire for further strength of the tea.

Crumpled leaves can still be fermented in another way. To do this, take a piece of cloth and wet it just a little. This way the canvas will not absorb the moisture from the leaves. Foliage is laid out on top, the canvas is rolled up and tied with rope.
The bundle must be crushed for approximately 20 minutes and left for preliminary fermentation for 3 hours. You need to check the temperature of the twist - if it is close to 37°C, the preliminary process is completed.

The best way to ferment fireweed at home, according to many, is from leaves processed in a meat grinder. It is the least labor-intensive and fastest in time.

The mixture is stirred, a container is placed (it is better to use enamel or metal ceramics), covered with a cloth slightly moistened with water and placed in a warm place for up to a day, usually from three to six hours.
Fermentation of fireweed at home is complete when the leaf color changes from green to green-brown, and the smell from herbaceous to bright fruity-floral.

Drying

The final stage of fermenting fireweed at home is proper drying of the leaf or twisted mass. If twisted “sausages” or crumpled leaves are cut before drying, small-leaf tea will come out.

Now is the time to prepare Ivan tea, we have already made the second batch - now there is enough for the winter. This article contains a little information about such an important and necessary process for making tea as fermentation. What is it and why does tea not come out without it?

Properly prepared greens and inflorescences of Ivan tea for brewing allows you to obtain tea that is not inferior in taste and aroma to the best varieties of Ceylon and Indian tea. To be honest, it’s “a matter of taste and color,” as they say, but for a LONG time we have liked fireweed so much more (including how it affects human health) that we no longer consider regular teas a product that can be consumed. In terms of their healing properties, they cannot be compared with Ivan tea.

Surprisingly, we in Russia have stopped appreciating this “green gold”. Only recently have the traditions of producing and drinking Ivan tea begun to be revived, and much has to be learned anew and traditions restored.

In addition to taste, fireweed has a wide range of healing qualities and, unlike regular tea, does not contain caffeine or other harmful substances.

Currently, several methods, or rather technologies, for producing fireweed tea have been patented in Russia, the main secret of which is the technology of the fermentation process (fermentation process).Fermentation (fermentation)

Fermentation consists of roasting and air oxidation. Oxidation starts fermentation processes in the crumpled leaf, which gradually oozes juice. Cooking stops them. The less time passes between the start of fermentation processes and their stop, the less fermented the tea will be considered.

Depending on manufacturing technology Ivan tea can be black (baikhovy), red and green. They taste quite different. In addition, varieties are produced with aromatic herbal additives; you can also cook with berries.

. It is advisable to use herbal infusions, decoctions and teas prepared in only from fermented raw materials . This applies to most medicinal and aromatic herbs. Raspberry, strawberry and currant tea can be made in a similar way. Makes delicious drinks. Now we are trying to prepare tea from currant leaves in this way. The fermented maple leaf tea turned out great!

Fireweed itself protects itself from destruction - it has an amazing ability to reproduce, so fortunately it will not be possible to destroy the population with reasonable harvesting. :-) The broken apical part of Ivan tea very quickly becomes overgrown with lateral flowering shoots, which manage to produce abundant seeds over the summer. And an intact plant produces an amazingly large number of seeds. Thus, fireweed inhabits a variety of places: wastelands, landfills, roadsides, fires, clearings, etc. The territories where unprecedented fires raged in the summer of 2010 will be reclaimed by fireweed. At our fire (an old building burned down), he appeared the year after the fire. Now there is his small plantation there.

It is better to take raspberry, currant, blackberry, and fireweed leaves in the first half of summer, when they are more fragrant. On the contrary, it is advisable to collect strawberry leaves in early autumn, when they accumulate the greatest amount of useful substances.

The plant itself already contains everything necessary for fermentation. These are his own juices and enzymes. If you crush a leaf in your hands, some of the cells will collapse and the plant will release juice. Moist, crushed leaves will contain vitamins, nutrients and intracellular enzymes. These enzymes, emerging from the vacuoles, begin to actively change the biochemical composition of the plant. This is self-digestion.

By the way, brewing Ivan tea does not stain tooth enamel.

