Very fresh and healthy tea is made from fresh leaves of currant. But what about winter when you cannot find them in this form? Many lovers dry leaves, but tea from them does not give such aroma and taste. In this case, you can ferment the leaves of currant for tea. Such fermentation of raw materials will give the drink a rich color, a pronounced smell and taste. In our article, we will tell you how to ferment currant leaves at home, in what ways to do it.
Fermentation concept
If the insoluble tissues of the leaf are converted into soluble so that they are easily absorbed, then this process is called fermentation. This is a rather time-consuming job, during which you need to destroy the structure of the leaves before the juice is released. Fermentation is a kind of fermentation of raw material, on which the type of tea obtained, its taste and healthy qualities, depend. Want to learn how to make tea from garden leaves, like in a store? We will give you tips on how to ferment currant leaves correctly, in stages.
On the surface of blackcurrant leaf and in the air there are many bacteria that promote fermentation. It turns out a rather complicated chemical process. Briefly describe the fermentation, it looks like this:
- leaf cells are destroyed;
- juice is secreted;
- under the influence of temperature, fermentation begins;
- leaves are fermented in their own juice;
- the raw material darkens and acquires a flavor.
Some tea lovers are wondering if currant leaves can be fermented. Yes, this plant - like apple, cherry, raspberry, pear, strawberry - is an excellent raw material for making tea. The fact is that in the leaves of blackcurrant there are tannins (tannins) that give the taste of tea. Especially a lot of tannin in young leaves. Coarse raw materials lose their supply of tannins. The process of making fermented tea consists of several stages, which we propose to get acquainted with. After this information, you will no longer have a question about whether currant leaves are fermented.
Pick time
Blackcurrant bushes remain green until autumn, but this does not mean that you can collect raw materials for tea from them at any time. It remains important to choose the right time for the workpiece. The best time to harvest is the time of flowering currants. The plants then concentrate the largest amount of vitamins and minerals. The flowering of this garden culture begins in late May. As soon as flowers appeared on the branches - harvest leaves!
It is important to know what time of day it is best to tear leaves. It is better to get to work in the morning, from 10 to 12 hours. At this time, there is no dew on the plant, and the sun's rays are not baking yet. It is advisable to make a collection in dry weather. Excess moisture does not contribute to proper fermentation, mold may appear.
People who follow astrology try to procure raw materials for tea in the moon cycle. It is the growing moon that is the best time for harvesting tea raw materials. Break off whole leaves, without pests and signs of disease. The most suitable upper young shoots. For the collection, bushes in the shade are selected. The leaves on them are juicier, which contributes to better fermentation. Raw materials do not need to be washed so as not to eliminate the bacteria so necessary for the fermentation process. If you really need to clean the leaves of dirt, then they are dried.
The second period of collecting raw materials is the fruiting of currants. At this time, the plant has accumulated a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Wilting process
How to make fermented tea from currant leaves? This process begins with withering. It is simply necessary for the further successful processing of raw materials. The drying step removes excess moisture in the leaves, which interferes with high-quality fermentation. Withering helps preserve the taste and smell of the plant, accumulated essential oils, aromatic substances.
First, the prepared raw materials are laid out on cotton or linen cloth in an even layer with a height of not more than 5 cm. Do not use synthetic materials for the substrate, because the raw materials absorb all harmful substances from them. Periodically harvested material is agitated so that it dries evenly. The leaves should not dry out, they should fade, so do not put them in a sunny and windy place. The drying procedure lasts 12 hours. In dry weather, everything happens faster than in rainy weather.
Qualitatively withered leaves curl well and give good tea. The rest of the moisture in the raw materials should be up to 65%. After 12 hours, they begin checking the readiness of the plant material for the next stage of processing. If the central vein doesn’t crackle when you click on the leaf, then the jerking was successful, if you heard a crunch, then continue this process for another couple of hours. There is another way to check - the strong compression of a handful of raw materials in the fist. If the lump does not fall apart, then the leaves are wilted.
