Koporsky Tea. Home Production

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The price in stores for this drink is quite high. According to various sources, it ranges from 150 to 300 rubles per pack weighing 100 grams. You can also make Koporye tea at home. This will require quality raw materials, patience and a desire to master a new profession

For several years my mother's brother has been making this valuable drink on his own. In appearance, it is no different from the factory one, and in taste it surpasses the original. Needless to say, manual processing of any product increases its useful properties, preserving all the valuable elements of raw materials.

Production stages

They include the following operations:

• collection of raw materials - leaves of fireweed;

• bulkhead (removal of sick, damaged plates, debris, stems, snails);

• withering;

• rubbing (violation of the integrity of the cell membrane);

• fermentation;

• drying;

• exposure and storage.

This is such a long process we have to master.

We discussed the collection of raw materials in the previous article. Bulkhead is not difficult. Let's dwell in more detail on the last, most important and difficult 4 stages.

Withering

Wet raw materials are difficult to twist, so they are slightly dried after harvesting. Lay out in the shade with a layer of no more than 3 cm. Stir the mass periodically. On a hot day, the procedure takes 1-2 hours. In wet weather - a day.

Readiness is determined by squeezing a small pile of leaves into a ball. If they do not straighten to their original state, then proceed to the next stage.

Chafing

The task of this stage is to destroy the integrity of the structure of the leaf plate for sap extraction. It contains substances that allow high-quality fermentation. Enhancing the aroma and taste of the drink.

There are several ways:

1. Manual twisting. The leaf mass is rolled between the palms with effort, in small portions until the starting material darkens, the cell fluid is released. Small rolls are obtained. They are cut into pieces. This is a small leaf tea. In Russia, the leaves were laid out on a sheet in a thin layer. They rolled it tightly into a roll. The girls walked with bare feet on the twist, kneading the raw materials. The evolving juice remained inside.

2. Kneading. In a wide bowl, the leaves are kneaded like dough for 20 minutes. Pressing hard on the ground. It curls slightly, darkens. Lumps are periodically loosened. This is how a large leaf tea is created.

3. Twisting through a meat grinder. More modern way. It is very convenient for processing large quantities of raw materials. Saves time, effort of the master. The grill is taken with large holes. The result is granulated tea.

Fermentation

The most critical part of production. The aroma of the drink depends on the quality of fermentation. Put the resulting mass in a saucepan with a layer of 10 cm. Cover with a damp cloth made of natural material. Place in a warm place for fermentation. At high temperatures, the process is faster. Excessive heat, overexposure - deteriorate the quality of the product. Optimum performance is 22-25 degrees.

Fermentation leads to the heating of the starting material to the desired temperature. In a cold room, wrap the pan with warm blankets. Additional heating is not required.

The main thing is not to miss the moment of the end of the process. At the same time, the color of the leaf changes to green-brown, the aroma becomes pronounced floral-fruity.

According to the degree of fermentation, tea is divided into 3 varieties:

• deep (20-35 hours) - taste without sourness, tart, with a barely noticeable aroma;

• light (3-8 hours) - soft, delicate taste, strong aroma;

• medium (10-17 hours) - there is a slight sourness, the taste is slightly tart, the aroma is pronounced.

We have considered the first half of the work. It remains to carry out drying, learn how to store and brew a healing drink from fireweed leaves. We will continue to gain experience in the next article.