Picking and processing tea leaves to make green, black and oolong.

Greetings fellow steemers and tea lovers. Learn how to process your tea leaves to make green, black and oolong tea!

There are many specific ways to process tea, each grower has their own particular methods. The soil, growing region and tea plant variety determine the particular flavor of the tea, much like the growing region and grape type affects the taste of wine.

The best time to pick tea is in the morning after the dew has evaporated and before the sun is high. Pick the top of each shoot which will include 3-4 leaves plus the bud:

All tea comes from the same plant, it is the processing that determines what kind of tea it will be. The basic processing techniques include:

• Steaming (stops oxidization and tenderizes leaves)
• Firing (stops oxidization and tenderizes leaves)
• Withering (tenderizes leaves, removes moisture)
• Rolling (bruises leaves, creates shape)
• Oxidizing (changes green to oolong to black)
• Final drying 

Japanese style sencha:

First, the leaves are picked and then steamed in a bamboo or stainless mesh basket over a pot. This stops oxidization and makes the leaves easier to bruise. Steam leaves for 15-30 seconds. Less steaming makes a more bitter, bright green taste. More steaming makes a more mellow, smoother taste.

After steaming, spread out the leaves and allow to cool. A fan will help cool the leaves and remove moisture. 

Roll the leaves between the hands gently to bruise them. They can also be placed in a muslin cloth bag, tightly wound and rolled under the knee or hands in a circular motion. Open the bag, loosen the leaves and roll again so there is a uniform bruising. 

Spread leaves on baking sheet (ideally stainless steel) in the oven at 200 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes, until leaves are dry.

Chinese style green:

Pick leaves and fire on medium heat in a dedicated stainless steel wok, turning leaves, lifting and dropping into the pan. The leaves should make a slight crackling sound. Ensure they do not burn by constant movement. Fire for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until leaves are tender. 

Spread out and allow to cool. The remaining steps are the same as the Japanese style sencha written above. The only difference is wok firing vs. steaming.

Oolong:

Oolong is processed differently than green as it is allowed to oxidize before firing. Oolong generally ranges from 30-70% oxidized. It is between green and black tea (which is 100% oxidized).

First, the leaves are picked and spread out either in the sun or partial shade to wilt, turning often (especially in the sun) to prevent drying or burning. This can take anywhere from one hour to a few hours. When tender and sufficiently wilted, the leaves can be rolled between the hands or in a cloth. Some growers simply pinch the tips of the leaves by hand which is very time consuming. After the initial rolling, the leaves are spread out in a single layer and allowed to oxidize more. Depending on how you want your oolong, you can repeat the rolling/oxidizing all day. You will notice the aroma change throughout the process. There are certainly "sweet spots" when it is the perfect time to stop. Only with experience or a lucky batch you will get the best oolong from your leaves. It is all good though.

After you have decided when to stop the oxidization, fire the tea in a dedicated wok. This will immediately stop oxidization and seal in the flavor. Lift the leaves above the wok and drop down, constantly stirring so they don't burn, removing as much moisture out as possible. Fire for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Place the leaves in the oven on a baking sheet and dry for 15-20 minutes on low heat. Some growers dry in 3 steps: first at high heat for a short time, medium heat for a longer time, then low heat for the longest time. This ensures that the moisture is removed from the stem which holds the most water without over drying the leaves.

Black tea:

Pick leaves and lay flat a few inches thick worth of leaf material. Place in a room with somewhat high humidity and allow to oxidize for up to three days, turning and bruising the leaves a few times per day. Make sure the leaves don't dry out. Some loss of moisture is desirable before the final drying. The leaves will turn black when fully oxidized. When this occurs, dry at low temperature in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until dry. The ideal water content is around 7% when fully dried, not bone dry.