Unfortunately, tea made from dried herbs is not as rich and aromatic as from fresh ones. Therefore, many summer residents are interested, for example, in how to ferment mint or lemon balm. After all, from the dry leaves prepared in this way in winter, you can brew really pleasant and very aromatic teas, reminiscent of summer.
It is necessary
- - mint or lemon balm leaves;
- - a sheet of plastic or plywood;
- - plastic bag;
- - canvas bag;
- - 2-3 liter can;
- - plastic cup and bowl;
- - a sharp knife or meat grinder.
Instructions
Step 1
So how to ferment mint or lemon balm for the winter? First, collect more leaves of the selected plant. Do not pluck dirty or damaged ones. The stems are not suitable for fermentation.
Step 2
Fold the leaves in a regular plastic bag, for example, for cereals. Place the bag of leaves in the freezer. Keep it there for some time. It is believed that even three hours are enough. But for a more successful fermentation of lemon balm or mint, it is better to leave the bag in the freezer for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Step 3
Take the leaves out of the bag. They will feel damp to the touch. This happens because when freezing, the juice in the cells of mint or lemon balm leaves freezes. And like any other liquid, it certainly expands. Because of this, the cell walls burst and the juice flows out.
Step 4
Chop the wet leaves with a knife. You can also mince them. In this case, you end up with an almost granular herbal tea.
Step 5
Now we will actually give an answer to the question of how to ferment mint or lemon balm. Place chopped or twisted mass into a clean plate. Place a bowl on top. Place a jar filled with water in a bowl. That is, just put the mint or lemon balm green mass under the press. Keep it this way for 3-4 hours.
Step 6
As soon as the mass changes the smell to a more intense and pleasant smell, remove the jar. The fermentation process is over. Further, mint or lemon balm is simply dried in any convenient way.
Step 7
Spread the fermented mixture on a plastic or plywood sheet. It is best not to use a drying cloth. It will draw in some of the juice and the tea will turn out to be less aromatic in the future. Fermentation of mint is carried out precisely in order to preserve its pleasant smell to the maximum.
Step 8
Place the tray under a shelter or in the attic. In a day - two, depending on the air temperature outside, mint or lemon balm will dry out. Place the fermented leaves in a canvas bag. Store the tea.
Step 9
Store fermented mint or lemon balm in a dry place, where the tea cannot “pick up” any foreign odors. That's all. Now you know how to ferment lemon balm or mint correctly. As you can see, the procedure is extremely simple.
