How to properly prepare raspberry leaves for tea at home for the winter

Tea is any drink made by steeping prepared plant material. Such popular and convenient to use tea bags often contain dyes, preservatives and large amounts of fluoride, which negatively affects health, strength of bones and teeth.

It will be much healthier and cheaper to use tea made from natural plant materials - raspberry leaves. Properly brewed tea has a beneficial effect on various human organ systems, which allows us to talk about it not only as an aromatic everyday drink, but also as a preventive and even therapeutic agent.

Can raspberry leaves be used for tea?

A decoction, infusion or tea is prepared from raspberry leaves.. The drink is not only tasty and aromatic, but also healthy. It is used as a medicinal raw material for the treatment and prevention of various painful conditions. But in order to preserve all the compounds valuable for the human body in the leaves, you need to know when to collect and how to dry the raw materials.

Benefits and harms

Raspberry leaves contain vitamins, micro- and macroelements, tannins, pectin, organic acids, essential oils. The most valuable antioxidant for the body is ellagic acid. It strengthens the immune system, neutralizes dangerous free radicals, and improves the condition of the nervous system.

Properly brewed tea from raspberry leaves is useful for many diseases and conditions, has a positive effect on the body as a whole and individual organ systems:

1. Gastrointestinal tract. It has a pronounced bactericidal effect, increases the protection of mucous membranes, absorbs and removes accumulated waste and toxins, normalizes metabolism, and regulates lipid metabolism.
2. The cardiovascular system. Ensures proper functioning of the heart, activates blood flow, dilates blood vessels, increases the strength and elasticity of vascular walls and small capillaries, prevents blood clots, and reduces “bad” cholesterol in the blood.
3. Respiratory system. Useful as a diaphoretic and tonic. It thins thick sputum and accelerates its evacuation, alleviates the severity of symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections, inhibits inflammatory processes, suppresses the growth and development of pathogenic microorganisms.
4. Urinary system. Stimulates kidney function, cleanses the liver of accumulated harmful substances, and prevents the formation of stones in the kidneys, liver, and bladder.
5. Nervous system. Increases overall performance and endurance, relieves drowsiness, activates thinking processes, improves memory, and acts as a sedative.

No obvious negative consequences of drinking raspberry tea have been identified.. The leaves of shrubs, grown without the use of pesticides, do not contain harmful substances and aggressive chemical components, therefore they are well accepted by the body, act gently and effectively.

Side effects are rare and are usually associated with prolonged and heavy use of the drink in the presence of contraindications.

Raspberry leaves can be harmful to health in such cases:

• for allergies;
• with increased acidity of the stomach, since the raw material contains large quantities of organic acids that irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa;
• for erosive and ulcerative diseases of the digestive system - taking this tea increases pain;
• for constipation - raspberries have astringent properties, so they can make defecation even more difficult;
• in case of renal and liver failure - the plant has a pronounced diuretic effect and creates additional stress on the organs of the urinary system.

Procurement time

Raspberry leaves for drying are collected before the buds open - in early or mid-June. During this period, stems and leaves are actively formed, so plant raw materials are of the greatest value.

It is undesirable to collect the material during the flowering period of the bush, so as not to reduce its yield, and in September, when the plant is preparing for winter.

How to collect correctly

Leaves are removed early in the morning in sunny weather. Wet plant materials take longer to dry and have a shorter shelf life. Young leaves are most valued - the first and second groups of leaves on the bush, counting from the top. It is not advisable to collect old or leaves from damaged bushes, as they contain less useful substances.

The leaves are plucked from the branch carefully so as not to damage it., and each is carefully inspected for integrity and the presence of pest larvae. Leaves suitable for harvesting are bright green in color, without yellow spots or signs of damage by insects.

How to dry

Drying is an important step in preparing raspberry leaves for tea.. The process stops oxidation and reduces the moisture content of the raw material.The quality of the workpiece and its shelf life depend on how correctly all the actions were carried out.

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Drying process:

1. Preparation. Wash the leaves until clear water, sort through, remove damaged and yellowed ones. Then place on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
2. Drying. In a cool, well-ventilated area, spread the raspberry leaves on newspaper. It is important to avoid direct exposure to sunlight. The leaves are constantly turned over to prevent them from rotting.
3. Checking readiness. On average, drying takes about five days. If the leaves have lost their elasticity and become soft, you can begin fermentation.

Fermentation of raspberry leaves

Fermentation allows the starch content to break down into sugars and chlorophyll into tannins.. The appearance, aroma and taste of tea are determined by how long the enzymatic oxidation of plant raw materials took place.

There are three degrees of fermentation:

1. The leaves are fermented for less than six hours: the drink has a pronounced aroma and leaves a pleasant and soft aftertaste.
2. After 10-16 hours of fermentation, the taste of the drink changes: the smell is less pronounced, the taste is tart, maybe with a slight sourness.
3. Deep fermentation lasts from 20 to 26 hours. Tea made from such raw materials practically loses its aroma, but is astringent.

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Fermentation process:

1. Thoroughly rub the well-dried and dried leaves with your hands so that they release juice, or grind them using a meat grinder.
2. Fill a clean, dry glass jar or enamel pan with raspberry leaves, cover with gauze on top, and place a weight.
3. Leave at a temperature of +25…+27°С. Fermentation time depends on personal taste preferences: minimum - 8 hours, maximum - 26. The degree of readiness is determined by organoleptic properties - the workpiece has a green-brown color and a richly fruity aroma.
4. Then place the raw materials on a baking sheet. Dry in a preheated oven for 2-2.5 hours at low temperature - +100...+120°C.

Terms and conditions of storage

Dried leaves are stored in a dry, sealed container in a well-ventilated place.avoiding direct exposure to sunlight. The workpiece is also packaged in linen or paper bags. If all preparation rules are followed, the shelf life of the raw materials is 24 months.

Important! You should not drink tea whose shelf life has expired, as it accumulates aflatoxins that are dangerous to the human body. These harmful substances are formed during prolonged or improper storage, in conditions of high humidity and heat. In large quantities, aflatoxins damage the liver, provoke the growth of cancer cells, and in the worst case, lead to death.

How to brew raspberry leaf tea correctly

To prepare a portion of delicious, aromatic tea you will need 1 tsp. raw materials and 150-200 ml of purified drinking water. The prepared raspberry leaves are poured with boiling water, covered with a lid, and left for 5-10 minutes. You can brew tea in a thermos.

Raspberry leaf tea goes well with fresh fruit. You can add raspberries, black and red currants to it, and replace sugar with honey or raspberry jam.

Tea made from raspberry leaves with lemon is a vitamin remedy that protects against flu and colds, helps alleviate the severity of symptoms of acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections. If desired, add mint, lemon balm or lemongrass leaves to the tea to add freshness and aroma.

Conclusion

Preparing this delicious drink requires a responsible approach. You need to find out in advance how to prepare raspberry leaves for tea for the winter, when to collect and how to dry, how and how much to store. The quality of the drink, its benefits or harm to health depend on this. Good tea not only helps improve overall well-being and improve the health of the body, but also has an original aroma.