Just bought some to try, thx for the info about this
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I love yaupon tea. It’s a lot like the related yerba mate. I want to try growing it in NH; I just need to figure out how best to protect it over the winter.
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I’ve got lots of lovely tea plants. Now, if they’d only wake up a little faster so I can have a cup or two!
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Thanks for the great idea. I will give it a try.
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This year, I’ve decided to experiment with oxidized/black teas from my tea plants. From reading up on the process, it involves bruising or cutting the leaves and allowing them to oxidize. Then the leaves are either heated to stop oxidation at a desired level or allowed to dry and do as it will.
I tried bruising NJ tea leaves on the stem, but they appear to only have minor oxidation happening. This implied I needed more thorough bruising. I’m now trying some anise scented goldenrod and stripped the leaves off the stems. I gave them a wash and a spin dry. Next, I repeatedly crushed and stirred the leaves in a bowl. I plan to leave them overnight before I proceed with drying.
Already looking promising.
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The NJ tea leaves were still moist enough that I decided they might benefit from hand rolling. I stripped the leaves off the stems and rolled them for a while. They already have a bit of an oxidized smell to them. I’ll let these sit a few hours or overnight and see what they look like.
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Letting the NJ tea sit overnight did not result any any noticeable additional oxidation, so I threw it in the dehydrator to store. I’ll have do a little more homework and try a different strategy/technique with the next batch.
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Here’s the cup brewed from the rolled NJ tea. While there wasn’t much apparent oxidation, it’s definitely a darker cup than I’ve ever gotten from NJ tea. It’s usually a pale golden green, but this is equivalent to a darker green tea bordering on light oolong. As for the flavor, it’s nothing to write home about, but definitely pleasant. Kind of like the generic Chinese restaurant oolong they serve in an unlimited pot, but with a bit of a twist. I think there’s some potential here if I can get my process down.
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