When to collect raspberry and currant leaves for drying for the winter

Since ancient times, raspberries and currants are valued not only by fruits, but also by leaves. They can be added to tea or brew drinks that have healing properties. In order for the leaves to contain the maximum amount of nutrients, you need to know when to collect them to collect for drying for the winter.

Collection period

Raspberries and currants are best picked in the first weeks of summer. It is during this period that the leaves contain the maximum amount of nutrients and vitamins. If raspberries began to bloom, do not “peel” it. With these actions, you can lose a large share of the crop.

The time of day for collecting leaves is also of great importance. For raspberries, this is the morning hours; currants can be picked later. Namely, when the dew has dried, but the sun still does not bake. It is recommended to collect leaves only from strong bushes that lack nutrients. Weakened plants from such actions may die.

Leaves suitable for blanks

Raspberry leaves for drying for the winter are suitable only for the elite. They should be young and healthy, which is determined by a bright green tint and the absence of yellowness or damage. There are few vitamins in old leaves.

The most suitable leaf blades are those that are closer to the top of the stem, as they receive more sunlight.

It is equally important to ensure that the material collected does not have mold, fungus and harmful insects. Such leaves can even be poisoned.

Leaves should not be collected when insects are treated on a neighboring site.

They contain a huge amount of toxins, which can lead to poisoning.

When drying leaves, special attention must be paid to their regular turning.

Rotting material is not suitable for use.

Fermentation

Important not only know when to collect raw materials for drying, but also how to ferment properly for future use. In order to get real aromatic tea from the collected leaves, they must be subjected to such a chemical process as fermentation.

Thanks to her, raspberry and currant leaves will exude a bright smell of the fruits of these plants. This happens due to the oxidation of the raw materials with oxygen released by the leaves of the juice during destruction.

You can get a real "tea leaves" with your own hands in two ways:

1. The grinding method is quite laborious, since each leaflet needs to be rubbed between the palms until it takes on the shape of a sausage and a dark green hue. Then the whole ground mass must be poured into a large pan and put under the press.
2. You can make tea much faster with a meat grinder. However, electric models are not suitable here. It is better to take an old manual meat grinder with the largest grill, so that the leaves are not much chopped. After that, it’s enough to just crush the resulting mass with your hands in a large container.

After processing the leaves in the first or second way, a deep cup with the resulting mass is covered with a moistened cotton cloth and cleaned in a warm place. The state of the tissue must be constantly monitored - when it dries, it must be moistened again.

High-quality fermentation occurs only in a certain temperature range from 22 to 26 ˚C. If it is not followed, the process will go wrong.

Upon completion of the fermentation, the leaves should acquire a bright berry aroma and a greenish-brown tint. Then they can be distributed in a thin layer on a baking sheet and sent to the oven. It is necessary to dry for two hours at a temperature of 100 ˚C.

How to store

Simply dried leaves that are not subject to fermentation must be stored in a dry place at room temperature. At the same time, they need to be crushed and folded into paper bags or bags made of natural linen fabric.

Fermented leaves are stored as regular tea in a dark, dry place in an airtight container.

Shelf life

Subject to storage rules, currant and raspberry leaves fully retain their beneficial properties for two years. It is important not only to know when to collect the raw materials for drying for the winter, but also how to dry and store it properly.

An interesting fact is that even after heat treatment, raspberries are not inferior to fresh fruits in the content of vitamins and minerals.