When to collect Ivan tea. Ivan-chai for Koporye tea

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

Gathering flowers of willow-tea

The mass flowering of this plant begins in the middle of June, at this time flowers and buds are collected, as well as leaves - for tea. The collection continues until mid-August. The timing of when to collect willow tea also depends on the location and climatic conditions. Ivan-tea should be prepared in dry weather, morning time is best. You should carefully inspect the plant and do not take diseased, contaminated and affected stems. It is forbidden to collect any herbs near railways and highways. In order for the plant to please with its flowering next year, you should not tear it up with roots, just run your hand from top to bottom and get all the necessary leaves.

How to make Ivan tea tea leaves?

When to collect Ivan tea, nature itself will be able to tell: the opened flowers of the plant are quite ready for harvesting. But about how to prepare tea leaves from this plant, we will tell here. First you need to wash all the collected grass and lay it out in a dry place, but not in direct sunlight. The plant should tether a little. It is important to prevent the leaves from drying out too much. The next day, twist all the leaves into tubes and put in a saucepan, cover with a damp towel on top. Leave them like this for the whole night. In the morning, the leaves should be cut into small pieces and dried in the oven (the temperature should not exceed fifty degrees). Ivan-tea tea 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

Due to its unique properties, this plant is widely used in medicine and cooking. Leaves, stems and flowers of the plant are used for brewing. Ivan-tea drink has a diuretic and choleretic effect, contains all the main groups of vitamins, contributes to the concentration of vitamin C in the body, which helps to strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Ivan-tea has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, treats various liver diseases, strengthens the immune system, and is able to have an antipyretic effect. Tea from this plant is an excellent means of preventing various neoplasms, and is useful in diabetes mellitus. Regular intake of Ivan tea infusion will help get rid of fatigue and nervous tension, eliminate headaches and help normalize blood pressure. How many healing properties has Ivan-tea! Treatment with this plant will be a delicious delicacy, because it is also used to make delicate and fragrant honey. And the powder from the dried and crushed leaves of the plant will help heal the wounds. An infusion of willow-herb is very well suited for normalizing the processes of the gastrointestinal tract. Its properties have a positive effect on the intestinal microflora, and in the treatment of dysbacteriosis, it can replace many drugs. To make useful tinctures, you should know when to collect Ivan tea, because it is necessary to preserve all the healing properties. Among the contraindications to the use of Ivan-tea, one can also name a possible individual intolerance, as well as the period of pregnancy and lactation.

Traditional medicine is good because treatment with it gives much fewer side effects on the body. In addition, it has already been tested by time. And one of the plants widely used in it is Ivan-tea.

Ivan tea: useful properties

The people have preserved a lot of knowledge about herbs and their special properties. Some of them, for example, are used for tonic infusions.

Ivan tea is also called fireweed. This is a perennial plant with bright pink flowers, which is distributed throughout Russia. Ivan-chai begins to bloom at the end of June. Brewing this herb began a very long time ago, many centuries ago. Now we can talk about its beneficial properties with confidence. And taking into account the experience of older generations.

With proper collection and storage, Ivan-tea has the following useful properties:

• is the strongest anti-inflammatory agent. The coefficient of its anti-inflammatory action is stronger than that of all other plants common in Russia.
• It can be used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and even ulcers. Ivan tea has enveloping properties. In addition to this healing herb, wormwood, for example, has a positive effect on the metabolism in the body. However, it also has its own magical properties.
• It has been established that with the help of fireweed it is possible to suppress the virus that causes herpes simplex.
• Ivan tea can be used against tumors. The ancient healers also knew about this, so even then they used fireweed to treat the sick.
• This plant has a calming effect on the human nervous system. It can be drunk against insomnia and neuroses. Fireweed helps to cope with stress and even headaches.
• Ivan tea has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and helps relieve irritation from the skin. Has a wound healing effect.

When Ivan tea is harvested

Collect fireweed at the end of June and in July, at the time of flowering. It is advisable to do this in the morning and in dry weather. The rules for collecting it do not change from year to year, so in 2016 it will also be possible to collect Ivan tea in central Russia from the middle of the first summer month.

How to cook Ivan tea

The collected leaves must be spread out in a layer of no more than 5 cm and left for the whole day, while periodically mixing the layers. This is necessary so that the leaves dry evenly.

