Making fireweed tea at home: how to collect, ferment and dry fireweed. Ivan tea - how to collect and dry, preparation and fermentation at home

What is fermentation? This is the process of processing raw materials through the influence of substances contained in the raw material - enzymes. Otherwise it is called “fermentation”. Fermentation is used in the preparation of many products, including tea. Home-fermented tea will be much healthier than store-bought tea, although it will take a little more effort. And the list of herbs that can be used as tea will increase significantly: you can make your own tea from mint, sage, chamomile and fireweed.

Ivan tea is very popular among lovers of wild plants. And no wonder: it contains a rich complex of vitamins and properties that heal many ailments. The components of fireweed tea improve blood circulation, blood pressure, relieve headaches, anxiety and stomach upsets. This is not the entire list of miracles!

Ivan tea - how to ferment

Ivan tea is unusually tenacious. If you tear off a few leaves or flowers, it quickly regenerates and can leave many seeds. Therefore, now we see huge fields and meadows of fireweed, which is a real miracle: fireweed is not a weed at all, but a useful plant.

If you ferment the leaves and flowers of fireweed (as well as any other medicinal plant, however), it will remain useful much longer than when creating an infusion or decoction.

So, how can you ferment:

in the usual way;
through a meat grinder;
through the freezer compartment of the refrigerator.

Fermentation stages

The first stage is collection

First, collect the leaves. They do this in the summer, exactly between the beginning of flowering and the moment when fluff appears on it. Plants that are located away from dust, roads and production are best suited for fermentation: their leaves are softer and juicier. The taste of tea will be more rich and pleasant.

If you collect a small amount of tea, then fermentation simply will not occur: a thicker layer is needed for the interaction of the leaves and their juice. Make sure to collect fireweed tea in large quantities in advance.

The upper leaves are more tender than the lower ones, so the lower leaves can be left: the last three levels of leaves retain the moisture the plant needs to nourish itself. This way, collecting leaves will not harm the plant.

Collect the leaves by holding the stem with one hand just below the corolla of the inflorescence, and with the other hand moving down to the lower leaves.

The flowers can be collected separately from the leaves to be dried and later added to tea. It is also better to dry them separately, since the flowers are more delicate and heat up faster.

The second stage is withering

To successfully process leaves, you need to wilt them: this will help the leaves shed excess moisture.

Withering should be done indoors, without exposure to direct sunlight and wind (otherwise withering will turn into drying, which will affect the quality of the product). The leaves should be evenly distributed over the surface in a layer of about 4 cm, “stirring” the leaves from time to time so that withering occurs equally everywhere.

The surface on which the tea is laid out should not enter into a chemical reaction with the composition of the tea, so it is better to choose cotton or linen fabric.

When talking about withering time, you need to take into account the weather:

dry warm weather - about 12 hours;
cool and damp - a little more than a day.

Air humidity should range from 65% to 70%.

How can you tell if the leaves have wilted? Squeeze them in your palms. Overdried leaves are crunchy, properly withered leaves are dry, but they bend perfectly and do not break, their edges are slightly curled. And if you squeeze many leaves into one lump, it will not open back up.

Instead of withering, you can simply put the leaves in the freezer, checking their condition periodically.

The third stage - preparation

The leaves need to be prepared for fermentation - mash the leaves. Why is Ivan tea crushed? To release the juice necessary for fermentation.

This can be done by squeezing the leaves in such a way that they begin to release juice (so that the raw materials are processed “in their own juice”), which will modify the leaves themselves.

This can be done in several ways:

Twist in a meat grinder. Periodically letting the unit cool down, we twist the leaves of fireweed. This produces granulated tea, but if you want large-leaf tea, we can process them manually.

Crush with your hands. Everything is very simple here: imagine that you are preparing the dough. To do this, you will need a wide vessel (for example, a basin) and strong hands. By crushing the leaves, it is necessary to periodically separate the resulting lumps so that the juice is released evenly. Over time, the leaves will begin to darken and curl.

To obtain small-leaf tea, you can roll the leaves of fireweed by hand. By rolling lumps of leaves between your palms, you get some kind of “rolls” as thick as your finger. Next, they should be cut when they are dry.

