What kind of fireweed tea to collect and when is the best time to do it. Herb Ivan-tea: where it grows, description, collection time, harvesting rules, beneficial properties and contraindications

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 availability essential oils the properties of the drink are preserved for three days. Let's dwell on medicinal properties and contraindications for fermented fireweed tea.

Did you know? Ivan-tea is considered high-calorie product, contains 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 useful ingredients, since ancient times Koporye tea used for the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. It is used as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drug. There is an effect on diseases oral cavity, bleeding gums.
6. Ivan tea acts as an immunomodulator, works as a powerful antioxidant and body cleanser, normalizes blood pressure, relieves headache, has a universal strengthening effect.

Did you know? In Rus', the first mention of Ivan tea was 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 process of tea fermentation is. scientific point vision.

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

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

Collection and procurement process

To receive later healthy drink 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. Flowers are dried or fermented as an additive to tea drink, and the roots are dried and ground to 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.

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 plant to release as completely as possible useful substances.

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 higher cool place and make sure that the mixture 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 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.

Most best way fermentation of fireweed at home, according to many, 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.

You can dry whole sheets - this mixture will become loose leaf tea. After processing in a meat grinder, the mixture will become granular. Paper must be placed on a baking sheet, leaves are laid out on it and leveled, their layer should be up to a centimeter.

You need to dry it in the oven, stirring constantly at a temperature of about 100°C for one and a half to two hours. Then the temperature decreases.
Do not close the oven. When the color of the leaves acquires the color of the usual tea, and the tea leaves do not crumble when you break them, remove the product from oven and leave to cool at normal air temperature.

You can also dry the tea in the open air by spreading it on paper or cloth, but only placing it in the shade. Open sun has a bad effect on the beneficial substances of tea.

There are also ways to dry tea in a frying pan and in an air fryer. They are less popular.

Fireweed flowers need to be dried separately from the leaves, because they dry out much faster.

Important!Do not overcook the tea while drying. The smell of burning paper may be added to its smell, and it will lose its taste and beneficial qualities.

If you suddenly find that printed information is not enough, there is enough video on the YouTube channel for preparing fireweed at home.

Tea storage

In order for Ivan tea to be stored well, you need to avoid moisture as such. Storage areas must be dry. It is stored in closed banks made of glass or ceramics.

Tea can also be stored well in waterproof paper and fabric bags. You can use tin or plastic containers.

Brewing

There are not many recipes for making Koporye tea. There is only one of him.

Some connoisseurs insist on brewing for at least 40 minutes. No need to wrap it up. It is important to brew the drink using filtered or spring water. Can be drunk hot or cold.
Experts say that Koporye tea is much superior in its characteristics to good Ceylon tea. It tones and quenches thirst well. And the beneficial properties of fermentation Ivan-tea at home, which manifest themselves in the final product, are innumerable.

Important!If you heat it up, you can't boil it.-helped

Now the time has come to cover the topic of collecting fireweed, the month of flowering fireweed is just around the corner. IN middle lane where I live, time first harvest of fireweed tea - June. It all depends on the weather, what it is like and the region where you live. The main thing is to find a place where this weed grows, so that it is environmentally friendly, not near roads, probably everyone already understands this, but you and your family will have to drink. Collected in the first half of the day, after the dew has dried, in dry weather. The flowers on the plant should all bloom. Basically, fireweed grows in illuminated areas: on the edges, clearings, and blooms in a continuous lilac carpet. Ivan-tea or narrow-leaved fireweed reaches a height of about 2 meters. You may come across a similar picture somewhere in the shade, in a marshy area, but this is its fellow fireweed, its flowers are small, about 20 cm high, so do not confuse it with fireweed, good drink You can’t get it from such grass.

Take with you a cloth bag in which you will store the leaves, preferably with a shoulder strap. You will be comfortable, your hands will be free to collect leaves. You hold the stem with your left hand, and with your right hand, run it along the stem in its middle part and all the leaves end up in your palm. About 15 minutes and you can fill the bag full. Interesting fact, fireweed is the first to grow at the site of fires, after which the rest of the plants grow well. It is a natural green manure, enriching the soil. The middle part of the leaves and flowers are used for preparation. Why the middle part of the leaves, so that the plant does not die, but continues to grow and bloom. Once you’ve collected, filled your bag, you can go home or to the dacha for further work with the leaves. Some people cut the stems from the soil at a distance of 15 cm and at home they already pick the leaves from the stem; they say that the leaves from the cut stems acquire a more pleasant aroma when dried.