Fermentation Preparation
We continue to understand how to ferment currant leaves for tea. After drying, juice is extracted from the leaves. It is in the juice that tannins responsible for fermentation are present. Lack of juice affects the taste and aromatic qualities of tea. There are three ways to destroy the structure of leaves. Get to know them:
- Twisting the raw material by hand. Take 10 dried leaves, roll them heavily with your palms, as if scrolling. The leaves should darken with the release of juice. Thus, you will get a kind of rolls. Then they are cut across into small pieces to produce leaf tea.
- Kneading raw materials with hands in a container. Have you ever kneaded the dough? So, they also do the same with dried stock. It is vigorously squeezed in a bowl for 20 minutes. The lumps are constantly loosened, and the adhered leaves are separated.
- Processing of raw materials in a meat grinder. Take a lattice with large holes and scroll through all the dried material. As a result, tea is obtained in granules. An electric meat grinder is perfect for this operation.
Fermentation of raw materials
The taste, smell and benefits of tea depend on this stage. For this, the right conditions are needed: the amount of raw materials, temperature and moisture. Destroyed by one of the above methods, currant leaves are laid in a layer of no more than 10 cm in plastic or enameled dishes. The more raw materials are prepared, the better the fermentation will take place. The leaves scrolled in a meat grinder are pressed lightly by hand.
Mixed leaves or twisted into rolls put under oppression. The dishes are covered with a damp cotton or linen cloth and placed in heat for fermentation. Check the humidity of the wipe from time to time. If necessary, moisten it again. In a dry room, the dishes are also covered with a lid. The exact fermentation time cannot be determined. The temperature should not be too high or too low, the best option is 22-25 ° C. At temperatures below 15 ° C, the fermentation process stops. Fermentation takes about 8 hours. The signal to the end of this procedure is a strong smell of the plant. It is at this moment that fermentation must be completed.
Tea drying and storage
You have already learned how to ferment blackcurrant leaves, now let's talk about drying them. Twisted or wrinkled leaves after fermentation are cut into pieces up to 0.5 cm. This will be loose tea. Fermented raw materials are laid out on baking sheets with a thin layer (up to 1 cm), gently loosened. The oven is heated to a temperature of 100 ° C, the baking sheets are inserted into it and left with the door ajar for an hour and a half. Then the temperature is halved and, with constant stirring, brought to dry.
How to check the readiness of tea leaves? If they break apart when pressed, then the tea is ready. The baking sheets are removed from the oven, allowed to cool and poured into linen or cotton bags. They send tea to dry in fresh air. If the tea is well dried, then it rustles in a bag.
Dried tea is poured into glass jars and closed with plastic lids. You can store it in plastic containers or cans.
How to make fermented tea from currant leaves?
Further, another question may arise. How to ferment currant leaves for tea is already clear, but how to brew it? The procedure is the same as for a regular drink. The teapot is rinsed with boiling water, pour 1 teaspoon of tea into it and pour a glass of boiling water. The kettle is closed with a lid and insisted drink 10 minutes. Then the tea is poured into cups, boiling water is added and allowed to cool slightly. The result is a fragrant and healthy blackcurrant drink!
The benefits of currant leaf tea
Currant leaf tea is very healthy. It contains a high level of vitamin C. The tannins, antioxidants, and nutrients present in blackcurrant stimulate the immune system. Frequent intake of such tea stimulates the work of the heart. An infusion of currant leaves helps good digestion. It is also an effective diuretic, eliminating kidney stones.
Currant tea helps get rid of colds, has a calming effect on the nervous system. Drink energizes for the whole day, especially useful after mental overload.
What to fear?
Caution should be given to pregnant women to currant tea, because it contains a lot of caffeine. With caution, it is necessary to apply it to people aged and children. It does not hurt to exercise caution in patients with hemophilia and hypertension. This tea raises blood pressure. Currant tea should be drunk in small portions so that there are no problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Other types of leaf treatment
There are other types of processing currant leaves. They can simply be dried without fermentation. Such drying is carried out in a shaded but dry place. Some tea lovers dry the leaves in the oven. It is important not to heat the stove above 100 ° C. Drying time is 1.5 hours, then the temperature is halved and brought to full readiness.
Any method of harvesting currant leaves gives its effect, but it is better to use the fermentation method.