The fourth stage is fermentation itself!

This is the most important process in preparing future tea, affecting its further quality: taste, color and aroma, not to mention the preservation of nutrients. So, let's ferment fireweed.

The resulting mass must be placed in a container made of plastic, ceramic or enamel.

If you used a meat grinder, you should press the mass with your hand, and the leaves prepared by hand should be pressed with something on top. You can use a combination of “fabric + pebble or book”.

Cover the container with leaves with a cotton or linen rag, previously moistened with water.
We leave it to ferment in a warm place, periodically checking the fabric - it should always remain damp, you need to keep an eye on it and wet it when necessary.

The speed of fermentation depends on the temperature: the higher it is, the faster it goes. But you should not overcook the tea or set the temperature too high (above 24 °C), otherwise the beneficial substances will disappear, as will the magnificent tea aroma. If the temperature is below 15 °C, then the fermentation processes will stop altogether.

If you ferment tea in a cool room, you should cover the container with large layers of cloth, clothing or blankets.

How to understand that fermentation is completely completed

First of all, a change in color. Brown-green color instead of bright green is the first signal. The next signal is the aroma. Instead of the usual herbal scent, you will smell berries or flowers.

Fermentation can also be classified according to its intensity:

light fermentation (from 2.5 to 6 hours, the resulting tea has a delicate taste and soft fruity aroma);
medium fermentation (lasts 12-16 hours, and the tea acquires sourness, as well as a tart smell and taste);
deep fermentation (from a day to a day and a half, the aroma remains light, and the taste remains strong and rich).

You can produce it depending on your preferences, because fireweed tea is tasty and healthy in any condition.

The fermentation process does not need to be started! If you leave the tea too long, you will smell rot and mold, so keep a close eye on the clock and the condition of the herbs.

The final stage is drying

This is the process when we make tea from fireweed. That's when we cut the leaves that have curled into lumps. The resulting mass should be spread evenly on a baking sheet on which there is parchment paper. A layer as thick as a finger.

We set the oven temperature to 100 degrees and then heat our pieces of leaves in it, keeping the oven door slightly open to allow oxygen to enter.

Periodically, the granules (or leaves) need to be checked by touch, stirred and tossed to ensure uniform heating of the surfaces. You can tell that the tea is ready by the strong tea leaves that don’t fall apart or get pressed. Then remove it from the oven and leave it to “breathe” until it reaches room temperature.

Be careful! If the fireweed is too dry, the smell of burnt paper cannot be removed.

The tea can also be dried. Dried tea does not have a distinct odor and rustles when stirred. It can be done:

in a linen bag in the fresh air;
in a frying pan (about 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring and tossing);
in a convection oven (depending on the power of the model, but the main thing is to reduce the temperature every 10 minutes: it should drop from 150 degrees to 65).

It is better to store the finished tea in a dry place without access to light, in a glass jar, metal boxes or birch bark containers. Containers for storing food (plastic or silicone) are also suitable.

It is better not to drink tea immediately after drying, but to wait a month so that the taste is most pronounced and infused.

You can serve tea by adding currant leaves, various berries or citrus peels. It is interesting to know that parsley is fermented using the same technology as Ivan tea.

As you can see, with a little patience, perseverance and attentiveness, fermentation helps you get an irreplaceable summer assistant in the form of fireweed (fireweed), which will help you all year round. Enjoy your tea!

Ivan tea, commonly known as fireweed or Koporsky tea, is similar in composition to seaweed. It contains all the microelements and amino acids that are useful for the functioning of the body. It contains vitamin C in huge quantities. Ivan tea was used back in the 12th century.

The main place for preparing tea was located near St. Petersburg, in the village of Koporye, hence the name. Ivan tea was famous abroad. It was sent to Europe, where it was called Russian tea. Koporye tea overtook gold and honey in the foreign market and competed with Indian tea. Indian competitors immediately forced Russian tea out of the market.

The revolution in 1917 contributed to all this. In the domestic market they also tried to forget about tea. But they couldn’t remove the drink from traditional medicine.

Grandmothers-herbalists passed on secrets from generation to generation, protecting their own recipes from outsiders. In the villages, Ivan tea served as a drink that healed all diseases and ailments.

