Useful properties and the most delicious carrot tea recipes
Carrots are one of the most common vegetables, but few people know that they can be used to make tea, which has many beneficial properties.
There are many options for making this vitamin drink. How to make tea from root vegetables and carrot tops, what benefits and harm it will bring - we will tell in the article.
The content of the article
What is carrot tea
Carrot tea is an unusual vitamin source for the human body... Tea has a rich color and a pleasant sweetish taste, has a lot of useful properties that can get rid of health problems. Carrot broth is good for adults and children.
Useful properties of carrot tea
The benefits of carrot tea are invaluable, because the root vegetable contains a large amount of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, which favorably influence on human health.
Useful substances in carrots:
- beta carotene;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- copper;
- zinc;
- vitamins A, groups B, C, E, H, PP;
- Apple acid;
- flavonoids.
Carrot tops are healthier than the root crop itself... It contains selenium, vitamin K (involved in protein synthesis), iodine, potassium, calcium, iron, ascorbic acid, and chlorophyll, which improves blood condition.
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Useful properties of a decoction of root vegetables and carrot tops:
- has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system;
- strengthens the immune system, protects against colds;
- removes toxins and toxins from the body;
- promotes hematopoiesis due to folic acid;
- strengthens muscle and bone tissue;
- has a low calorie content and reduces hunger;
- positively affects the work of the respiratory system;
- normalizes the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- good for vision;
- has a beneficial effect on hair (hair follicles become stronger), nails (brittleness and exfoliation are eliminated) and skin (skin elasticity increases).
Tea is useful for such diseases:
- gastritis;
- intestinal dysbiosis;
- urolithiasis disease;
- liver disease;
- constipation;
- prostatitis;
- hypertension;
- anemia;
- hormonal disorders;
- colds;
- eye diseases.
The broth reduces the risk of disease periodontitis, caries, osteoporosis.
Important! Carrot tea should be drunk after the main meal and no more than one glass per day.
Harm and contraindications
Despite all the beneficial properties, carrot drink is contraindicated for:
- allergic reactions and individual intolerance;
- increased blood clotting;
- pregnancy, as well as nursing mothers;
- the presence of oncological diseases (due to the regenerative properties of carrots, cancer cells will regenerate along with healthy ones).
Drink used in limited quantities for problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Drinking large amounts of tea can cause nausea, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, the skin may turn yellow due to excess vitamin A.
Important! If you have any contraindications, then you should consult your doctor before drinking the drink.
Carrot Tea Recipes
Not all housewives know how to prepare a decoction in order to preserve nutrients. We offer several recipes that will help to make the drink not only vitamin, but also delicious.
Fresh carrots
Ingredients:
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- water - 500 ml;
- sweetener (optional)
Preparation: Wash the carrots thoroughly, peel and coarsely grate. Place the resulting mass in a teapot, pour boiling water over, cover and let it brew for 20 minutes.
Attention! For making tea from fresh carrots, it is better to use small root vegetables with a bright orange color. Then the tea will be sweeter and richer.
From dried carrots
Ingredients:
- dry carrots - 2 tbsp. l .;
- water - 250 ml;
- black brewed tea - 1 tbsp. l .;
- sweetener (optional)
Preparation: Mix the finished dried root vegetable with black tea and pour boiling water over. Cover and leave to infuse for about five minutes.
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Dried carrot tea with honey
Ingredients:
- dry carrots - 2 tbsp. l .;
- honey - 1 tsp;
- water - 250 ml.
Preparation: Pour boiling water over the carrots and leave for 15 minutes, then strain the drink and add honey.
From the tops
For making tea use fresh or dry tops.
Dry leaf tea
Ingredients:
- chopped dry tops - 1 tbsp. l .;
- water - 250 ml.
Preparation: Pour a glass of boiling water over dry carrot leaves and leave for 10-15 minutes under a closed lid. Strain the tea before drinking.
Fresh leaf tea
Ingredients:
- greens - 1 tbsp. l .;
- water - 600 ml.
Preparation: Rinse young green stems, chop finely with a sharp knife. Pour boiling water over the resulting mass, cover and leave for about ten minutes. After the tea, strain.
Carrot tea with nettle, rosehip and currant
Ingredients:
- rose hips - 4 tsp;
- nettle leaves - 4 tsp;
- dry carrots - 4 tsp;
- currant berries - 1 tsp;
- water - 500 ml.
Preparation: Pour boiling water over all components, cover and leave for four hours. Strain before use.
Important! There are many varieties of herbal carrot tea. But it is not recommended to mix it with medicinal herbs. It is better to use herbs separately.
To make tea with herbs and berries, such components are also used:
- Melissa;
- mint;
- nettle;
- rosehip;
- chamomile;
- calendula;
- raspberries, strawberries;
- sprigs of cherries, currants and raspberries.
How to prepare carrot tea for the winter
To properly dry the root crop for the winter, follow these recommendations:
- For drying choose medium-sized carrots. Better to use early or mid-season varieties. It is important that the core is not large and coarse.
- Check the root vegetable for damage and rot.
- Rinse the carrots thoroughly with a stiff brush and peel them. Gently cut the tops and dry them separately.
There are several ways to dry a vegetable for the winter for making tea.
Electric dryer
Vegetables are cut into small cubes or grated on a coarse grater and placed in a dryer so that the pieces do not touch, at a temperature of + 65 ° C. Carrots are dried for 5-6 hours. In the process, the trays are turned over several times for more even drying.
On open air
The root vegetable is cut into small slices (no more than 3 mm)... They are laid out on a tray in a thin layer and left in the sun. At night, the drying is brought into the room, and in the morning it is again exposed to the sun.
The vegetables are mixed periodically to dry them more evenly. This method of harvesting root crops is the longest in time. Carrots are dried for 10 to 14 days.
In the oven
Carrots are coarsely grated or thinly sliced into rings, lay the pieces on a baking sheet in a thin layer and send them to the oven, preheated to + 200 ° C, for 20 minutes. Then they are cooled and again sent to the oven for 20 minutes. There should be three such approaches.The root crop is stirred periodically.
There is another option for drying in the oven... Peeled carrots are blanched in boiling water. For small root crops, 12-15 minutes is enough, for large ones (diameter over 4.5 cm) - 15-20 minutes. The degree of readiness of a vegetable is determined by piercing it with a match.
Then the carrots are dipped in cold water, dried on a clean kitchen towel and cut into slices or strips. Spread the finished product in a thin layer on a baking sheet. The main process of drying the root crop takes place at a temperature of + 75-80 ° C, and the carrots are dried at a temperature of + 60-65 ° C.
Important! When drying carrots in the oven, leave the oven door ajar to allow excess moisture to escape.
Dried root vegetables are stored in a glass container with a tight lid in a dark, dry place (pantry or cellar).
Leaf drying
You can't get carrot greens in winter, so if you want to delight yourself with healthy tea in the cold season, you should prepare the product in advance.
For drying, cut off the tops from the root crop, wash under a stream of warm running water, pat dry with paper towels and chop finely. Spread out in a thin layer on a cardboard, wood or fabric support, and leave to air dry.
Wherein the tops should not be exposed to direct sunlight, a darkened and ventilated place is best. It dries for about two days. After the tops are crushed into powder and stored in a glass container.
Conclusion
Any version of carrot tea will delight you with taste all year round with proper preparation of the root crop. Despite the fact that the recipes are easy to prepare, the benefits of such a drink for the body are invaluable. When using it, it is worth considering contraindications and possible side effects.