Content of the article:
Apple orchard has blossomed out of the flowering leaves of apple orchards more than once in green and apple leafs, apple
not just appearing in the flowering of apple orchards in the leaves of the apple leaves
but you should not forget about the leaves, ready to share with people a lot of their useful properties.
Composition of apple leaves
What are the benefits of apple leaves, and what substances in its composition can have a positive effect on the body? First of all, it is worth noting the high content of ascorbic acid.100 grams of fresh foliage can contain up to 400 mg of this vitamin, which gives a person a charge of energy, helping to resist infections and stress.
In addition, the green leaves of the apple tree contain such important trace elements as copper, zinc, aluminum, manganese and iron, phosphorus and molybdenum. The composition of amino acids is extremely rich, the most famous of which are glutamic and aspartic acid. There are saponins and coumarins, tannins, phytoncides and flavonoids in apple leaves.
Harvesting the leaves of an apple tree
In order to feel for yourself the beneficial properties of the leaves of an apple tree, the raw material is harvested, dried and used to make infusions and decoctions. The best time to collect leaves is the time of formation of the ovary, when most of the nutrients are not yet redirected to ripening fruits, and the leaves themselves are young and not hard. It deals with healthy leaf discs without petioles and without visible damage, traces of pests and the vital activity of pathogens.
If trees have been recently treated from aphids, moths or other insects, apple leaves are unsuitable for use, and they can only be harvested when chemicals are neutralized.
Dry the leaves in the shade, spread out in a thin layer on a clean, flat surface. As long as moisture remains in the leaves, it is necessary to agitate them so that the raw material that loses its elasticity does not condense or deteriorate. So, the benefits of apple leaves will be fully preserved.
If you have to dry the leaves in an electric dryer, it is better to use a gentle mode and do not set the temperature above 45 ° C.
The readiness of raw materials can be determined by easily breaking shards and sheet plates. Fully dried leaves are crushed and poured into glass jars for storage.
Apple leaf benefits
To make an infusion from healthy apple leaves, take a tablespoon of dried product for a glass of boiling water. After two hours in a closed container, the remedy can be drained and taken in the presence of diseases of the bronchi, the respiratory system, hoarseness and coughing for a long time after a cold. The active substances in the composition of the leaves soften the mucous membranes, stimulate sputum discharge and resist the development of harmful microorganisms.
Decoction and tea from the leaves of an apple tree is an excellent source of vitamins and trace elements.
The anti-inflammatory effect of dried apple leaves is used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes for digestive disorders, gastritis, and ulcerative lesions of the stomach and intestines. Fresh decoction and ice cubes based on apple leaves are useful for irritation and purulent inflammation on the skin of the hands and face. Such rubbing and lotions quickly stop the resulting lesions, refresh and tone up.
In winter, when the traditional diet can not provide the body with vitamins, biologically active substances and trace elements, natural apple leaf tea will be a good help.
Apple leaf tea
The apple leaves for tea are not just dried, they are successively dried, fermented, crushed and dried.
Fermentation will help convert water-insoluble nutrients into soluble form, which will increase the benefits of apple leaves and tea from them. In addition, this drink has a more vivid taste, color and aroma.
- Cuttings are removed from harvested leaves.
- Raw materials are laid out on dry clean pallets, covered with gauze or napkins and allowed to stand at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, so that the leaves fade a little.
- According to the classical technology of making tea, then apple or other, for example, creepidaceae, leaves crumple until the juice appears, twist into tight tubes and crush in this form. But you can simplify the task by passing the dried apple leaves through a meat grinder.
- The resulting semi-finished tea from apple leaves is spread with a thick layer in a glass or enamelled pan, which is covered with a damp towel or napkin. Capacity put in the heat, where the leaves have to undergo fermentation. The optimum temperature for this is 25–27 ° C.
The course of fermentation can be judged by the change in the color of the raw material, which turns green from brown to golden. The smell also changes, herbal notes disappear, and fruit-honey tones come in their place. The last stage of making tea leaves made from apple leaves is drying. It is carried away from the heating devices and the sun's rays, regularly stirring the leaves and protecting them from insects and dust.
To prepare a drink that retains all the benefits of apple leaves, you can take not only this kind of home brew, but also pieces of dried or fresh apples, add rosehip, cinnamon and lemon zest to tea.