All leaves after withering must be twisted. Rub them between your palms until the juice comes out and they turn dark.

Place the twisted leaves in a glass dish and cover with a damp cloth. It is desirable that the layer also be no more than 5 cm. Ivan-tea must be left warm for 6-12 hours in order for the fermentation process to go through. The warmer, the faster this process will occur.

A little about contraindications

It is impossible to drink fireweed tea in excessively large quantities: an allergic reaction may occur. Getting rid of it, of course, is simple: just stop drinking Ivan tea. The second case when it should be abandoned is urolithiasis, since this plant has a diuretic effect. Before using Ivan tea for medicinal purposes, you should consult your doctor.

Not only Ivan tea has healing properties. There is a whole trend - homeopathy, which in some cases copes with diseases better than traditional medicine. Good luck, and don't forget to press the buttons and

02.06.2016 03:40

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There are many types and varieties of tea delivered to Russia from other countries. Not everyone knows that once our country was the producer of the unique Koporye tea, which was obtained from the fireweed plant, the popular name is Ivan-tea.

Tea from this medicinal plant was consumed both in Russia and in Europe. When foreign teas appeared on the market, the original Russian drink was undeservedly forgotten.. Currently, Russian tea is produced in small volumes only in some areas.

Folk names

Fireweed narrow-leaved has a lot of names by which you can make up his "portrait". So, the most popular is Ivan-tea, most likely, it was given to foreigners who bought tea from Russian merchants. Narrow fireweed leaves are similar to willow leaves, hence the popular name "willow-grass" and "willow-grass" appeared. For the fact that the plant inhabits places where there was a fire recently, it was dubbed "fire grass" and "fireman".

At one time, all parts of the grass were used productively.

So, from the dried and ground roots of the plant, an excellent addition to flour was obtained, from which the name “miller” and “bread box” appeared.

Bread baked from such flour retained its freshness for a long time and, thanks to vitamins and microelements, was very useful. The fireweed is called “plakunom” due to the fact that the characteristic sound occurs when the plant is pulled out of the ground.

Fiber was obtained from the stems for the production of fabrics and ropes, for which the grass was dubbed "wild flax", "wild hemp". After flowering, boxes with seeds wrapped in fluff are formed on the brushes, hence another name - "down jacket". This fluff is formed so much that in the old days pillows were stuffed with it. And yet, the plant has found the greatest use as a tea. “Koporsky” tea was named due to the area where raw materials for processing were harvested in large volumes - the village of Koporye near St. Petersburg.

What parts of the plant are used to make tea?

The regions of growth of fireweed angustifolia are vast. It can be found in central Russia, in Altai, the Urals, in the Siberian taiga. Ivan-tea grows poorly in arid southern regions. This grass prefers weather conditions close to the temperature of the Moscow region. She likes to settle in bright places on the edges of forests, on burned areas, near ditches and hedges, preferring damp areas, but sometimes she is also found on dryish rocky slopes.

The appearance of the plant is tall succulent stems with lanceolate leaves. During flowering, large pink-lilac brushes appear on the tops of the stems. When the fireweed blooms, the field is a breathtaking sight. Bees swarm over a solid bright carpet, collecting nectar and pollen from a valuable honey plant. Fireweed honey has a greenish color, transparency, sweetness and delicate taste.

Leaves, flowers and unblown buds are used as raw materials. It should be collected in a clean area, away from roads, in the morning, when the dew dries. The lower old leaves should not be taken, the upper leaves are most useful.

The most convenient way to collect: you need to grab the stem under the flower brush with one hand, and with the other force down, collecting the leaves in the palm of your hand.

Unopened buds and leaves should be collected separately in cloth bags. You can not take the lower parts of the brushes with pods, otherwise the fluff formed in them will spoil all the harvested grass. How many raw materials are harvested in one hour? On average, you can get about 5 kg of green mass if the willow-tea stems grow close to each other. The heat and blood-sucking insects - horseflies, mosquitoes - make the work very difficult.

The collected raw materials can be dried and used in this form. It will be just a herb that does not have the taste of tea. To turn the leaves into real tea, a special treatment is carried out - fermentation. How much dry tea can be obtained from raw materials depends on its moisture content, but the average ratio is 1:5. Inexperienced harvesters can easily make a mistake in choosing the right plant, confusing it with similar species. Ivan tea is easiest to recognize during the flowering period. When does it bloom?

