Ivan tea cannot be compared with any other plant in its importance in the healing treasury of the Russian people. Our ancestors drank a drink from it, knowing about the great healing power of grass, namely its leaves. There was a time when all of Europe could enjoy the exquisite taste of tea, which was in no way inferior to overseas varieties. Admirers eagerly awaited the arrival of merchants from the Russian land with truly golden, useful and fragrant goods.
Ivan-tea, also known as narrow-leaved fireweed, in English Fireweed, which is translated as “weed from fires.” The very first appears on lands devastated by fire to prepare the ground for colonization by other plants. The seeds of a giant flower, reaching up to one and a half meters, thanks to its volatility, can quickly populate vast areas experiencing problems due to disturbance of vegetation cover. Therefore, in wastelands and forest edges, in clearings and swampy places, we encounter the pink blaze of flowers of the miraculous fireweed angustifolia.
Not everyone knows how to properly ferment fireweed at home. To get a real natural product from leaves, you need to try very hard, prepare it correctly, or rather ferment it. It is possible to do this yourself with certain knowledge and experience. There is no point in simply drying and brewing the leaves. You will not get the taste, the result, or the desired effect. Watch the video and see the usefulness of this drink and the importance of preparing it correctly.
The secret of Ivan tea lies in fermentation. Only with proper processing of green raw materials can insoluble substances from plant tissue become soluble and easily absorbed by the body. And we will receive from this process the smell, taste and color of the desired drink, and most importantly, benefits.
Preparing a healing infusion is a process that involves several stages. You need to collect the leaves, wither them, roll them, carry out the fermentation process, dry them and store them properly. And then brew and drink, receiving true pleasure from the tea, a boost of energy and beneficial substances. Let's look at how proper fermentation of Ivan tea occurs at home and its methods.
How to collect and dry leaves
The collection of raw materials occurs during the flowering period of plants from June and throughout August. It is during this period that it gains its greatest strength. As soon as the fireweed blooms pink, people go for the leaves.
They are picked off until the flowers bloom. Then the plant’s strength dries up and begins to decline. They do not tear up foliage near public roads and collect them only in dry weather. You need to choose shaded places, along the edges of forest clearings. The leaf there is green, juicy and tender. It rolls better and is easier to prepare, and the tea itself tastes a hundred times better.
You need to support the stem with your left hand at the peduncle, and with your right hand you need to guide it from top to bottom, tearing off the leaves. The lower ones don't take it, they're rude. And 3-4 tiers are left under the flowers, taking care of the plant. So, it will be able to continue to raise moisture from the roots, collect dew, bloom and delight, and plant seeds. And the plant also tries for humans. It grew tall so that it would be easier to tear leaves from it without bending.
It is better to collect in batches of up to one and a half kilograms. Process one, go for the next one. Dry the flowers separately; you can then add them to tea.
It is necessary to wilt the raw materials, this later helps to curl the leaves. Check the collected leaves and remove any damaged ones. Inspect them carefully and remove snails and other insects.
The leaves are not washed so as not to remove beneficial microorganisms. They take an active part in fermentation.
Place linen or cotton towels in the shade, and a 3-5 cm layer of raw materials on them. If the weather is dry and sunny, dry for 4 hours, cool and rainy - 8 hours. Turn the leaves periodically so that they dry evenly. You can tell when the leaves are ready by the crunch of the central vein. Bend one in half, it crunches, which means increase the time. Soft and without crunch – ready for the next stage.
How to Roll and Ferment Leaves
In order to extract useful substances from the dried green mass as completely as possible, it is necessary to destroy the structure of the leaf before the formation of juice. To do this, choose one of three processing methods.
- Roll by hand. Take a few leaves and roll them between your palms into a tube. They will darken and juice will come out. The formed rolls are usually 10 cm long and one and a half centimeters thick (give or take). Of course, this method requires a lot of time, unless in a large company. Then the process will go faster.
- Grind in a meat grinder. Grind the raw materials in a meat grinder with a large grid. Fast and easy.
- Freeze in the freezer. Place the leaves in a clean, dry plastic bag and place in the freezer. There they will collapse evenly and release juice well. And it’s easy to roll the leaves after defrosting.
The main stage is the fermentation of fireweed. The quality of the process will affect the aroma, taste and benefits of the drink. If everything is done correctly, the result at its best will be achieved.
Place the prepared leaves in a plastic container, preferably an enamel pan, in a layer of 10 cm, press down a little and cover with a damp natural cloth (cotton or linen).
