Tea making from the fruit and leaves of the species of likapa (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.), which grows naturally in the eastern black sea region

In this study, the necessary parameters for the production of strained tea bags, which will extend the shelf life and provide added value, from the fruits and leaves of the likapa (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) naturally grown in the forests of the Black Sea Region were determined. Vaccinium arctostaphylos L. fruit and leaves were dried at 40 ̊C, 50 ̊C, 60 ̊C, at a drying speed of 1 m/s and at 20% relative humidity. The moisture of the leaves and fruits decreased to less than 10 by drying them between 60 and 90 minutes for leaves, and among 4, 5 and 9 hours for fruits. In the dried samples, the amount of dry substance dissolved in water and the amount of ash were determined. Tea bags are prepared by taking 1 g sample from dried lycra fruit, leaf, fruit + leaf mixture (0.5g fruit + 0.5g leaf). Each tea bag sample was brewed in 100 mL of water at 50 ̊C, 80 ̊C, and 100 ̊C in 1 and 3 minutes and 54 brewed tea samples were obtained. Brix, pH, DPPH antioxidant activity, total phenolic, total flavonoid, condensed tannin and ion chromatography were performed on the samples. The optimum drying and brewing temperature and brewing time were found as 50 ̊C, 100 ̊C, 3 min for the production of fruit tea, 60 ̊C, 100 ̊C, 3 min. for the production of leaf tea and 40 ̊C, 100 ̊C, 3 min for the production of fruit + leaf tea, respectively. In the above given the most appropriate production conditions, the main components found in brewed fruit tea, brewed leaf tea and brewed fruit + leaf tea were total phenolics (239 mg GAE/L, 451 Mg GAE/L, 430 Mg GAE/L), total flavonoids (1030 mg QE/L, 3446 mg QE/L, 2657mg QE/L) total condensed tannin (52 mg/L, 23 mg/L, 28 mg/L), antioxidant DPPH sweep activity (64.52%, 50.94%, 68.67%) and ºBrix values (0.2%, 0.2%, 0.3%).