The tea plant is a perennial evergreen that produces new leaves throughout the year. In most tea-producing countries, tea is harvested twice a year and then allowed to rest for several months before plucking again. Most greens are harvested from April through June, while black teas may be harvested anytime between July and November.
Harvesting tea is a complex process that takes place over months. The first step is to select the leaves from the best areas on the plants. Then, they are rolled and dried to stop them from oxidizing and turning brown. Finally, they are sorted according to quality and shape before being packaged and sent to customers worldwide.
Harvesting tea requires a lot of skill and experience because it’s important not to damage or bruise the leaves when plucking them off the plant. Tea pickers must also recognize signs of disease or pests to avoid harvesting any diseased or damaged leaves.
Here is the detailed process of harvesting tea leaves:
Plucking
Tea plants are harvested year-round depending on the climate in which they grow and when they’re picked. In China, where most of the world’s tea is produced, picking starts in late spring (April) and continues until early autumn (September). In Sri Lanka, harvesting begins in May and ends by October.
Tea leaves are harvested by a process called plucking. The entire leaf and bud are picked for green teas, while the leaf is selected only in black tea. White tea is produced from young tea leaves and buds, which are covered with hair-like fuzz; Plucking is done by hand, as machines can break the leaf and spoil the tea taste.
The best time for plucking tea leaves depends on temperature, humidity, and rainfall, but older leaves are generally better than younger ones because they have less moisture content. The leaves should be plucked from the stems just above where they join them so that as much of their surface area as possible remains intact.
Withering
Withering is the first step in tea processing. The leaves are spread out on large trays and allowed to dry in the sun. Withering reduces moisture content and makes the leaf pliable so that it can be rolled into cakes or bricks for further processing.
The leaves are then rolled into small pellets called “chops.” The chops are heated in a pan or oven to stop fermentation, which would otherwise cause the leaves to open up and release a bitter taste. The heat also kills any insects that might be present on the surface of the chop.
Next, the tea is sorted by size. Smaller pieces of leaf are separated from larger ones because they have higher levels of caffeine and other chemicals that flavor tea.
Rolling
The next step is rolling the leaves by hand or by machine. This process presses out some of the liquid (called “effluent”) from inside the leaf and shapes it into its characteristic round shape. After rolling, fresh tea leaves are weighed and stored for several hours to allow them to wilt or dry out slightly. This helps prevent the oxidation of their enzymes, which would otherwise turn them brown.
Oxidation
The oxidation process gives the tea its distinct color, taste, and aroma. The tea is placed in wicker baskets to oxidize the leaves and steamed for 30 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). The baskets of leaves are then rolled onto carts and taken to cool down for another 30 minutes at 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit). After cooling down, the leaves are ready for drying on racks or mats that give off heat.
To fully oxidize their leaves, many tea factories will roast them with charcoal fires during this processing phase – some factories even char their leaves twice! This roasting process helps protect against weather damage during transportation between countries or regions so that your cup of tea isn’t too weak or brittle when you drink it.
Drying
The tea leaves are dried in a two-stage process. In the first stage, the leaves are spread out on a wire mesh conveyor belt, and a powerful fan blows the air through them. This blows off most of the moisture from the leaves, but it also removes some aroma compounds from the leaf. The leaves then pass to a second stage, baked in an oven to dry them further.
As soon as the leaves have been dried, they must be sorted according to quality. The highest quality tea comes from young leaves, which have not been allowed to wither and are plucked only as buds or very young leaves. Lower quality teas may come from older leaves that have been allowed to wither longer before plucking, or even whole branches with flowers and buds still attached.
Benefits of Tea Leaves
1. Boosts Your Immune System
Antioxidants found in green tea play an essential role in boosting your immune system. Antioxidants help fight free radicals in your body that can cause damage to cells and tissues. These antioxidants may also help prevent certain types of cancer by protecting healthy cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Green tea also contains natural compounds called Catechins, which promote healthy cholesterol levels by preventing cholesterol absorption in the gut. Catechins help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Green tea is a good source of vitamins A, C, and B complex and minerals such as selenium which helps improve thyroid function and boost immunity against infections such as colds or flu viruses.
2. Lowering cholesterol levels
Tea is a good source of antioxidants which help to lower cholesterol levels. It contains tannins that help prevent cholesterol absorption in your body. The tea also contains Catechins, which help lower harmful cholesterol levels while increasing good cholesterol levels.
The caffeine content in tea helps speed up your metabolism, which burns more calories and fat, helping you lose weight naturally. Tea leaves also contain polyphenols, which are chemicals that may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by lowering harmful cholesterol levels and improving blood vessel function.
3. Strong teeth and bones
Tea contains polyphenols called Catechins, antioxidants that help protect against tooth decay and gum disease by inhibiting bacteria growth in your mouth. Researchers have found that drinking two cups of green tea daily can reduce plaque buildup by 30 percent! Tea leaves are also an excellent source of fluoride, a mineral that helps strengthen teeth and bones. This is why drinking tea is suggested as one way to prevent tooth decay.
4. Improves Digestion
Tea leaves contain antioxidants and polyphenols that help with digestion. The antioxidants help reduce inflammation and block the formation of free radicals in the body, while the polyphenols help prevent bacterial growth and infections. Both of these actions support healthy digestion by reducing excess stomach acid secretion, slowing food transit time through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and inhibiting harmful bacteria from colonizing the gut lumen. This helps prevent constipation and diarrhea caused by GI disturbances like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
5. Healthier Skin Tone
Tea contains polyphenols and other antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage that can lead to wrinkles, age spots, and other signs of skin aging. Drinking green tea is particularly beneficial for the skin because it contains high levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant compound effective at preventing sun damage.
6. Lowering Blood Pressure
Studies show that drinking green or black tea can help reduce blood pressure in people with normal blood pressure levels and those who are hypertensive (with high blood pressure). The antioxidants in tea leaves may slow the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol and prevent it from building up in your arteries.
Antioxidants also help fight free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells throughout your body. Green tea contains more catechins than black tea does; catechins may be more responsible for lowering blood pressure than black tea. But both types of tea seem to work equally well at lowering high blood pressure.
7. Reduces Heartburn
Heartburn is a symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It occurs when stomach acid flows back into your esophagus through a weak spot in your lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Tea contains tannins that reduce acid production in your stomach by decreasing intestinal motility and improving intestinal contents’ water-binding capacity so they do not pass through. This action combats heartburn.
8. Reduced Stress
Tea increases the body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels and respond to stress. This can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression over time. In addition, to reduce stress levels, one can consume tea leaves since they contain caffeine which helps reduce anxiety levels. The drink does not without making one feel jittery like coffee would do when consumed in large amounts.
Harvesting tea leaves is necessary to ensure tea lovers enjoy their cups. Tea leaves are packed with immense benefits. They are laden with antioxidants which are vital for the body’s immunity. Tea leaves also help.