Fermentation (chemical process) is a special chemical process caused by so-called enzymes. During the process of fermentation (there are many types of them!), a complex particle of organic matter breaks down into simpler ones, that is, containing a smaller number of atoms.

One way to prepare Koporye tea at home:

The collected leaves and flowers should be dried a little. It is enough if they lie in the shade in the breeze for 2-8 hours, depending on the thickness of the leaves. It is necessary that the leaves lose some of their moisture, but do not dry out, but become soft and not brittle. You can collect leaves from the middle part of the fireweed stem (not just the top), tearing them off with one movement of your hand - quickly, and it does not harm the fireweed at all.
Grind the raw materials through a meat grinder (we do this exactly - not with our hands, otherwise it is very difficult to prepare fireweed for a large family for the whole year) and place the resulting mass in an enamel bowl and cover with a lid or plate of the appropriate diameter. Place the bowl in a warm place (25-30 °C) for about a day. At this time, an accelerated fermentation process of tea will occur, just like during fermentation.. Soon the mass will darken and acquire a pleasant fruity-apple aroma. When we cook a lot, we put the mass in a huge enamel pan - at night, in the morning - we already begin drying.
There is another original way to ferment herbs. According to experienced herbalists, in this case the result will be even better. The stock of tea leaves for Berendey tea is prepared as follows: the dried leaves are placed in a cast iron pot (cast iron) and placed in a heated Russian oven for 10-12 hours. Can be done in an electric oven in a roasting pan or any ceramic dish. We keep the temperature around 60 degrees. Prepared leaves for Berendey tea should be stored in a tightly sealed container, like any tea in general. In this case, you can mix different leaves in advance or store them separately and mix them before brewing.
After fermentation, place the leaf in a cast iron frying pan and simmer over very low heat for about forty minutes, or in the oven. Warming up to a hot state is necessary to accelerate fermentation, during which part of the insoluble, non-extractable substances of plant tissue are converted into soluble and easily digestible. These are the substances that give the taste, smell and color of tea.
Then you can do it in different ways. For example, spread the mixture evenly onto a dry baking sheet and place in the oven, preheated to 90 °C. Dry, stirring occasionally, until completely dry. The output will be granulated dark brown tea. Can be dried in a dryer at 45, the tea will be lighter. You can dry it a little in a dryer (so that it doesn’t stick to the trays; after fermentation, the tea is very wet), and then put it in the oven; if you need black and very strong tea, you can put it at 150 degrees.

If you dry the fermented mass at a temperature of 60 ° C and below, you will get green tea... Not quite green, because... after fermentation, it still gives a deeper color, but close to green.

It is not at all necessary to run the raw materials through a meat grinder. You can chop it finely and squeeze it with your hands to release the juice. You can rub it between your palms - into “sausages”.

It is best not to use metal when cooking. This will prevent oxidation of the raw material upon contact with metal and thus protect the vitamins and other useful substances contained in it from destruction. Hand-made tea is different from meat-grinder tea. But preparing it is more difficult; you can make some part like this.

Another suggested method: Grind the berries together with the herbs in a meat grinder: for example, for currant tea, we grind the leaves together with the berries (you can also use the branches with the berries on them), then we ferment the whole mass together and dry it. Haven't tried it yet, but the scent must be AMAZING! Or a little differently - first we ferment the leaves, and before drying we fill them with berry paste, mix and dry. Probably, these two cooking methods will give slightly different results, you need to try it.

When collecting Ivan tea, you should keep in mind that during the flowering process, seed “pods” appear at the top of the stem. During the initial flowering period, they, along with leaves and flowers, are used to make tea. Subsequently, seeds are formed in them and abundant fluff and pods become unsuitable for tea. It is necessary to check the suitability of the raw materials: break the pod and make sure that it is in a state of “milk ripeness”, i.e. does not contain fluff. In general, fluff is not a problem for tea, but it flies a lot when you open the jar. :-)

Drying tea

Fireweed can be dried in conventional dryers, as well as in an electric oven, and, of course, in a Russian oven.