Fireweed flowering time

It is believed that the best Koporye tea can be obtained from the tops of young shoots, cutting them off in early May. But for this you need to know exactly the places with Ivan-tea plantations. Before flowering, the leaves of the plant are very tender, green and not spoiled by pests. It is advisable to collect grass in the initial stage of flowering, which begins with the lower flowers on the brush. At this time, young leaves contain the maximum amount of nutrients. But most often the collection is made during the active stage of flowering.

In the whole country, flowering lasts from early June to September, but in each region it is different. So, if in the southern regions the fireweed blooms in early June, then in the Moscow region in the second half of June, and in Siberia only by the end of July. Fireweed narrow-leaved blooms unevenly, some plants are just starting to bloom, while others are already in the active phase.

The flowering time of Ivan-tea plantations can be different - in the Moscow region it is June-July, to the north it lasts from mid-summer to early September.

The weather has a great influence on the duration of flowering. In hot summers, the flowering period may begin earlier, in cold summers - later. When thin branches grow on the top of the brush under the flowers, this signals that flowering is ending. It is no longer worth collecting Ivan tea, at this time its leaves have the least biological activity. When asked how long the period of active collection of willow tea lasts, experienced pickers answer that it is approximately 15–20 days.

The collection of fireweed is carried out during the period when the plant blooms, that is, you can start collecting Ivan tea from the end of May and the last collection is carried out by the end of August.

Many people like tea from young shoots of willow-chai, collected before flowering.

At the same time, the middle of summer is considered the optimal time for collecting raw materials - from mid-June to mid-August. It all depends on the weather and climate of your area: if the summer is dry and very hot, the fireweed will fade faster.

Plants are organisms, therefore they are subject to the influence of the energy field of the environment and are sensitive to the change of day and night. It is necessary to collect Ivan tea in accordance with the movement of celestial bodies, it is best to do this in the morning in the first phase of the moon, from sunrise to noon and with the Moon in the sign of Leo. Interestingly, according to the astrological reference book by V. Semenova, fireweed contains the energy of the Sun and the Moon.

Collect both leaves alone and leaves together with flowers. If the leaves are collected, hold the fireweed under the flower and run your hand down the fireweed stem, tearing off the leaves in the middle part of the plant. The lower, darker leaves are not collected.

When collecting, be careful not to collect fireweed with pubescent flowers, because during the preparation of willow-tea, the fluff will get into your tea

If leaves and flowers are collected at the same time, then the optimal ratio will be about 60-70% of leaves and 30-40% of flowers, but fewer flowers can be collected. Put the collected leaves and flowers in separate bags. Separately dried flowers are added to the fermented leaves to enhance the aroma and flavor of the tea.

Ivan tea flowers must be collected separately from the leaves, since they are combined only after drying.

When picking flowers, keep the following in mind:

• Do not take all the flowers from the plant completely.
• Be careful not to grab the fruits with seeds, as they will crack during harvesting and fluff will get into the tea.

Ivan-tea is collected by hand, since when the process is mechanized (collected by a combine or other equipment), the beneficial properties decrease due to contact with the metal and oxidation of the plant. In addition, the stems of the plant are collected along with the leaves, as well as other herbs. Collecting the plant by hand, one person is able to collect about 30 kg of willow-tea leaves per day. Of these, approximately 5 kg of finished tea is obtained.

Only environmentally friendly places are suitable for collecting willow-tea. If you see any enterprise, a garbage dump, a cemetery, a highway or a power line near plants, you should not collect fireweed in this place.

• Do not wear metal jewelry on your hands when collecting plants, as contact with metal reduces the benefits of willow-tea.
• You need to go to collect fireweed only in a healthy state, in clean clothes.
• Women are not advised to collect Ivan tea during critical days.
• Collect leaves in clean bags, and it is desirable that their material is not synthetic. The best option would be linen bags.
• Having noticed a field of willow-tea in May, you can cut off the tops of the young shoots of the plants (they make excellent tea), then the docked fireweed leaves more than usual by the time the leaves bloom.

Ivan tea or fireweed is a plant whose healing properties have been known since ancient Rus'. The most delicious tea is prepared from dried raw materials. This drink helps to strengthen the immune system and solve many health problems. Therefore, many are wondering how to collect Ivan tea correctly. This does not require any special equipment, it is enough to have minimal knowledge and skills.

