Time for tea

 Each year around this time, my beautiful tea Camellia begins putting on new growth, and it's time to harvest the first flush of leaves! Last fall I pruned my Sochi Camellia, which increases the number of new leaves to harvest.

Over a decade ago, my friend Nikki and I began growing Sochi Camellia sinensis. The most northern tea, this variety grows in Sochi Russia near the Black Sea, and is well suited to our latitude at nearly 45° N. 

It is both aromatic and frost Hardy. While the flowers are small (about the size of a strawberry flower) its mature leaves are about the size of those on my ornamental Camellia. I dry some of the flowers in January which can be used for a light and fragrant tea. 

CODEX with tea Camellia blossom

Several years ago, Nikki invited me over for a tea party, both teaching me the process, and sharing afternoon tea from a previous harvest when finished. She sent me home with a basket of fresh leaves we pluckedfrom her bushes, which I augmented with leaves from my own for a second batch. 

It is such a satisfying process, and I'm always struck by the fragrance of the leaves as they dry. As this Camellia association article notes, few people realize that whenever they sit down with a cup of green, black or white tea, the brew comes from Camellia leaves! 

Camellia sinensis Sochi

High in antioxidants, especially catechins, green tea is preventative for cancers, lowers the risk of stroke, and helps control blood sugar. In Okinawa Japan, one of the "Blue Zones" for longevity, drinking several cups of green tea daily was common. They often added jasmine flowers and a bit of turmeric for shan-pien, "tea with a bit of scent."

Harvest - 24 hour rest

The leaves are resting in three baskets, and around 3:30 this afternoon, I'll begin the next steps of the process, which you can find here and here.

Do you grow herbs you use for herbal Tea? I have a number of those as well, and enjoy their medicinal qualities and varying flavors.

Garden Goodness

This year during our time at home, my daughter and son-in love planted a big garden, and I've enjoyed the benefits! They have a large lot, and a lot of familiar crops. 

Last summer, I got a damaged wading pool from our local Toy Store, planning to use it for a raised bed garden ... I found a sunny spot between my garage and apple tree, planted some simple containers in it in June. I also moved in a couple of tomatoes and a Taro. 

I'm enjoying watching seedlings emerge Orach, okra, spicy greens and salad mix, carrots, purslane ...

I recently harvested seed from my perennial spinach and quinoa relative, Good King Henry - Blitum Bonus-henricus, and simmered some with quinoa for a tasty and naturally gluten free porridge. I've had my past colony over a decade, and appreciate it's carefree nature! It is in a corner that rarely gets extras water, is one of the first spring greens, and I'm still harvesting leaves to eat like spinach. I found the idea for porridge on a British blog. 

 

Pollen from GKH has been found in sites back to the bronze age in Britain and Western Europe. The author Alison also enjoys perennial herbs - which with their developed root systems, are often more nutrient dense than their annual counterparts. 

She offered a recipe for Khoubiza, a Moroccan warm "salad" - or pesto - made with common mallow and purslane! I loved the idea, and those plants both volunteer freely in my daughter's garden! My younger grandson loves purslane, so I had him keep me gather the leaves. I used coconut oil, and gathered fresh Thai basil and parsley to add to a colander of the wild greens - yum!! 

 I sometimes forget how much flavor pesto adds to a dish - the small dark seeds in the quinoa are Good King Henry, and I added coconut milk yogurt and Khoubiza for a delightful lunch! What's growing in your garden?

Tea Season

It's tea season, and a couple of days ago I harvested a batch of Sochi Camellia sinensis, and processed a batch of tea. It is such a satisfying process, and I'm always struck by the fragrance of the leaves as they dry. As this Camellia association article notes, few people realize that whenever they sit down with a cup of green, black or white tea, the brew comes from Camellia leaves! 

Last year, my friend Nikki invited me over for a tea party, both teaching me the process, and sharing cups of her beautiful tea. She sent me home with a basket of fresh leaves we harvested from her bushes, which I augmented with leaves from my own for a second batch. 

Camellia sinensis Sochi

Nikki and I both grow the variety from Sochi Russia, which is on the Black Sea, and the "most Northern tea," very aromatic and frost Hardy. While the flowers are small (about the size of a strawberry flower) It's leaves are about the size of my ornamental Camellia. The flowers can also be used for a light and fragrant tea.

High in antioxidants, especially catechins, green tea is preventative for cancers, lowers the risk of stroke, and helps control blood sugar. In Okinawa Japan, one of the "Blue Zones" for longevity, drinking several cups of green tea daily was common. They often added jasmine flowers and a bit of turmeric for shan-pien, "tea with a bit of scent."

Harvest - 24 hour rest

It's been rainy, so I needed to await a break in the weather to pick the tip 2-3 leaves into a basket. These leaves are still soft, and rest in the basket for 24 hours, with an occasional toss.

In the wok

The next step is done in the wok, I used round salad fork and spoon to gently stir and keep the leaves from browning in a "stir-fry green" process.

Turned out onto a well washed cotton kitchen cloth, the leaves are tossed till kool, then bundled into a ball and kneaded to lightly crush and oxygenate. Meantime, the oven is heating to 400°

Ready to knead

After kneading

When the oven reaches 400°, the leaves are spread on a baking sheet or pan, and baked for 3 minutes, removed from the oven and spread on the cloth. This is repeated for 2 minutes, then 1 minute, and the leaves gently tossed between each round in the oven. 

After first round in the oven

Third round

With each round of the process, the leaves get drier and change color, retaining a green tint. The fragrance is a lovely light floral, rather like Jasmine. 

Drying on the rack

Now the leaves are drying on a rack, and I toss them occasionally. When they reach the crispy dry state, I'll store them in a wide mouthed jar, with parchment paper under the lid, in a dark cupboard. This time, I separated some of the stem pieces, and baked a bit longer for kukicha or twig tea. 

#greentea #permaculture #longevity