Content
Black currant is a unique plant in many ways. Few berry bushes are distinguished by the same unpretentiousness, ease of cultivation and stable yield. However, you can use not only the berries of this plant. Many gardeners collect currant leaves for drying, and then use them for culinary and medicinal purposes.
Beneficial properties of dried currant leaves
The healing power of blackcurrant fruits has long been known. However, its leaves contain no less useful substances than the berries. Many gardeners know about this, so at the same time as harvesting the berries, young currant leaves are harvested and dried.
Among the beneficial substances they contain are the following:
- vitamins;
- microelements;
- antioxidants;
- essential oils;
- biologically active substances;
- organic acids, etc.
Drying is the easiest and most reliable way to prepare currant leaves for future use.It is important that most of the beneficial substances remain unchanged. In the future, such dried plant materials are used to prepare decoctions, infusions and vitamin tea.
When is the best time to collect currant leaves for drying?
The content of useful substances in currant leaves reaches its highest concentration during the flowering period. It is at this time that it is best to prepare them for drying. However, this does not mean that currant leaves cannot be harvested at other times. Experienced herbalists prepare material gradually, throughout the season, carefully selecting and discarding it.
In order not to weaken the currant bush before fruiting, you should not pick off too many leaves before harvesting. The main amount of plant material should be picked only after all the berries have been collected. In addition, harvesting should be postponed if the currants were treated the day before against diseases and pests with fungicides or pesticides.
How to properly collect currant leaves for drying
Currant leaves for drying are collected on a fine day, in the morning, while there is no bright sun. It is necessary to carefully tear them off along with the petioles, discarding the damaged ones. You should not take dirty leaves, or those affected by diseases or pests. The leaf plate should be smooth, free of yellowness and rot. First of all, the apical leaves of young annual shoots are taken; they are the most juicy and fragrant.
If a lot of raw materials are required, then they are plucked from older branches, paying attention to quality.
How to dry currant leaves
You can dry the collected currant leaves either in natural conditions or using various heating devices. If the drying process is carried out correctly, the currant leaf will retain its aroma and beneficial properties.
On air
If the weather permits, currant leaves can be air-dried by spreading them in the shade in a thin layer. As a substrate, you can use a sheet of clean paper, a metal baking sheet, or plywood. The place should be well ventilated, but protected from direct sunlight. The summer veranda of the house, terrace, and canopy are well suited for drying. In the garden, it is best to use the attic of a country house for this purpose. You can dry currants at home on a windowsill or balcony. The top of the tray with raw materials can be covered with a piece of clean gauze.
Periodically, the harvested green mass must be stirred and turned over so that it dries evenly. If the air humidity is high, then you need to ensure that mold does not begin to appear on the raw materials. Such copies are subject to immediate removal and destruction. Drying in total in the open air can take quite a long time, since the process is highly dependent on the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air. Sometimes it can take 1-1.5 weeks until it dries completely.
In the oven
If weather conditions or other circumstances do not allow drying the harvested greens in the open air, then this can be done using the oven.The raw materials are laid out in a small layer on a baking sheet, and then placed in the oven, preheated to 100 °C. After 1.5 hours, the temperature is reduced to 50-60 °C and the leaves are dried until tender. It should be remembered that the oven door must be constantly open during drying so that the moisture can evaporate quietly. It is advisable to turn on the convection mode in the oven (if available).
In an electric dryer
In order to dry currant leaves for tea, a standard electric dryer is quite suitable. Just as in the oven, the raw materials are laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet and dried with the door ajar at medium temperature. The entire drying process can take 3-4 hours; if during this time the leaves do not acquire characteristic fragility, then the process is continued. At the same time, the current moisture content of the leaves is checked every half hour.
Currant leaves are often fermented before drying. This procedure enhances the aroma of plant materials, and at the same time eliminates the characteristic smell of hay. In order to start the fermentation mechanism, currant leaves are rolled into a tight tube until the juice is released. The rolled tubes are placed in a clean container, covered with a clean piece of cloth and placed under pressure. After a day, when the cell sap contained in the leaves is fermented, the tubes will acquire a strong fruity aroma. After this, they can be taken out, cut into slices and dried in the oven.
Video on how to prepare and dry currant leaves for tea:
Uses of dried currant leaf
The most common purpose of dried currant leaves is to use them as tea leaves.In addition, their infusion can also be used for medicinal purposes.
In cooking
Currant leaves are used in many canning recipes. It is added when pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, apples, and mushrooms. It is preferable to use fresh currant leaves for these purposes, but nothing prevents you from using dried ones instead if there are no greens on the bushes at that time. Dried currant leaves are often added to berry fruit drinks and mousses, as well as to alcoholic drinks infused with berries and herbs.
However, most gardeners who prepare dried currant leaves use it for brewing instead of traditional tea. This drink is a wonderful tonic; it is not only tasty, but also healthy.
In folk medicine
Currant leaf has many beneficial properties. Tea made from it strengthens the immune system, has an antipyretic and analgesic effect, and is therefore recommended for colds. It is also used as a diuretic. Currant tea is recommended for use for atherosclerosis, diabetes, and anemia. The infusion has bactericidal properties and can be used externally as a means to disinfect wounds. In cosmetology, a decoction of currant leaves is used to wash and cleanse the skin. To treat acne, a mask with a paste of crushed currant leaves is often used.
Terms and conditions of storage of dried currant leaves
Store dried currant leaves in a dry, dark place.To prevent the prepared raw materials from losing their aroma, it is better to use tightly sealed ceramic or glass containers for storage. Such packaging is guaranteed to prevent currant leaves from mixing with foreign aromas and odors. To store plant materials, you can use tightly sealed plastic opaque food containers, which are sold in hardware stores. They are quite roomy and functional, easy to store. At the time of placing raw materials, the container must be absolutely clean and dry, otherwise mold may develop.
Often, paper bags or canvas bags are used to store dry currant leaves. When storing raw materials, they must be closed or tied, and there should not be any other herbs or spices with a strong odor near them. If all storage conditions are met, dry currant leaves can be stored without loss of medicinal and culinary properties for 3 years. However, if there is fresh plant material, there is no need to keep the preparations for such a long time, so usually the stock is made in such a way that it will last until fresh greens appear on the currant bushes.
Conclusion
Some lovers of exotic flavors collect currant leaves for drying, and then mix them with other herbal ingredients, such as dried fireweed or raspberries. Such mixes not only have a rich, harmonious taste, they are also much healthier than each individual component. Herbal tea prepared in this way is guaranteed to exist only in a single copy, and its taste and aroma can greatly surprise and delight not only the gardener himself, but also his guests.