Where does it grow?

A perennial plant that grows everywhere in the sand, and in old clearings, in forests, along reservoirs. Ivan tea is divided into types, depending on the area in which it grows. Mountain - collected on the slopes of mountains, for example, in the Urals. Meadow, collected on the plains. Taiga - raised in the Siberian Taiga.

Fireweed reaches two meters in height, has long narrow leaves and lilac flowers that are located approximately from the middle of the stem to the top. Before rain and at night, fireweed flowers close. Fireweed never grows alone, it is entire plantations. It has a long root with numerous shoots.

Beneficial features

The modern rhythm of life does not allow you to relax as much as you would like. Lack of sleep, stress, and the environment have an adverse effect on all systems of the human body, which leads to loss of strength and disruption of organ function. Ivan tea has many beneficial properties and helps get rid of many ailments.

Ivan tea contains all B vitamins and magnesium, which have a beneficial effect on the nervous system. The various stresses that every person is exposed to every day depletes the nervous system. Over time, this exhaustion develops into chronic diseases. Various neuroses can turn a cheerful person into a whiny and irritable one.
Fireweed helps improve the functioning of the nervous system, having a calming effect. It will also help restore functionality. With daily consumption of this magical drink, the level of happiness hormones increases, which help fight stress, and you will have more energy and strength for everyday activities. Many scientists believe that Koporye tea helps fight insomnia and other sleep disorders. For a better effect, it is recommended to drink Ivan tea with oregano or mint. You will fall asleep easier and deeper, and wake up cheerful and full of energy. The drink is not addictive and has no contraindications.
The herb contains many polysaccharides, which have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Mucus helps with various ulcerative diseases. Helps relieve constipation. Normalize intestinal microflora. Thanks to the large number of flavonoids in the composition, the processes of bile formation and bile secretion are improved.
With regular consumption of tea, blood pressure is normalized, since tea has a strong diuretic property.
The leaves and flowers of Ivan tea contain microelements that promote the formation of collagen, which helps prevent premature aging of the skin.
Ivan tea has a tonic effect and helps restore strength after difficult work. But unlike coffee, it does not contain caffeine, which is harmful to the body. Therefore, the drink can be given even to children without fear for their health.
Good for the blood. Thanks to the substances contained in the composition, with regular use, it can increase hemoglobin and improve the function of hematopoiesis.
The antioxidants and vitamin C contained in Ivan tea, which is found in more in the herb than in citrus fruits, help the body fight any inflammatory processes. Helps get rid of chronic colds such as tonsillitis, laryngitis, tonsinitis.
Since ancient times, Ivan tea has been used as a “male herb”; the presence of beta-sitosterol in it helps to improve the functioning of the male genitourinary system and restore male strength.

How to collect correctly

In order to use fireweed tea as a drink, it is not enough to know only its beneficial properties; you also need to know how to properly assemble and prepare it.

In Rus', it was believed that it was necessary to collect grass early in the morning, immediately after sunrise, but not Ivan tea. This is explained by the fact that Ivan tea sleeps at night and needs to be collected when he fully wakes up.

The flowers should open and feel the sun. The best time to collect grass is after ten o'clock in the morning and before lunch. If the weather is very hot outside, then move the harvest to the evening so as not to burn the harvest.

You should pick the tea carefully so as not to bring home any insects, otherwise all your work will go to waste. To avoid damaging the leaves, you need to carefully take the stem just above the top leaves and pinch it with your fingers, and with your other free hand, move it down the stem so that all the leaves remain in your hand. This is the most valuable thing. But collecting the sheet is only half the battle. The most important and important process is fermentation and drying of tea.

How to dry properly

Dried leaves and flowers of the herb are not Koporye tea. Koporye tea is carefully selected leaves, which are subsequently fermented for 18-48 hours. Then it is dried. There are many methods of fermentation, but the most famous are by hand, in linen cloth and under pressure, in its own juice.

How to make tea

There are many recipes for making tea (black or green) at home, but the main one is the preparation of Russian tea (Koporo tea). Brewing tea (black or green) is a whole tradition, which is not recommended to be violated. After all, even the best tea can be ruined by improper brewing.

