A Detailed Guide to the Processing and Making of Persimmon Leaf Tea

Persimmon leaf tea is a new type of health drink made from persimmon leaves. Persimmon leaves contain tannins, choline, protein, minerals, sugars, flavonoids and other substances useful to the human body, and are especially rich in vitamin C, with 1s of vitamin C per 100g of fresh persimmon leaves. Regular drinking of persimmon leaf tea has various health functions such as relieving constipation and promoting urination, purifying the blood, and resisting bacteria and reducing swelling.

The key processing techniques are as follows:

1. Harvest leaves at the right time. The best time to collect persimmon leaves is summer and autumn, when the fruit has basically taken shape and the persimmon leaves are thick and large, rich in nutrients and at their best medicinal effect. After September, as the weather turns cooler, the chlorophyll in persimmon leaves gradually decreases, the leaves turn red, and the nutrients drop significantly, so they are no longer suitable for processing into persimmon leaf tea.

2. Rinse and remove the veins. First wash the collected persimmon leaves clean with water and drain them, then remove the leaf stems and pull out the thick, hard veins.

3. Fixing at a moderate degree. Fixing can lock in the freshness of the raw material and keep the color bright, while also destroying the oxidase in the tissues and preventing the oxidative breakdown of vitamin C and other components in the persimmon leaves. Through fixing, the surface cells of the raw material are broken down, which speeds up the release of moisture and aids drying. When fixing, place the persimmon leaves in a bamboo basket, immerse them in a pot of boiling water at 100°C for 2-3 minutes, then take them out and spread them out immediately to cool.

4. Shred and roll. Cut the cooled persimmon leaves crosswise into fine shreds with a knife, pile them on a smooth wooden board, gently rub them by hand for 3-5 minutes, then spread them flat on a bamboo curtain and dry them in a ventilated place or in a drying room. During the drying process, avoid direct sunlight and rain soaking, and check and turn them frequently to prevent mold.

5. Storage method. Seal the fully dried persimmon leaf tea in plastic packaging bags, or put it into other sealed containers, and store it in a low-temperature, cool and dry place. When drinking, add 350ml of boiling water to 1g of persimmon leaf tea. Persimmon leaf tea should not be drunk together with alkaline beverages such as coffee, black tea or green tea, so as not to reduce its medicinal effect.