Place in a warm place to ferment. The fabric should be moistened at all times. To do this, carefully remove it and wet it again.
It is impossible to say exactly how long the fermentation process will take. The higher the room temperature, the faster fermentation will occur. You need to know that too high a temperature or overexposure of raw materials threatens to deteriorate the smell and taste.
When the color of the mass turns brown or blackens, and the smell becomes rich, floral and fruity, it means that the fermentation was successful.
There are three types of fermentation.
Light – until the first signs of a pleasant aroma, approximately 6 hours;
- green mass;
- light tea;
- the aroma is strong;
- the taste is soft and delicate.
Medium – usually from 10 to 16 hours,
- with a pronounced aroma,
- tart taste with slight sourness,
- The drink itself has a rich reddish-brown color.
Deep – from 20 to 36 hours:
- tart;
- there is no sourness;
- light aroma;
- black tea color.
Try different types of fermentation and choose according to your taste. You can prepare teas of varying degrees of fermentation and then mix them. The main thing is not to miss the moment of the end of fermentation and not to let the mass become moldy.
Drying fireweed and storing raw materials
Loose leaf tea after fermentation will be obtained if the leaves are rolled by freezing or between the palms. The finished rolls are cut into discs (0.5 cm) with a knife and dried. We have granulated tea after rolling the leaf mass through a meat grinder. Here's how to dry fireweed tea correctly:
- After fermentation, carefully loosen the mixture so that it is free of lumps.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the prepared mixture 1 cm thick on it.
- Dry for two hours at an oven temperature of at least 100 degrees. Open the door slightly. To completely remove the moisture, after a while reduce the temperature to 50 degrees. Stir the future tea periodically and taste it by touch.
- The end of drying will be indicated by tea leaves, which, when squeezed, will break, but will not crumble. The color is like regular tea.
- Remove the pan from the oven and leave to cool. Pour the dry tea into a bag made of thin natural fabric, maybe into a pillowcase and hang it in the shade in the breeze.
There is also a way to dry it in an electric dryer. But there you need to lay out the mass with gaps and not tightly. This way the device will not overheat.
A thick-walled frying pan is suitable for drying, in which you need to simmer the mass and shake it for half an hour. Then, over medium heat, bring to a dry state, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon.
Don't let a burning smell develop. But it is also dangerous not to dry it completely; during storage, the tea may become moldy.
Do not dry the flowers of the plant along with the fermented foliage. They dry out faster, and at 100-degree temperatures they will simply burn. The best option would be the oven (50–60 degrees) and dry them very quickly to avoid loss of aroma.
To keep tea well, you need to prepare containers. Rinse the glass jars, sterilize them, let them dry, and the plastic lids should be clean and preferably new. Birch bark boxes, metal boxes, and disposable plastic containers are suitable.
Make notes on paper indicating the degree of fermentation and dates of preparation.
Do not prepare dry tea right away, let it age. The longer it is stored, the more impressive it is. Wait a month and brew. Dry tea can be stored for no more than 3 years. If you decide to drink the magic drink daily, store it in a metal box.
How to brew fireweed tea
Rinse a clean kettle with boiling water. Add 2 teaspoons of tea leaves and pour a glass of hot water (not boiling water). Cover with a lid and a towel on top for ten minutes. Pour into cups and be amazed at the unique aroma. The drink is already ready and there is no need to dilute it with water.
Pour the tea leaves again and let it brew for 15 minutes. The infusion will become even richer, more aromatic and tastier. This is the optimal time, otherwise it will overheat and the charm of the product will disappear. Use dry tea twice. During this time, it will give up all its beneficial substances.
Drink the drink hot, warm or cold. If you decide to reheat, do not bring to a boil.
In the old days, the healing remedy from fireweed was drunk with honey, dried fruits and jams. No sugar was added at that time, and it was already very good. We enjoyed and thanked the plant for its help for good health.
Try different mixing options with dried flowers, mint, oregano, and lemon balm. Dried blueberries, wild strawberries and raspberries. Here you can experiment to achieve new aromas and tastes.
Recipe for “Gorodets tea” from Margarita Voronina
Prepare two kettles. Pour 1 teaspoon of dry fireweed tea into a small one and pour a glass of very hot water for 10 minutes. 
Let it brew, pour the drink into a large container, and pour the steamed tea leaves again. So, at least four times.
Beneficial ingredients are consistently extracted from fireweed. The drink acts as a preventative against cancer. Fireweed tea will not stain tooth enamel. Its taste is unique, so don’t look for familiar notes in it.