For brewing, you need to take a regular kettle, not an electric one. Glass is best. Rinse it with boiling water. Pour in the tea leaves and pour boiling water over it; it’s best if the boiling water just starts to boil.

Then close the kettle with a lid and leave for 20 minutes. Well, that’s all you need to know to brew tea at home. You can diversify your tea by adding honey, meow, oregano and many other aromatic herbs to suit every taste.
Enjoy your tea.

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Video - twisting

Video - fermentation

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.
Scroll 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 mixture 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 outstrip 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. .

Ivan-tea (Koporo tea) is one of the most healing and legendary. In order not to be disappointed in this drink, be sure to try to make it yourself, observing all the subtleties of manual technology of collection, fermentation, drying and storage. Only after this will you be able to compare the true taste and aroma of Koporye tea with the offered options from firms and companies. For the latter, the high price of the product very often does not correspond to its quality.

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

In terms of its unique chemical composition, Ivan tea is not inferior to seaweed, and in terms of nutritional value and healing power, it is far superior to it.

In Rus' 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. Constant intake of Koporye tea is a prevention of benign and malignant formations, prostatitis; An effective remedy for problems with the genitourinary system. In addition, this tea is used to improve blood composition and reduce intoxication of the body; relieving food and alcohol poisoning; restoration of strength when exhausted. Koporye tea also scars duodenal and stomach ulcers, increases immunity to various respiratory viral infections, strengthens hair roots, normalizes blood pressure, eliminates headaches and prevents early aging. Many of the healing effects of Ivan tea are similar to baking soda. And this is no coincidence. After all, fireweed mainly grows on the ash of peat and forest fires, which is the same alkali as baking soda.

Koporye tea, drunk in the evening before bed, can slow down the pulse, reduce blood pressure and lower body temperature. Such nighttime “anabiosis” gives a chance to increase or extend the active life phase of the body by at least a quarter of its average duration, which, you agree, is not so little...
This was guessed at the beginning of the 20th century by the doctor Pyotr Aleksandrovich Badmaev (Zhamsaran), who devoted most of his scientific works to revealing the secrets of the healing power of Ivan tea. The last time Badmaev became a father was at the age of 100. In total, he lived 110 years, he could have lived longer... But the Petrograd prison did not allow him to do this.

Koporye tea was exported from Russia to Europe - in huge quantities. But simply dried Ivan-chai grass is not Koporye tea. Koporye tea must be fermented before drying, that is, it is subjected to natural fermentation for 24 - 48 hours. The fermentation time and temperature at which it is carried out affect the color, taste and aroma of the final product. Tea can be made green, yellow or even black. In terms of its taste, black Koporye tea is beyond competition!
There are several fermentation methods. I know of them - six. And all six work great! Let's take a closer look at the three most simple ones, taking into account all the nuances...

1. The easy way.

Collect leaves and upper flowers (without seeds) of Ivan tea. They need to be collected after 10 am, when the morning dew has dried. 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 destroy all our work. No wonder the Russian proverb says: a bug is small, but stinking!
Dry the collected leaves and flowers slightly in the shade, knead them thoroughly with your hands, rolling them in your palms, and fill a 3-liter jar with them as tightly as possible. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a dark place at room temperature for 36 hours. Then remove the fermented mass, loosen it and dry it at a temperature of about 95 - 110 degrees Celsius, in an electric or gas oven. If desired, you can form a flat slab of tea. For example, round, like Chinese “Pu-erh”.
In some places in Rus' they made slab tea in the form of a large layer, the size of a baking tray for a Russian oven. This layer was somewhat reminiscent of modern chipboard, only black and brown... At the market, such tea was sold by weight, cutting off the required piece from the layer - with an ax!
In modern home conditions of a city apartment, it is problematic to make and dry huge tiles. But it is quite possible to make a small one, with a dry weight of 250 - 300 grams. It can be formed in any plastic container from raw willow-tea grass with a low degree of fermentation under pressure. During molding, fermentation will end completely. You will have to dry the tiles in an electric oven, with top and bottom 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 precipitation and the month of collection of the raw materials) and its third size - thickness. To save electricity, it is better to dry several tiles at the same time.
When drying, it is necessary to regularly stir the drying tea or turn over a flat tile. At the same time, it will acquire the color we need. It can vary from light brown to almost black. The drying time for loose tea is determined “by eye”, and for round tea - by weighing the dry tiles. The ratio of raw mass to 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 method.