The effect of fireweed on health

Fireweed tea has an astringent, enveloping, emollient, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic and diuretic effect. It is used for gastritis, colitis, intestinal disorders and other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as an antiepileptic and hypnotic. Ivan tea is used to treat anemia, ulcers, wounds, inflammation of the nose and throat, metabolic disorders and inflammation of the mucous membranes, diseases of the kidneys and liver, cardiovascular and genitourinary systems.

Recently, the drug chanerol, which has a pronounced antitumor effect, was obtained from the inflorescences of Ivan tea.

For men, fireweed is useful for the prevention and treatment of prostatitis and prostate adenoma.

Properties of herbs and fermentation

Processing of herbs - fermentation (actually fermentation) is carried out to improve their properties.

Take, for example, a cherry leaf. Crumple it to make the juice appear, you need to break the intercellular membranes. Place in an enamel bowl, cover with a wet towel, keep in a warm place for 3 days, moistening the towel. The leaf should change color and become sticky. Place on a baking sheet and dry in the oven with the door ajar until the aroma of expensive tea appears. The sheet will become brittle and crumble in your hand. So treat each leaf (grass) separately. Then mix the herbs in equal proportions.

In Siberia, mixtures of 3, 9, 12 or 14 herbs are considered healing.

Plants prepared in this way acquire amazing and special properties that would not appear with simple drying.

A simplified method for preparing and fermenting herbs: crush the herbs, put them in a saucepan, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the color changes. Then dry in a frying pan and grind through a colander. Brew the mixture in a teapot and drink instead of tea.

Silage and fermentation

To better understand the topic, it is also necessary to mention what silage is, which is prepared for livestock. It turns out that silage is also fermented grass. Very valuable information is a description of the processes that occur during fermentation.

British farmers harvest grasses while they are still in a relatively early stage of growth, high in fermentable sugars (WSC) and low in fibre. Whether the crop is harvested immediately or left on the field to wither for several hours depends on the weather conditions at the time of mowing, but ideally the farmer wants to silage a crop with a dry matter content of 25-30%.

Usually the first phase of fermentation is short-lived. Initially, the trapped atmospheric oxygen in the raw material is used by plant enzymes in still breathing plants, but the oxygen soon runs out, and further fermentation occurs under anaerobic conditions. At this time, lactic acid bacteria, initially present in small numbers, begin to rapidly multiply to a concentration of 109 -1010 cells/g, using sugars released from destroyed plant cells as the main source of energy.

In in the second phase - main fermentation - lactic acid bacteria play the main role, continuing to acidify the feed. Most non-spore-bearing bacteria die, but bacillary forms in the form of spores can persist for a long time in fermented feed. At the beginning of the second phase of fermentation in the silo, it is usually cocci predominate, which are later replaced by rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria, characterized by high acid resistance. Under ideal conditions the pH stabilizes at 3.8 - 4.2, depending on the dry matter content, and the silage is effectively preserved within a few weeks. However, when the dry matter content of the grass clippings is less than 25%, conditions are not ideal and the preservation process may then not proceed well, especially if the level of ASU is also low (as is often the case with grasses grown in temperate climates).

To increase the crude protein content in the silage, as well as improve the fermentation of feed during the laying period, add molasses, urea, soybean meal. Finely chopping cobs and cob wrappers increases the palatability of silage by 30%.

Most leguminous plants are difficult to ensile, because they contain relatively little sugar (3...6%) and a lot of protein (20...40%). Leguminous grasses belong to the category of difficult-to-silage or non-silageable plants. Enzyme preparations not only silage the feed, but also enrich it with easily digestible nutrients. These are celloviridin, pectofoetidin, cellolignorin, glucomarin, etc. In the conditions of Uzbekistan, the enzyme preparation celloviridin was used for ensiling green alfalfa.

When analyzing the development of microbiological processes in silage prepared under natural conditions, it was found that during the spontaneous fermentation process (control silos), putrefactive bacteria grew very intensively, in particular in silage from alfalfa. As a result of the rapid development of ammonifiers in legume silage, the enrichment of lactic acid bacteria slowed down; and in corn silage it was very intense. In the control silage prepared from alfalfa waste, due to the slowdown of lactic fermentation, butyric acid bacteria (titer 103) were observed at the end of the experiment. Due to the strong growth of ammonifiers, the control legume silage had an unpleasant odor of protein decomposition during organoleptic testing. When using additives, the growth of putrefactive bacteria slowed down, which contributed to the preservation of carbohydrates necessary for lactic acid fermentation in the silage.