The secret of fireweed has been revealed. The plant itself contains everything for fermentation. Wet, crumpled leaves are rich in vitamins, nutrients and intracellular enzymes that change the biochemical composition. The process is similar to self-digestion. At the same time, the leaves begin to darken and a pleasant smell appears.
By the way, any medicinal plants are fermented. Just imagine how many new healthy drinks you can prepare. Let’s take Bolotov’s famous kvass as a side dish. Would you like to know more about it?
Official medicine says nothing about taking Ivan tea. You can only rely on information from grandmothers who drink this drink and prepare it in dry form for themselves and for sale.
First of all, pay attention to the contraindications.
Drink tea for no more than 14 days and take a break. Otherwise, it may cause diarrhea. Although for some, the drink has become a daily drink.
The optimal number of glasses of aromatic potion is no more than seven.
Follow the brewing recipe: add a teaspoon of dry product to a glass of hot water.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the famous researcher Badmaev became interested in studying the properties of the magical plant, fireweed angustifolia, and proved its restorative powers by his own example. He devoted a lot of work to the healing gift of Nature. Tea was the main drink for scientists and doctors. And it was to him that Pyotr Alexandrovich was grateful to the joy of fatherhood at the age of 100 and his longevity of 110 years. Here is proof of the uniqueness of the drink!
If you come across a plant somewhere in nature, be sure to pick its leaves and flowers. Prepare fireweed tea at home and drink for your health. This is a powerful force bestowed upon man, which must not be forgotten.
Julia Vern 293 974 24
A nectar smell and amazing taste - this is how fireweed tea, well known and loved by many, is characterized by everyone. In ancient times in Rus', infusions were made from it and taken orally as a real medicine that could cure many diseases. Today we will learn when to collect fireweed, how to harvest, dry and ferment this miracle plant at home, evaluate all the complexities of these processes and think about whether this whole business is worth undertaking?
June and August are the best time to collect fireweed.
Choose dry weather, and consider a few more points:
- The plant should grow away from roads, where layers of dust and other dangerous elements do not settle on the leaves.
- It is advisable that the place be slightly shaded. For example, next to a forest belt. They say that such leaves will be easier to ferment.
- Collect leaves only from the middle of the trunk, starting at the peduncle. Leave the lower ones, as the fireweed needs them to supply moisture. Also the lower leaves are rough.
There is no need to destroy fireweed, because next year you may no longer find it - the plant will simply die at your hands.
You can (and even need) to collect fireweed flowers in a separate bag. Dry them at home, put them in a jar and then add them to your favorite tea.
Withering
From the word you can understand that during this process the leaves should “wither” a little. To do this, pour them onto a newspaper or other surface for a maximum of a day. 24 hours will be enough. However, this layer should be no more than five centimeters, and you will also need to periodically stir the leaves so that they are all in approximately the same condition.
You can’t leave them outside, and you need to choose a place in the house where the sun’s rays will not reach them. The sun and wind will dry them, preventing them from withering. If you notice bad leaves, be sure to remove them, as well as snails and other debris. Under no circumstances should you rinse it - just sort it out.
When the day is over, squeeze one sheet in half. If the central vein crunches, it’s not ready. This usually happens in cloudy and rainy weather, and you have to wait more than 24 hours.
Twisting
If you have a large volume for preparing fireweed, it is not recommended to perform this action manually. It's better to grind it through a meat grinder. When this is not possible, take the sheets and rub them between your palms so that they eventually curl into a “sausage.” This must be done until a little juice comes out.
Before drying fireweed, you need to prepare it. To make it real, high-quality and tasty, pay special attention to fermenting fireweed at home. She plays a huge role.
After twisting by hand or using a meat grinder, place the leaves in a plastic or ceramic container, or you can take an enamel bowl. If you twisted them with a meat grinder, apply additional pressure on them with your hands to compact them a little, and if by hand, cover with a lid and place stones on top to create pressure for a while. Cover with a cloth and leave to ferment. Now let’s look at fermentation methods, because they determine what the tea will be like in the end.
- Light degree - 3-6 hours. A fruity-floral scent begins to emerge. The taste of the tea is soft, the aroma is strong but delicate.
- Average degree - 10-16 hours. The tea has a slight sourness, tartness, and a pronounced aroma.
- Deep degree - 20-36 hours. Tart with a light aroma.
Remember that it is better if it is slightly under-fermented than to over-ferment, because there is a high probability of molding.