Place Ivan tea leaves in a layer of up to 3 cm on a damp linen canvas or tablecloth. roll into a “twist”, like a large roll, as tightly as possible.
For a small volume of grass, it is better to take a smaller canvas, and do not forget to lightly moisten it with clean water from a household spray bottle. Otherwise, it will take part of the valuable juice from the leaves.

We tighten the twist with a rope or a rubber band and carefully crush it with our hands, bending and unbending it in different directions for 20-30 minutes, thereby destroying the cellular structure (vacuoles) of the leaves of Ivan tea. It is more convenient to do this together. Then we leave the twist alone and allow the initial fermentation for 2 - 3 hours. We periodically check the twist temperature by touch. With noticeable heating (more than 37 degrees), we finish the initial fermentation.
It turns out this crumpled herb with a pleasant smell of fermented pear compote.
Young apical (May) shoots are so tender that destruction of their cellular structure occurs during planting in a container. At the same time, a characteristic crunch is heard when pressing the green mass with your hand.
We fold it, compacting it very tightly into plastic buckets or glass jars under a lid for complete fermentation. In order not to confuse them later, we will write the date of bookmarking on the lid. After 36 - 40 hours, we finish fermentation. Its duration can be increased by placing the raw materials in a cool place. This will give the tea a more subtle taste. For late tea (products from July - August), we do an additional fermentation stage.
To do this, thoroughly rinse the raw materials removed from the bucket with your hands until the juice appears.
Important point!
If there is no time or energy to perform this operation, then the mass can be passed through the auger of a meat grinder with the knives removed or a special electric grinder. But in this case, the taste and medicinal properties of tea will be weaker...
Then leave it 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, place 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 increased slightly. This will allow you to “heat” the brew in the same way as coffee beans. Not only the color and aroma of the tea will improve, but also its taste.
Don't forget to stir often! Keep the oven door slightly open. To prevent the tea from roasting, it is advisable to place two red clay bricks or ceramic facing tiles on the bottom of the oven.
They will stabilize the temperature and emit infrared rays of the desired spectrum, similar to a Russian stove. The healing qualities of Koporye tea depend on this.
After 1.5 - 2 hours, Koporye tea is ready! With a little experience, you can dry 300 - 400 grams of dry product per day. Good results are obtained by drying tea on a dryer made of heating film for saunas.
It is better to take film with an operating temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. You need to put calico on top of the film. The entire structure can be made in a rectangular wooden box that fits well on the windowsill.
Here is a version of a multi-tiered film dryer with forced convection for Koporye tea of any kind. Power consumption is only 500 W, maximum wet weight load is 8 kg. Drying time 12 - 16 hours.
But the ideal of drying is the Russian oven. It “automatically” maintains all the tea drying parameters. This gigantic oven, 11 meters high, can dry several pounds of fermented Ivan tea.
It is better to store Koporye tea under a lid, in a dark place.
Slab tea should be wrapped appropriately in thick paper. The shelf life of loose tea is at least three years, and tiled tea is tens of years!
The taste and aroma of tea only improve over time. Additional dry fermentation occurs.

3. Fermentation under pressure in its own juice.

We divide the collected raw materials (tops of shoots and fireweed leaves) approximately equally into two piles. From the first, using a powerful press juicer, we obtain juice. The percentage of juice yield is small, even if you use the most modern Angel juicer. Place the remaining half of the leaves in a ceramic-metal pan and pour in fireweed juice. Place a wooden circle (or a slightly smaller lid) with a weight on top. Its weight should be at least 20 kg (or better, a two-pound weight in a plastic bag so that there is no direct contact with the “brine”). After three days, fermentation will end and the tea must be dried at a temperature of + 90 degrees Celsius. You will get these plates of Koporye tea

Welding.

