Tea in Russia was prepared from ancient times, but used for this is not the traditional leaves of the tea bush, and the greens are sprayed narrow-leaved. The fragrant broth was served daily on the table of the emperor, and eventually they were sent abroad. Since then, Ivan-tea - traditionally Russian drink, delicious, fragrant and useful. For hundreds of years it has been valued for a unique and balanced combination of trace elements and vitamins, for its palatable taste and invaluable benefits to the body. The healing properties of the plant were discovered a long time ago, and today they are repeatedly proven by chemists, biologists and physicians. It is only necessary to learn how to collect Ivan-tea, to dry and brew it correctly, so that the drink turns out not only tasty, but also very useful.
Bogoroditsyna grass, Koporskiy tea, hunter, borry potion - all these are names of narrow-leaved perennials with lilac-red inflorescences. In its aerial part contains an abundance of vitamin B, pectins, polysaccharides, carotenoids, flavonoids, organic acids, coumarins, tannins. In leaves - iron, potassium, manganese, copper, titanium, boron, sodium, magnesium. In the roots - polysaccharides, digestible proteins. A rich chemical composition makes a fragrant drink not only useful, but even rejuvenating, wellness and sometimes miraculous.
Healing properties and contraindications Ivan-tea
Using regularly a drink with pronounced immuno-enhancing properties, you will soon notice a striking effect. After all, tea from the spray has amazing properties:
- Increases hemoglobin, normalizes the acid-base balance in the blood;
- Stabilizes the work of the endocrine system and individual organs;
- Normalizes blood pressure;
- Eliminates insomnia, nervous tension, headache, mental agitation;
- It acts as a diuretic and choleretic;
- Excellent antioxidant, removes toxins and toxins;
- Promotes an early carbohydrate and lipid metabolism;
- Protects against inflammatory-infectious diseases;
- Has a bactericidal and antiviral effect;
- Increases erectile function, positively affects the male genitourinary system of organs;
- Optimizes the balance of microflora in the intestines and stomach;
- Promotes a speedy recovery in epilepsy, neurosis, depression, chronic fatigue, beriberi, herpes, gout, anemia, etc.
The list of contraindications to the use of Ivan-tea is noticeably inferior to the list of positive properties. Limitations can only be:
- children's age till 6 years;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- increased coagulability of blood;
- thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
How to collect Ivan-tea
To cook harvested Cyprian tea brought only benefits, it is necessary to collect it at the right time in the right place. It is best for such purposes suitable glade in the most eco-friendly, remote from the motorway and plants corner. Ivan tea grows in areas and edges with sufficient lighting and occupies vast areas. The main thing is not to confuse the narrow-leaved canopy with close relatives who do not have similar medicinal properties: kipreem small-flowered, woody or shaggy. Collect the plant in the flowering period - from the end of June to the middle of August. Once the lilac buds begin to bloom, you can start the process. The ideal time is a morning on a dry, sunny day. Do not take dusty, contaminated, sick or pest-affected specimens. They will not bring anything useful and tasty. To the popular plant Ivan-tea is not completely destroyed, it is recommended to cut the stem at a height of 12-15 cm from the ground. Also mono collect only the leaves. But do not tear them off, but cut them neatly with scissors. In the opposite case, they will doubt and lose the most valuable taste qualities. Remembering how to properly collect Ivan-tea, you can stock up on tasty and medicinal raw materials for the whole year, without harming the local flora.
Grass Ivan-tea: how to dry at home
The collected Ivan-tea must be processed according to all the rules. Otherwise, the raw materials will not preserve and fully reveal all their useful properties and taste-aromatic features. The complex process of preparing and drying grass at home requires special attention and is carried out in several important stages:
- The wilting. Leaves of kipreya are laid out on a spread coverlet with a layer of 5-7 cm. The best place is on a moderately shaded lawn in the yard. During the day, the layers are mixed to make Ivan-tea fade evenly.
- Twisting. After 24 hours, the leaves will become softer and formless. Bunches or individual parts of the plant are neatly rolled between the palms, forming small rolls, until they darken from the released juice.
- Fermentation. Carefully twisted sheets of spray are laid in a small layer in the enameled vessel. Then the covered one is covered with a wet cloth and left for half a day in a warm place at 25 ° C. At the end of fermentation, the smell characteristic of the plant will change to a deeper floral berry.
- Drying. The process of drying the "Russian" tea is as follows: twisted leaves are cut in thin layers, distributed on baking trays in a uniform layer of 1-2 cm and dried in an oven at 100 ° C for no longer than the prescribed one.
- Storage. Ivan-tea can be stored for up to two years. Over time, it is only saturated with an even more vivid taste and aroma. But only if it is kept in a clean, tightly closed vessel of natural material: glass, wood, stone, etc.
Now you know how to sew Ivan-tea grass at home. It remains to learn how to properly brew it and apply it in a suitable way.
How to brew Ivan tea - ways of using
Brew and drink "Russian" tea as well as ordinary black: 1 tsp. dry brewing on a glass of boiling water. To enhance the pleasant aroma in the brewer, you can add a few flowers to the honeycomb. Insist tea 5-7 minutes, and drink in small swallows half a glass 2-5 times a day. Since the beverage has a slightly sweet flavor, the artificial sweetener can be omitted. For cosmetic purposes, infusion from the spray is prepared in another way: a tablespoon of dry leaves is poured a glass of thick boiling water and allowed to stand for 15 minutes. The liquid is used for steam baths before carrying out cosmetic massages. To children from 6 months a weak broth of a plant is allowed in small amounts during the period of teething. Thanks to its rich chemical composition, Ivan tea perfectly calms moderate pain and relieves local inflammation.
There are many more ways to use dry billet from the spray. Often, Ivan-tea tea leaves are used to make cosmetic spirit tinctures, thick vitaminized masks, medicinal broths and health drinks. How to collect Ivan tea, dry it at home and brew a fermented spray for different purposes you already know. It remains to be reserved for patience, wait a moment and prepare it for the future for the whole family.