Drying
This is the last process. Let's talk about how to dry fireweed at home.
If you rolled the leaves by hand, cut the “sausages” into half-inch pieces after fermentation. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spread the leaves in a one-centimeter layer. Loosen it a little so that there are no lumps left. Now you can dry the fireweed in the oven.
Warm it up to one hundred degrees and leave to dry for up to two hours. Open the door just a little bit. Then lower the temperature to about 50 °C. So the leaves should dry completely. It is important that it needs to be stirred periodically. Try it by touch: the tea leaves should break and look like real tea. Be careful not to overdo it and ruin your efforts.
After this, it still needs to be dried. When it has cooled at room temperature, pour it into a thin fabric bag and hang it outside (or on a clothesline). If it's raining or cloudy, find a place for it in the house.
Times vary. When ready, it will rustle in the bag when shaken. You can also dry it in a frying pan with thick walls for half an hour, shaking constantly.
The leaves are not dried if:
- there is a strong aroma;
- the granules are crushed and crumble easily.
You need to store fireweed in glass jars or in metal/birch bark boxes. The jars are covered with polyethylene lids. You can place the containers, for example, in the pantry or other place where it is dry and dark. To enjoy the taste of your own homemade tea, pour the tea leaves into a tin jar.
Hand-picked fireweed tea can turn into an aromatic and healthy drink if you prepare the raw materials for it correctly. At the same time, there are many ways and technologies for preparing Koporye tea at home.
Berendey
Leaves and flowers are collected and left for 2 to 8 hours in a shaded place so that they wilt slightly. This way the leaves will lose some of their moisture, but will not dry out.
They should not turn out brittle, but, on the contrary, become softer. The dried leaves are placed in a cast-iron pot and placed in a Russian oven, which has been preheated well, for about 10-12 hours.
If you don’t have a stove, you can put the cast iron in an electric oven at a temperature of +60 degrees. The cast iron pot can also be replaced with a duck pot or any ceramic heat-resistant vessel.
The next step in obtaining Berendey tea is drying. The leaves are evenly laid out on a baking sheet and kept in the oven at a temperature of less than +90 degrees until they are completely dry. This produces a granular version of tea with a dark brown tint.
A distinctive feature when preparing Beredey tea is simmering in a frying pan for fermentation.
If you put the raw materials in the dryer at a temperature of +45 degrees, the tea will turn out lighter. If you slightly remove the moisture from the plant material during drying, and then keep it in the oven, the resulting product will be very strong black tea.
Technology from the Volgograd region
The main feature of preparing fireweed in this area is the use of freezing. The collected fireweed leaves are placed in any device in which they can be frozen - from the freezer in a regular refrigerator to large industrial freezers. This allows raw materials to be processed all year round, which is important for production.
Frozen leaves undergo partial fermentation during thawing. In addition, such raw materials are much easier to process manually. Rolling sheets that have been in the freezer is faster and requires less physical effort.
Freezing fireweed reduces the preparation time of fireweed and simplifies the rolling process
Ural technology
The collected plants are fermented at temperatures ranging from +21 to +25 degrees. In this case, the leaves are placed in pans and left there for a day. Dry the raw materials in the sun. Also in the Urals, Ivan tea ceremonies are common, which are traditional brewing and testing of tea, after which people share their impressions of the taste and cooking experience.
The Ivan tea ceremony makes evenings soulful and cozy
G.A. Maidantsev
The author of the book about Ivan tea also shares the secrets of making Koporye tea. He sends the collected plants for preliminary drying, during which fireweed is dried to a humidity level of 50-60%. Next, Maidantsev crumples and twists the leaves, and then stuffs them into the pan. After this, the raw material is fermented at 55 degrees until a fruity aroma appears. Fermentation can last from 6 hours to 2 days, while Maidantsev recommends sniffing the plant material every two hours.
He cuts the fermented twists with a ceramic knife. A metal knife will not work, because... it provokes the oxidation of fireweed.
In total, preparing Koporye tea takes the author of the book about 30 hours, if you take into account breaks. From a large pan of sheets you get a liter jar of ready-made tea.
Preparation of Koporye tea most often takes no more than 2 days
Recipe from D. Samusev
Dmitry tried to dry fireweed in Belarus, and then brewed it and was dissatisfied, because the drink resembled hay. It was only much later that he learned about fermentation and began to use it. He learned that some of the cells in the leaves of the plant, if you crush them with your hands, burst, as a result of which fireweed releases juice. This juice contains not only various nutrients, but also enzymes that trigger biochemical processes and the leaves seem to self-digest. They become darker, the smell changes.
