With the arrival of spring, the tea garden slowly turns green, and the tea pickers are also busy. Tea picking is a science. It seems simple and easy to understand.
The spring breeze gives life to the buds, the sun warms the buds, the rain and dew promote the growth of the buds, and the picking quality of spring tea lays the foundation for a good cup of tea.
Tea picking is generally divided into manual tea picking and mechanical tea picking.
Hand-picked tea is a traditional tea tree picking method, which can be divided into pinch picking, handle picking , while handle picking is the standard tea picking method.
This picking method can keep the buds and leaves intact, fresh and even, without entraining scales, fish leaves, tea fruits and old branches and leaves, and it is not suitable for picking, grasping or pinching.
Picking tea by hand is easy to master, but it is labor-intensive and expensive.
Cut off: cut with a fingernail.
Picking: Use the tips of the thumb and index finger to pick up the new buds, and use the tips of the fingers to apply force.
Remaining bud picking: also known as the old and tender picking method, when the tea buds stretch to three or four leaves, pick the third and fourth ones, and then pick them when they grow up.
Folding picking: also known as picking with both hands, use the thumb and the first section of the index finger to clamp the twig, and fold it up or down, and the twig will break off at the folded place. This method can be picked with both hands.
Picking by hand: This is the worst picking method. Hold the tea branch with one hand, and pull it up from under the branch with the other hand, or pull it down from the branch, regardless of the old branch and the young tea, and put it into the palm of your hand.
For mechanical tea picking, most of the tea picking machines are carried out by two-person lift-and-reciprocating cutting-type tea picking machines.
However, if the operation is not skilled and the management is improper, mechanical tea picking will have an impact on the growth and development of tea trees, the yield and quality of tea leaves.
Tea picking standards are mainly determined according to the tea's requirements for the tenderness and quality of new shoots and yield factors.
The picked tea is placed in the sun, and the heat energy of the sun accelerates the evaporation of water in the leaves and reduces the water content of the cells, so as to facilitate fermentation when it withers indoors.
Leave it indoors to damage the leaf edge cells to facilitate fermentation, remove the bitterness and cyanine taste in the tea, and bring out the unique aroma and taste of the tea leaves. The fermentation can be stopped when the fermentation reaches an appropriate level. When the tea is fermented to the desired level, the activity of the enzyme is destroyed by high temperature, which inhibits the fermentation of the tea leaves, and makes the leaves soft due to the reduction of the moisture content of the tea leaves, which is convenient for the subsequent rolling.
In addition to the role of shaping, the mechanical force is used to make the tea leaves rotate and rub against each other, so that the juice of the tea leaves flows out and adheres to the surface of the buds and leaves, so as to facilitate the release of the taste of the tea soup during brewing.
The ball rolling after rolling and initial drying is an important process of tea forming.
After kneading, the tea leaves will agglomerate, and the agglomerates need to be stirred by a blender, so that the tea leaves are uniform, the shape is compact and beautiful, and a part of the water vapor and heat are dissipated, so that the tea leaves will not turn red.
Use the temperature to evaporate the water in the tea leaves and reduce the water content to less than 4%, which is convenient for packaging and storage. Drying also helps to remove savory flavors.
Astringency, and improve the aroma and taste of tea. Use vacuum packaging to maintain the freshness of tea leaves and prolong storage and sale time.