Stage 2 – fermentation

First, we need the leaves to wilt slightly. We lay out our collected leaves on a material, preferably cotton or white paper. The leaves should wither in the shade for about a day; they must be constantly stirred so that the process proceeds evenly. The leaves should not dry out. Another way: we lay leaves 3 cm thick on cotton material and roll the material together with the leaves into a roll, like a carpet. We tie it with twine and in this state the leaves dry for about a day, periodically moistening the roll with clean water.

The next step will be twisting so that the leaves release juice. This is done with your hands, twisting the leaves between your palms into sausages or balls. We need to disrupt the structure of the leaf to release the juice from it.

Next, we put the leaves in a container of a suitable size, preferably an enamel bowl, cover with a damp cloth and set for fermentation for 10-20 hours in a fairly warm place with a temperature of about 25-28 degrees. The process needs to be controlled, as overexposure will worsen the taste of the tea. If the temperature is high, fermentation proceeds faster, the end of fermentation can be recognized by smell; the leaves give off not a herbal, but a fruity-floral smell.

How to dry fireweed

Stage 3 – drying

The next step is to cut the leaves and put them to dry either in the oven or lay them out in the shade. Convection drying for fruits, berries and herbs copes well with this process. Set it to 40-60 degrees and forget about the tea for a while, dry the fireweed in the oven for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 100 degrees, also stirring it periodically so that the drying process proceeds evenly.

Angustifolia fireweed, Koporye tea or fireweed is a honey plant belonging to the fireweed family. Representatives of this species are distributed in all regions of the Northern Hemisphere with a temperate climate. Willow-herb prefers sandy or loamy areas and grows in clearings, clearings of mixed and coniferous forests, on fires and drained peat bogs, in thickets of bushes and on the banks of reservoirs. Refers to the number of plants that are the first to appear in deserted areas.

Willow-herb has an erect stem up to one and a half meters long, sharp linear-lanceolate leaves and lilac or light pink flowers collected in a long apical raceme. On the thick and creeping roots of the plant there is huge amount accessory buds promoting vegetative propagation.

Procedure for collecting fireweed

Most often, the leaves of fireweed are used for medicinal purposes, less often its inflorescences and roots. The seeds of the plant do not have medicinal properties, so they are collected only for the purpose of sowing the plant in certain areas.

Ivan tea roots are harvested in April-May or September after the end of the flowering period. The rhizome of the plant is dug up, the adhering soil is shaken off and washed thoroughly.

The leaves and inflorescences of fireweed are harvested during the flowering period, that is, from the end of June to the beginning of September. Medicinal raw materials are collected in the morning after the dew has completely dried. In this case, the growing stem is carefully squeezed between the fingers and the leaves and flowers are torn off with a sharp movement from top to bottom.

During the collection process, the harvester must carefully ensure that insects and their larvae (especially forest bugs), ripe fireweed pods or the fluff contained in them do not get into the medicinal raw materials. Unsuitable for harvesting are too dusty, polluted, diseased and drying plants growing along busy roads, in the territory manufacturing enterprises, next to farms, cattle burial grounds or landfills.

How to properly dry fireweed

The roots, flowers and leaves of fireweed, intended for the preparation of medicinal infusions and decoctions, are dried in well-ventilated areas protected from sunlight, spread in a thin layer on canvas or paper. If necessary, medicinal raw materials can be prepared in an oven, dryer or oven at a temperature not exceeding 60 degrees.

Preparation of fermented Koporye tea

In most cases, fireweed leaves are used to make special drink– fermented Koporye tea. In such situations, the cooking process includes two successive stages:

• fermentation of prepared raw materials;
• drying leaves.

In order to start the process of fermentation of plant materials, it is necessary:

1. rinse the collected leaves thoroughly cold water and dry them for 3 hours in a place protected from sunlight;
2. Gently rub the withered leaves in your palms, achieve the destruction of the structural cells of the plant and saturate the medicinal raw material with cell juice;
3. Fill any glass container tightly with the ground leaves and close it. cling film and place for 20 hours in a darkened room with a temperature of about 24 degrees.

After the procedure is completed, the leaves change color from dark green to light brown, and the smell changes from a pronounced herbal to a delicate fruity one. It should be noted that there are other methods for fermenting fireweed, but the described scheme is the simplest and most accessible for implementation at home.