Ivan-chai is a perennial herbaceous plant. It looks very attractive. Large fields of blooming fireweed are literally mesmerizing. The height of the plant, as a rule, does not exceed 150 cm. It can be easily distinguished from the rest by a fairly thick rhizome that spreads along the ground. Fleshy shoots depart from it. They have narrow leaves. Large flowers are collected in inflorescences-brushes. Their shade can vary from white and pale pink to red.

Flowering is observed from late June to mid-September. After that, fruits appear on the plant. Seeds fully ripen towards the end of September.

Many people wonder where Ivan tea grows. Most often it can be found in the central strip of Russia. Fireweed feels most comfortable at an average air temperature and sufficient humidity. This plant can also be found in the northern and southern regions that border the central part of the country.

You should look for fireweed in flood meadows and hills. Often it can be seen in the clearings and along the roads. You will never find fireweed in too dark or swampy places. Under such conditions, the seeds of the plant do not ripen.

To prepare a healing drink, you should not collect plants growing near the railway, any industrial enterprises or highways. Such raw materials may contain harmful chemical impurities.

What is the best time to collect

You can collect Ivan tea only at certain times. This should be done when the flowering period begins. Only the herb collected in this phase of its development will allow you to get the most useful drink. If seeds began to form, then the procurement of raw materials is already unacceptable.

The exact time of harvesting the plant will largely depend on the region of the country. So, in the southern part of the country, the flowering of fireweed is most often observed in early June. In the central regions, it is best to harvest raw materials in mid-July, and in the northern regions - at the end of July. Collection of Ivan tea lasts no more than 20 days. This difference in timing is due to different climatic conditions. Too hot weather can cause earlier flowering. Cold, on the contrary, can slow down this process.

The collection of fireweed should be carried out when flowering has just begun. At this point, Ivan tea leaves will have the highest concentration of nutrients. The appearance of thin branches on the top of the flower brush indicates that the flowering period is over. After this point, collecting grass does not make any sense. Tea made from it will not bring any benefit to your health.

Ivan-tea should be collected only in dry weather. It is best to do this in the morning, when the dew has already completely disappeared from the plants.

Do not collect fireweed after rain or heavy fog. At this time, too much moisture will remain on the plant, which can lead to mold.

Collection: basic rules

In order to properly prepare fireweed, you do not need specialized equipment. It is enough to adhere to the following simple rules:

1. Stock up on large plastic bags. It is best if the volume of one package is about 10 liters. For a family of three, 30 liters of raw leaves, that is, three packages, will be enough for one winter.
2. On the plant, determine the place where the flowers begin to grow. Grab this area with one hand. Place the other hand 5 cm below. Be careful not to break off the top of the plant. Run your hand along the stem from top to bottom. Thus, freshly picked fireweed leaves will remain in your hand. It is not recommended to use any equipment for these purposes.
3. Do not try to collect all the leaves from the stem. The most useful grow closer to the crown. Therefore, it is worth picking off the leaves only to the middle of the stem.
4. You can also collect Ivan-tea flowers. But they should be put in a separate package.

After flowering, the plant produces fruit-boxes. They ripen between July and August. Seeds grow in large numbers. Up to 20,000 can be collected from one plant. They have a bright distinctive feature. Each of them has a small white crest. It is thanks to him that the seeds can scatter throughout the field. They have amazing resilience. Seeds can germinate even several years after they hit the ground.

Ivan-tea seeds do not carry any health benefits. In this regard, they are not used in traditional medicine. They need to be collected only if you decide to grow fireweed on your own site. Seeds are suitable for planting for several years.

Processing of harvested leaves

After you have finished collecting and brought the leaves home, they should be washed. It is best to do this in cool running water. You can use a colander. Make sure that excess moisture is completely glass. If you are sure that you have collected the plant in an ecologically clean area, then this processing step can be skipped.

After that, the leaves will need to be slightly dried. To do this, lay them out on sheets of clean paper. Make sure that the resulting layers are even and do not exceed five centimeters in thickness. You should not use a newspaper for these purposes. Printing ink particles can remain on the leaves and end up in the finished drink.

Place raw materials in a well-ventilated area. Keep out of direct sunlight. In this state, the grass should lie for about a day. From time to time, the leaves should be turned over. Don't let it dry completely.