An excellent silage crop is corn; its stalks and cobs contain 8...10% protein and about 12% sugar. Sunflower ensiles well, as it contains a lot of protein (about 20%), but also enough carbohydrates (more than 20%).

Feeding cows whose milk is used for cheese with poor-quality silage that has undergone butyric acid fermentation causes similar fermentation in the cheese.

Yeast is also undesirable in silage. Typically, after initial rapid reproduction, aerobic species such as Candidas spp. and Pichia spp., remain dormant under anaerobic conditions until the silo is opened for animal feeding. Aerobic deterioration of silage at the surface of the pile can be very rapid and result in complete loss of nutritional value, accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide, water and heat, as seen in the typical yeast reactions below. If anaerobic conditions are established quickly and the achievement of a low pH is delayed, then in addition to Clostridium species, yeast may also be a problem. Being tolerant of slightly acidic conditions, anaerobic yeasts such as Torulopsis spp. compete with lactic acid bacteria for sugars, which they convert into ethanol and carbon dioxide with a loss of DM and an increase in silage temperature.

Let's return to the main bacteria involved in silage - lactic acid bacteria. Among the lactic acid bacteria of silage there are cocci and non-spore-forming bacilli: Streptococcus lactis, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and from the representatives of the second - L. brevis. These microbes are anaerobes. The nature of the products formed by lactic acid bacteria is affected not only by the biochemical characteristics of a particular culture, but also by the type of carbohydrates. Plant raw materials contain pentosans, which yield pentoses upon hydrolysis. Therefore, even with normal ripening of silage, a certain amount of acetic acid usually accumulates in it, which is also produced, as is known, by some other lactic acid bacteria from hexoses. Most lactic acid bacteria live at a temperature of 7...42 °C (optimum about 25...30 °C). When heated to 60...65 °C, lactic acid accumulates in it, which is produced by some thermotolerant bacteria, for example Bacillus subtilis.

The third phase of feed fermentation - the final one - is associated with the gradual death of pathogens of the lactic acid process in the ripening silage. By this time, silage comes to its natural end.

The quality of silage feed can be judged by the accumulations during fermentation.

The quality of natural silage fermentation is highly dependent on the number and type of lactic acid bacteria, present in the forage during silage laying. Of the four genera of lactic acid bacteria associated with silage (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc), over time Lactobacillaceae begin to dominate the silage microflora.

In temperate climates where the sugar content of the forage may be low, the demand for lactic acid bacteria in the silage ASU may outpace their supply, and a change in the fermentation pattern may occur towards the dominance of heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria.

High nitrate levels in silage can affect subsequent fermentation. The content of ASU in the grass negatively correlates with the level of nitrates used for plant nutrition due to the rapid growth of the grass stand. When the total nitrogen content in the samples exceeds 100 g/kg, it appears that lactic acid bacteria in silage are not able to lower the pH to a level sufficient to suppress the activity of clostridia due to the limited amount of substrate. The results show that secondary fermentation does not occur under such conditions. .

I’ll make a reservation right away - I personally want to bow before this plant, speaking in Russian from the waist down - in the army I was tormented by prostatitis, which, as you know, does not go away without medication.

In recent years, there has been virtually no hope for medicine. I treated traditional medicine with a certain degree of skepticism and often argued with opponents of traditional medicine in various forums, calling them idiots for refusing treatment with pills and vaccinations, for which I would now even like to apologize: without canceling the doctor’s prescription, you can always resort to folk medicine to adjust his treatment medicine and sometimes it gives far from worse results.

Likewise, fireweed is the first cure for prostatitis, you need to drink more in the first months (for example, I drank whole thermos flasks instead of tea), but you can maintain the condition with a mug or two a day.