The resulting vegetable mixture is loosened, spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and dried in the oven or in the cooking chamber of a Russian oven at a temperature of about 100 degrees. In order to avoid drying out the raw materials in the oven, open the door slightly and place ceramic tiles or red bricks under the baking sheet. During the drying process, Koporye tea is constantly stirred, preventing the leaves from burning. On average, drying the plant mass takes about an hour.

The finished tea, which has a light brown or brown color and a pleasant fruity aroma, is packaged in a hermetically sealed food container that does not have any foreign odors, and is kept for a month at room temperature. During this time, the plant material undergoes secondary dry fermentation.

Ivan tea is a plant gifted by nature itself for human health. Over the years people have used healing properties fireweed plants (the second name for fireweed), brewing miraculous tea. Nowadays, its popularity has decreased significantly, but this drink is very beneficial for human health. Willow-herb grows in dry and sandy places, loves sunny edges and spacious places, but you can hardly find it near bodies of water. This plant has about twenty subspecies. When to collect fireweed to get a tasty and healthy drink?

Collection of fireweed flowers

Mass flowering of this plant begins in mid-June, at which time flowers and buds are collected, as well as leaves - for tea. The collection continues until mid-August. The timing of when to collect fireweed also depends on the location and climatic conditions. You need to prepare fireweed tea in dry weather; morning time is best. You should carefully inspect the plant and do not take diseased, contaminated or damaged stems. It is prohibited to collect any herbs near railways and highways. In order for the plant to please you with its flowering next year, you should not pull it out by the roots, just run your hand from top to bottom and get all the necessary leaves.

How to prepare infusion from fireweed tea?

Nature itself can tell you when to collect fireweed: the opened flowers of the plant are quite ready for harvesting. But we’ll tell you how to prepare tea leaves from this plant here. First you need to wash all the collected grass and place it in a dry place, but not in direct sunlight. The plant should wilt a little. It is important to prevent the leaves from drying out too much. The next day, roll all the leaves into tubes and place them in a pan, cover with a damp towel on top. Leave them in this state for the whole night. Leaves should be cut in the morning small pieces and dry in the oven (temperature should not exceed fifty degrees). The Ivan tea brew is ready, you can start drinking tea. It is better to store this collection in glass jars. The longer the shelf life, the stronger the taste.

Ivan tea - properties and contraindications for use

Thanks to your unique properties This plant is widely used in medicine and cooking. The leaves, stems and flowers of the plant are used for brewing. A drink made from fireweed tea has a diuretic and choleretic effect, contains all the main groups of vitamins, promotes the concentration of vitamin C in the body, which helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Ivan tea has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, treats various diseases liver, strengthens immune system, can have an antipyretic effect. Tea from this plant is an excellent remedy prevention of various neoplasms, useful for diabetes mellitus. Regular intake of infusion of fireweed tea will help you get rid of fatigue and nervous tension, eliminate headaches and help normalize blood pressure. How many healing properties does fireweed have? Treatment with this plant will be tasty treat, because it is also used to make delicate and fragrant honey. And powder from dried and crushed leaves of the plant will help heal wounds. An infusion of fireweed herb is very suitable for normalizing processes gastrointestinal tract. Its properties have positive action on intestinal microflora, and in the treatment of dysbiosis it can replace many drugs. To make useful tinctures, you should know when to collect fireweed, because it is necessary to preserve all the healing properties. Contraindications to the use of fireweed include possible individual intolerance, as well as the period of pregnancy and lactation.

Timely preparation of tea will allow you to provide your family with healing and health benefits for a year in just a few days. delicious drink, raw materials for cooking medicines By folk recipes.

Places where fireweed grows

Ivan tea grows in areas with average temperatures. For example, there is a lot of it in central Russia. It exists in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Germany.

Ivan-tea chooses well-lit places. It is useless to look for it in the forest or in swampy areas. There is a lot of fireweed grass on the edges of the forest, in roadside strips, and in sunny meadows.

When to collect

The timing of collecting any medicinal herb, like fireweed, is extremely important for preserving its healing properties. It is difficult to indicate exactly what time to choose for collection. It depends on certain climatic conditions in each specific area where fireweed grows. So, in the south of Russia they begin to collect it in early, mid-June, and closer to the center - mid-June, early July, in the northern parts of this medicinal herb Pick up in mid-July, early August.

The earlier hot sunny days begin each year, the earlier fireweed begins to bloom. However, too hot a summer also causes the plant to bloom earlier. IN ancient Rus' It was considered the ideal time to collect fireweed during the holiday of Ivan Kupala. Traditional healers It was believed that it was at this time that plants acquired special healing and magical powers.