For one person, 5 grams of dry brewed Koporye tea is enough per day, of course, if they don’t “marathon.” This is approximately 4-5 cups of a rich drink. Re-welding is allowed. But its taste will no longer be so pronounced.
Taking into account the possible treats of “koporka” to guests, 2 kg of dry tea is enough for one person for a year.
Most of all, the taste and aroma of Koporye tea depends on the quality of the water and the brew itself.
It would be disingenuous to say that tap water can be made “tasty” with the help of filters. Anyone who has at least once drank tea with lake or melt water from mountain glaciers will understand me.
Dry tea leaves should be uniform in color and size. Its smell is also important, similar to pear and apple compote made from dried fruits, hot dried. A brew that emits the musty smell of spoiled hay will not make good tea.
Dishes (kettle) can be different: glass, porcelain, rock crystal or brass samovar. In the latter, the tea leaves are dipped in a container or linen bag (at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 1 liter of volume). Modern materials are metal ceramics. Pour boiling water over it.
It is important to maintain the brewing time. It is at least 40 minutes. For an amateur, it can be increased to 4-6 hours. With a longer process, the drink begins to oxidize and loses its color and taste. Drink hot or cold. When heating cooled tea, do not allow even the slightest boiling of the drink. The subtle aroma will disappear immediately.
Usually Koporye tea is drunk without diluting with boiling water.

Benefits of Koporye tea.

The presence of iron, copper, and manganese in the plant allows us to consider it a remedy that can improve the process of hematopoiesis, increase the protective functions of the body, and have a pronounced calming effect. Ivan tea gently normalizes intestinal activity. Due to the rich content of tannins, mucus and vitamin C, Ivan tea has good anti-inflammatory and enveloping properties for stomach ulcers, gastritis, and colitis. And also for enterocolitis, dysenteric diarrhea, flatulence and anemia. Drinking it regularly relieves migraines, helps with insomnia, anemia, delirium tremens, infections, colds and asthma. In general, it improves immunity, being a powerful natural cleanser. In the old days, it was not without reason that they said about it that it not only heals the body, but also enlightens the mind and uplifts the spirit.

Anyone who drinks Koporye tea will never have problems with the prostate gland and sexual impotence. The name of the plant speaks for itself. And one more remarkable advantage of Ivan tea is that it alkalizes the blood and thereby restores strength during various types of exhaustion and after serious illnesses.

Having heard about the healing properties of fireweed (fireweed), many begin to make their own tea leaves from it. Those who just want to get involved in this homemade drink and harvest the herb themselves should know what fireweed is - how to collect and dry it, and also how to use fireweed. If you carefully follow all the rules for making such tea leaves, you can get a drink whose taste is much more pleasant than ordinary tea.

What is Ivan tea

The plant, which is known to many as fireweed, has many other names: Koporye tea, angustifolia fireweed, Ivan's grass. He populated central Russia. Ivan-tea especially loves abandoned fields, wastelands and forest clearings. Fireweed, which was used by our ancestors for medicinal purposes, is a plant with a long stem up to one and a half meters high and narrow leaves. In summer, crimson and pink flowers bloom on Ivanova grass.

Beneficial features

Fireweed contains in high concentration:

titanium, copper, calcium, manganese, sodium, potassium, nickel, iron;
vitamins B and C and ascorbic acid (more than in citrus fruits);
tannins and bioflavonoids

The combination of high protein and caffeine content in fireweed makes the plant unique for preparing tonic drinks. It will be more effective even than green tea. Ivan tea is recommended in the presence of neuroses and psychological problems. There is no getting used to it. The use of fireweed has the following effects:

eliminating the consequences of food poisoning and alcohol abuse;
prevention of caries;
removal of waste and toxins from the body;
strengthening hair roots;
prevention of prostatitis;
helps with kidney and liver diseases;
normalizes blood pressure;
eliminates headaches;
strengthens the immune system;
alleviates symptoms of epilepsy;
treats flatulence, colitis and enterocolitis;
eliminates inflammation of the respiratory and urinary tract;
increases the amount of breast milk.