Gently twist the leaves between your palms. As a result, you should get small thin tubes. In the process of such processing, Ivan-tea begins to darken, juice is released.

Fermentation

Tea becomes tasty and fragrant only when the fermentation of the leaves is over. This process must be started. There are three main methods for this:

• Dried fireweed leaves rub in the palms. After that, place the prepared raw materials in large glass bottles or jars. Cover each such container with a napkin previously moistened with clean water. Remove the jars to a dark place where the air temperature is constantly maintained at 25 ° C. Fermentation will be completed after 36 hours. The finished mixture should be loosened. After that, it will be possible to proceed to the final drying process.
• The second method allows you to process a large amount of Ivan-tea at a time. Take a clean linen cloth. Soak it in water. Lay out on a flat surface. Scatter the leaves on top. In this case, the thickness of the layer should not exceed three centimeters. So fermentation will proceed evenly. Roll the fabric with raw materials into a roll. Try to roll as tight as possible. Moisten the fabric with water as you twist. It is best to use a sprayer for this purpose.

Wrap the prepared roll with a cotton rope or rubber cord. Roll such a roll on the table with your hands for half an hour. It also needs to be folded and unfolded. Place the roll in a warm place for several hours. At this time, the fermentation process starts in the leaves.

After three hours, unroll the roll. Take out all the leaves and transfer them to jars. Leave the raw material in this form for 49 hours.

The third method can only be used if you have harvested whole plants. Divide the plants in two. Squeeze out the juice from the first half. For this, it is best to use a juicer. Transfer the second part of the herb to the pan. Pour the resulting juice there. Place some oppression on top of this mixture. As oppression, a wooden circle on which the load is mounted is excellent. In this case, the weight of the load should be about 20 kg. In this fermentation will be completed after 72 hours.

Fermentation is an extremely important process. The taste and benefits of the drink will largely depend on the correctness of its implementation.

Drying

If fermentation is complete, the leaves will be soft to the touch. They should be like rubber. After that, you can dry them. There are two main ways:

1. In the sun. Remove the leaves from the container in which the fermentation took place. Lay them out on linen or cotton. In this case, the layers should be thin enough. Place raw materials in direct sunlight. Occasionally, fireweed should be turned over. So the leaves can be dried evenly. This method of drying processing requires a lot of time. But it allows you to save a maximum of useful substances in the leaves.
2. A faster drying method is to use the oven. Arrange the leaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place it in an oven heated to 110°C. At the same time, try to mix the fireweed more often. Gradually, it will acquire the desired color. The readiness of the product will have to be determined by eye. In many ways, the cooking time will depend on the moisture content of the raw materials.

Ready tea should decrease five times in volume. At the very end of processing, the raw materials must be calcined. To do this, increase the temperature and hold the grass in this state for a while. This process will significantly improve the quality and taste of tea. Do not forget that during the entire drying the oven door must be ajar. This method will allow you to properly dry the grass at home. This does not require any additional equipment.

If you want to give the drink a special unique taste and attractive color, then you need to add dried flowers to it. The method of preparing them at home is much easier, since they do not require fermentation. It is enough to lay them out on clean paper separately from the leaves and place them in a dark room. Make sure they are out of direct sunlight.

How to store and brew

It is best to store ready-made tea at home in a glass jar. After you have finished drying the leaves in the oven, let them cool completely. Only after that it will be possible to pour them into a jar. Be sure to close the container with a lid. If, in addition to the leaves, you also dried the flowers of the plant, then all the raw materials can be mixed. You can store such a composition for a long time, up to three years.

As you can see, the preparation of herbs is not such a difficult process. It does not require any special equipment. It just takes a little effort. As a result, you will get a finished tea leaves. It remains only to prepare tea correctly. It is best to use the following method.

Place two tablespoons of tea leaves in a teapot. Pour in 600 ml of boiling water. Close the kettle tightly with a lid. The preparation of the infusion should continue for fifteen minutes. Only after that it will be possible to mix the drink. You can drink this tea for a couple of days after brewing. Due to a sufficiently high concentration of essential oils, the drink will not lose its properties. You can drink it both hot and cold.

By properly collecting and drying the leaves and flowers of willow-tea, you can prepare a delicious drink for yourself and your loved ones, the healing properties of which are very noticeable. It will give you a charge of vital energy and create a great mood.

photo: depositphotos.com/rootstocks, rootstocks, rezkrr, rezkrr