There are no special recipes - brew as written on a pack of fireweed tea bought at a pharmacy (I brew a heaped tablespoon in a half-liter thermos). This is how fireweed tea is brewed for all diseases. Relief from exacerbation of chronic prostatitis will not come immediately - after 20 days, but it’s not about drinking antibiotics, but just delicious tea (which, in my opinion, is much tastier than Indian, etc.).

And since we are nervous men on the subject of prostatitis, I would like to say right away that Ivan-tea fireweed also calms the nerves well - not “tightly”, of course, like antidepressants, but it is quite strong and soft at the same time, a sedative. In general, I wish you, fellow prostatitis sufferers, normal human health.

Now about how prepare and properly store fireweed-Ivan tea

According to experts, the birthplace of tea is China. Today tea is consumed everywhere; it can be bought in any of our grocery stores. But it wasn't always like this. Tea appeared in Rus' only in the first half of the 17th century, and then in very limited quantities. But it became a popular drink only in the 19th century.

But tasty and healthy tea was drunk in Rus' at all times! And they even exported it in large quantities for a long time. This, however, was a completely different drink. They called it “Koporie tea”, after the city of Koporye (now a rural settlement in the Leningrad region), where it has long been produced in large volumes. The second name of this tea comes from the plant from which it is prepared - fireweed. And in European countries it was simply called Russian tea.

This drink is a real elixir of health. It contains a large amount of vitamins, organic acids, flavonoids, pectin and tannins. In terms of vitamin C content, for example, fireweed tea is significantly superior even to lemon.

Gradually this tea was replaced by Chinese tea, but today it is becoming popular again. This is also facilitated by the fact that fireweed is easy to prepare on your own, without spending a penny on it. To prepare it, you will need leaves of fireweed, or narrow-leaved fireweed - this is the scientific name of this plant. One has only to remind you that it is necessary to collect raw materials away from the city and highways.

Fireweed blooms from June to August. This plant is an excellent honey plant, so when collecting, it is better to leave the inflorescences to the bees and take only the leaves. In addition, along with the flowers, mature seeds with long hairs, on which, like parachutes, they are carried by the wind, can also get into the tea. And these seeds will not improve the taste of the finished product.

How to prepare fireweed tea

With your left hand you hold the plant just below the inflorescence, and with your right hand you hold the stem not very tightly in your palm and draw it from top to bottom - all the leaves end up in your fist, all that remains is to pour them into a bag or bag.

You should collect as many leaves as you can process at one time. Usually they are not washed, but if aphids settle on the leaves, they are poured into a container with water (it’s more convenient - into a bath), washed well and thrown into a colander.

Preparing willowherb tea

To do this, they are laid out on a clean cloth spread in the shade. This process continues for several hours. If the leaves are washed, the time increases. To prevent the leaves from drying out, you need to stir them periodically. When they become lethargic, begin preparing them for fermentation. This can be done in two ways.

The first one is more labor-intensive.

It comes down to rolling up the leaves. At the same time, their tissue is destroyed, which starts the fermentation process. Many people recommend rolling each sheet between your palms.

But this requires significant effort and time. It is much more convenient to roll many leaves at once on a glass cutting board with a ribbed surface. To do this, you need to take a certain amount of leaves and roll them into “sausages”. This action is similar to rolling out dough before cutting into individual portions. As a result, the leaves acquire a dark green color. At this stage, you can add various herbs to the fireweed to create the desired flavor bouquet (St. John's wort, oregano, linden blossom, etc.).

The resulting “sausages” are placed in a stainless steel pan, covered with a damp cloth or towel on top and left in a warm place (not in the oven). The fermentation process can take three hours or more, depending on the ambient temperature. If everything goes right, the herbaceous smell gradually turns into a pleasant fruity aroma.

At the end of fermentation, fireweed is dried.

To do this, the “sausages” are removed from the pan, cut into slices and, having spread baking paper on a baking sheet, sprinkle the grass on it. The best results are obtained by drying the herbs in a Russian oven or on a heater in a bathhouse. In urban conditions, you can use an oven heated to 90’C.

The drying process must be monitored and the grass must be stirred periodically. Ready Ivan tea looks like the usual large-leaf black tea. The color saturation depends on the correct fermentation and drying temperature. The tea leaves should not crumble. To avoid drying out the tea, it is better to cook it at a relatively low temperature.