When to collect fireweed

If you want to try your own prepared fireweed, you must remember how to collect and dry it. In the northern regions, fireweed blooms from mid-July, and in the south - in late June-early July. You need to start collecting fireweed during the flowering period, but before the entire cluster of flowers blooms, since then the beans with fluff that are starting to ripen will interfere. It is recommended to collect the plant in dry weather, before noon. The roots of fireweed, which are also useful for preparing raw materials, will have to be dug up in the fall.

How to collect fireweed

Fireweed grows only in open spaces. The flowers of fireweed have a bright pink hue and are collected in brushes. When harvesting, either the leaves, the top, or the entire plant are removed. In the latter case, the stem is cut 15 cm from the ground. It is important to learn how to identify Ivan's grass so as not to confuse it with other plants of the same family that are not suitable for consumption. Forest fireweed and hairy fireweed do not have healing properties. They have purple flowers, and the height of the plants is no more than 15 cm.

How to dry fireweed at home

Having finished with the routine collection, you can move on to the next steps. Preparing fireweed for the winter is not an easy task, but it is doable. There are many instructions and drying options, so it will be difficult to make a mistake. If you don’t know how to prepare fireweed tea at home, you can use “helpers” such as an oven or electric dryer. Preparation of fireweed tea includes several stages, described below.

Preparing for drying

All parts of fireweed are used for harvesting, including leaves, top of the plant, roots and shoots. It is better to collect Ivan's grass in “clean” places, but before the drying process it is better to rinse the collected raw materials in running water. After this, it is time to wilt. A layer of leaves is laid out on plain paper or cloth, which should be mixed regularly. After withering, the leaves of fireweed need to be rolled. At the next stage they are crushed. This can be done in a meat grinder or with a knife.

Fermentation

Many people do not know how to prepare Ivan tea correctly; they skip fermentation, and this is a mandatory process that determines the quality of the brew. For oxidation by air, the container with the green mass is left overnight. The fermentation process is similar to fermentation. At the end, the finest aroma of tea leaves will appear. To complete the process of preparing fermented raw materials, place fireweed in a frying pan and keep at a temperature of 100 degrees for about an hour until it takes the form of granules.

Types of drying

The last part of raw material processing is drying. There are several ways to properly dry fireweed leaves:

Conventional oven drying. Place the fermented leaves on a baking sheet on top of parchment paper. It is recommended not to close the oven door tightly during drying. Leaves should be kept at a temperature of 95 to 110 degrees for an hour.
Russian stove. The heated oven should stand for at least an hour, after which you can spread the herbal mass on a baking sheet, which is then placed on the coals.
Electric dryer. The device is turned on at a temperature of about 90 degrees, the leaves are dried for at least 5 hours. It is important not to overdo it, because then the tea drink will taste like paper.

How to store fireweed

Once dried after fermentation, medicinal raw materials can be stored for two years or more, subject to certain conditions. Ivan tea should be inside an airtight container, preferably glass. Before brewing fireweed, the tea leaves are allowed to sit for at least a month. It is believed that fireweed tea becomes tastier and more aromatic the longer it is stored.

Cooking secrets

The correct way to brew fireweed is as follows: 3 tsp. 150 ml of boiling water, leave for a few minutes, then pour another 300 ml of hot water into the kettle. The amount of brewing water and tea raw materials can be changed depending on the desired strength. Fireweed tea can be refilled with boiling water up to 5 times. You can make your own drink without boiling water. For this, 1 tbsp. l. The tea mixture should be poured with a liter of water and left overnight. In the morning you will receive a healing drink. You can dilute fermented fireweed leaves with flowers dried in the usual way.

Indications for use

poisoning and intestinal dysfunction;
disorders in the nervous system (neuroses, alcoholic psychoses, hysteria, depression);
epilepsy;
rehabilitation from alcohol addiction to relieve hangover syndrome;
increased psycho-emotional pressure and chronic stress;
overwork;
appearance of baby teeth, gum inflammation;
problems with the menstrual cycle, uterine bleeding, menopause, premenstrual syndrome;
chemotherapy and radiation exposure (during the recovery period);
leukemia or lymphogranulomatosis as an adsorbent;
immunodeficiency state;
avitaminosis;
prostatitis and prostate adenoma.