For fermentation, Dmitry finely chops the leaves of fireweed, crushed by hand, and leaves them in a non-metallic container, covered with oppression at room temperature for 1-2 days. Next, he simmers the fermented leaves in a cast iron frying pan over low heat for 40 minutes. so that the insoluble substances remaining in the plant become soluble and easier to digest. Then the heat is increased to medium and with constant stirring with a wooden spatula the leaves are dried.
Simmering fireweed in a cast iron frying pan significantly reduces the preparation time for Koporye tea
A domestic product - fireweed tea - can be an excellent alternative to foreign teas. In terms of its benefits, it is superior to many types of drinks, tastes good and is even considered a medicine. We will tell you how to prepare it in this article.
What is fireweed and how is it useful?
The drink we described is prepared from a plant called fireweed or fireweed. The difference between fireweed and willow tea is that it does not absorb toxins, pesticides and other harmful substances from the earth, therefore any parts of the plant can be consumed by humans. The flowers and leaves of the plant are used to prepare the drink.
Ivan tea or Koporye tea has long been popular not only in Russia, but even abroad - in the 14th and 15th centuries, this product was exported to European countries and the UK.
If we talk about the beneficial properties of the product, it is worth mentioning the following:
- The fireweed plant is extremely rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other components, the total number of which is almost a third of the entire periodic table. Koporye tea is considered an unusually strong antiseptic, for which it is almost impossible to find analogues.
- The drink perfectly calms the nerves, helps with insomnia and headaches, and relieves nervous tension.
- This tea is also very useful for the gastrointestinal tract; it is a preventive and therapeutic agent in the fight against ulcers, gastritis, colic, and indigestion.
- Tea perfectly removes toxins and helps with obesity. It is also considered a good hangover cure.
- Due to its general strengthening and antimicrobial effect, Koporye tea is recommended to drink when you have a cold.
- The plant is effective in the fight against male diseases: prostatitis, impotence, adenoma. For older people, this drink will also come in handy, since it helps normalize blood pressure and has a tonic and rejuvenating effect.
Unlike black, green tea and coffee, Ivan tea has absolutely no caffeine. There are practically no contraindications to its use, except perhaps individual intolerance, as is the case with any other plant. Pregnant and breastfeeding women can drink Koporye tea.
How to prepare fireweed tea
The process of preparing tea includes several stages:
- The first stage is collecting plants. This should be done around the beginning of July, when the crop begins to bloom. Collect leaves and buds before noon, but after the dew has dried.
- The second stage is drying. The raw materials are washed, slightly dried from water, and then the leaves are folded so that they do not break and so that the juice is not squeezed out of them. After this, the plant is scrolled through a meat grinder, placed in an enamel container and covered with gauze.
- The third stage is tea fermentation. At a temperature of 20-25 °C, the raw materials are kept for 6 to 48 hours. Please note that if fireweed was collected after rain, fermentation will take longer. If it was hot and sunny all week before the collection, then 6-7 hours are enough for the process. When you feel that the raw material has acquired a fruity smell, fermentation is over.
- The fourth stage of preparation is drying. It is needed to get rid of all bacteria in tea. Dry the plant on paper, spreading it out in a thin layer. Do this in the fresh air, but not in direct sunlight. It takes about 15 hours to dry. You can speed up the process and dry the fireweed in the oven; at a temperature of 100 °C this will take 1 hour.
Storing and brewing fireweed tea
Ivan tea is stored in paper bags or linen bags so that it can “breathe” and not spoil. If the ambient temperature and humidity are optimal, the tea will not lose its properties for 2 years. A nice feature is that the longer the tea leaves, the more aromatic it becomes.
To brew delicious Ivan tea, you need to know a few secrets:
- The water must be heated to 80 °C, and the tea must be infused for about 15 minutes.
- Dried berries, raspberry leaves, currants, strawberries, and dried rose hips will help add flavor to the drink.
- You can brew Ivan tea several times. It is delicious both hot and cold.
- Some people like to drink tea with sugar, but Ivan tea tastes better in its pure form. Sweet lovers can add honey instead of sugar.
- You can drink Koporye tea in unlimited quantities; it does not cause any harm.
- To treat gastrointestinal diseases, the drink is brewed more concentrated - 1 tbsp. tea leaves are poured with 250 ml of boiling water. This decoction is taken 4 times a day, 1 tbsp.
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