It is necessary to collect fireweed in dry weather, at lunchtime, when the leaves of the plant are dry, without traces of previous rain or dew. The more moisture in the plant, the longer it will take to dry it, the greater the risk that it will rot.

How to collect

The main requirement for the time of harvesting a plant is the obligatory flowering of the plant.. You need to wait for the time when the lower flowers in the inflorescence begin to appear on fireweed and fluff begins to appear on them. The upper flowers of the inflorescence may not yet be completely open.

To prepare medicinal mixtures and teas, the leaves and inflorescences of the plant are collected. The stem is used in some regions of Kazakhstan. It is used in cooking meat dishes, some bread recipes. In Russia, the stem is, as a rule, not in demand.

It is important not to damage the plant when collecting its leaves and to collect them correctly. The stems of young plants are especially fragile. The collection method does not harm the plant at all when the leaves are collected from it by running your hand along the stem from top to bottom. A few of the lower leaves are left as they are rough for making teas and are important for the growth of the plant's roots. You also need to leave 2-3 rows of leaves under the peduncle, as they ensure further growth of the plant.

Finishing its flowering, fireweed produces tendrils. They are located on the top of his head, above the flowers. Young thin branches also appear. This suggests that the flowering process has already come to an end. It is no longer worth collecting fireweed at this time. Its healing properties at this time are already minimal, the leaves are tougher. The taste of the tea will also be much lower.

Naturally, you need to avoid collecting this plant, which grows along roads, in dusty places, and in urban areas.

Rinsing tea

This process is required if the collection took place in places where there is some kind of dust. Ideally, it is better to collect the plant where there is no dust. Then there is no need to wash the leaves. The plant retains its pollen, which is carried by bees during flower pollination. This gives the plant additional beneficial properties, and the tea made from it, a special note of taste.

Wash the plant under running water. After this, dry it further.

Drying

You need to dry the leaves and inflorescences of the plant by laying them on the litter. The layer thickness should be no more than 3 cm. Be sure to stir them periodically.

It is better to choose a shaded place for drying, with a breeze. Drying in direct sunlight is not recommended. Leaves can quickly and excessively dry out and turn brown. The drying mat should be fabric or paper. But not newsprint or other printed paper.

If fireweed is prepared specifically for later use as ingredients for use independently or in medicinal preparations according to folk recipes, then they are supposed to be stored as dry herbs. Then the plant needs to be dried for 24 hours until it is completely dry.

If you plan to prepare them as tea, then several hours (4-7) will be enough for drying and drying.

Fermentation

There are several ways to prepare Ivan tea and ferment it. Various options bring Cyprus tea different shades of taste.

1. This fermentation method is the simplest. In this case, after drying, the leaves of the plant are taken between the palms of several pieces and rolled into a sausage. You shouldn't squeeze them too hard. They shouldn't tear.
   After this, you need to leave the leaves to dry further. It will take about a couple of days.
2. Another way to ferment tea is to instead of rolling the leaves in the palm of your hand, after drying, pass them through a meat grinder. In this case, maximum injury and release occurs. more juice

Then this pulp is laid out in a container. It is closed and left in a dark place for 15-24 hours. The fermentation that occurs during this process is called deep tea fermentation.

The time the tea should be fermented in the container depends on the ambient temperature. Readiness should be determined 10 hours after fermentation. Gradually the smell will change from herbal to fruity. It is important not to overcook the tea, otherwise it will turn sour and lose its taste. On average, a rich fruity smell is obtained after 15-17 hours at a temperature of 22 degrees.

The fermented tea then needs to be dried again. To do this, you need to put the mixture out of the container onto a baking sheet. The thickness should be 1-2 cm. Oven temperature 40-45 degrees. There is no need to close the oven.

It’s good if the oven is equipped with a ventilation mode. Then the leaves will dry out faster. It is also important to dry them only until a certain time. They should not be overdried and turn into powder when crushed.

When preparing tea using the second method, the tea turns out to be more delicate and fruity. In the first case, it is closer in taste qualities to herbal.

Making tea using the first simple method is considered more beneficial as a medicinal drink. The second one is more pleasant in taste.

Preparing fireweed tea is not difficult. It can be used not only as tasty and medicinal drink. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from it, used as components in medicinal preparations, and ingredients in the preparation of medicinal ointments.