The second method of preparing fireweed is much simpler than the first, since the time-consuming steps are mechanized. After the leaf has withered, it is passed through a meat grinder using a stationary knife with large holes.

The resulting “minced meat” is placed in disposable plastic bags, which are placed in a warm place for fermentation. Subsequent steps are the same as in the first option. Tea made this way looks more like granules and has a richer color when brewed.

For long-term storage, it is advisable to place the finished fireweed tea in sterilized glass jars and close tightly.

Preparation of fireweed tea in the photo

Angustifolia fireweed is the raw material for producing traditional Russian tea.
For tea, only the leaves are collected, leaving the flowers on the stem.
The leaves are laid out to wither.
The dried leaves are rolled into “sausages” for fermentation.
The twisted leaves are placed in a deep bowl and covered.
After fermentation is complete, the leaves are cut and dried.
The second method of preparing tea: dried leaves for fermentation are passed through a meat grinder and placed in plastic bags.

Some people destroy Ivan tea on their plots, considering it a weed. But the whole family could be provided with high-quality tea, and they would even sell it. And the price for it today is not small!

Well, now about how to ferment fireweed. There are many ways to ferment it, but I will share my experience.

The first method of fermenting Ivan tea

I collect it only in clean places, do not be tempted by plants along the roads. Leaves should not be collected in cloudy or rainy weather. The best time to collect is before lunch, after the morning dew. I read on the Internet how other people prepare raw materials: some advise mowing the plants, others uproot them. This is blasphemy! Everything is much simpler. Approach a bush of a plant, hold the stem below the flowers with one hand, and pull the leaves along the trunk with the other. The photo shows how I collected the leaves and was left with a bare stem. After some time, the plant will give new leaves - and you will be able to harvest from it again. And the plant is intact, and you have tea.

I used to wash the leaves, I don’t know why, although I collected them in a clean place. I don't do this now.

How can you tell if the leaves are burnt? You will see brown foliage and smell a foul odor. These are the kind of leaves that need to be removed.

I don’t recommend keeping the leaves in a bag for more than a day - they will spoil. I tried to immediately process fireweed. Result: in this case it gives less juice. After the leaves have been lying in the bag in the shade for at least 12 hours, take a large board and a rolling pin or wooden hammer, lay the leaves on the board in a thin, even layer and start hitting them. Our task is to damage the leaves so that they give juice. Then take a small bunch and roll it into a ball or sausage with your hands and place it on another board to dry.

I dry it in the sun, I have never done it in the oven. When drying, do not forget to turn it over periodically.

When the leaves are dry, I put them in jars and put them in the shade.

This method is good if we have few leaves and you are just learning how to process them. But when you need to process large quantities, there is no time for the manual method.

The second way to ferment Ivan tea

We collect everything the same way and put it in bags. Then we pass the leaves through a meat grinder (through a large grill) and lay them out on boards on which rags have previously been spread. I spread the resulting mass in a thin layer on a board and cover it with a damp cloth. I put it in a warm place to dry.

I experimented - dried it in different places: in a polycarbonate shower stall, in a workshop on a table, in the attic. Don't forget to turn the mixture periodically. Dry for no more than three days! When they dried it in the booth and opened it, such a pleasant fruity aroma came out of it that it took your breath away! There was no such aroma in the shade. Then the dried mass was put into glass jars and put away in a closet. The result was real black tea. There is no comparison with Indian! And those who try Ivan tea at least once will not exchange it for Indian tea.

Using the same principle, you can ferment the leaves of currants, strawberries and other plants. And you will also get black tea. Someone will say that fireweed should not come into contact with metal during processing and therefore it is better not to grind it in a meat grinder. Well, look for your own ways, try, drink and be healthy!

In Rus' it was believed that Ivan 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. Constant intake of fireweed tea is the prevention of benign and malignant neoplasms, prostatitis; An effective remedy for diseases of the genitourinary system. In addition, tea is used to improve blood composition and reduce intoxication of the body; relieving food and alcohol poisoning; restore strength when exhausted, increase immunity.