OK lets start this by saying for all you new comers to the world of the cactus. This tea method will create a very potent tea and it will rock ya. So if you proceed. You have been warned.
For all you experienced Cacti brethern maybe this method might give you a new light on making cactus tea. My dad taught this to me (and I added some tricks to it) as he picked it up in peru or somewhere down there. I find that it works very well and makes a very potent tea.
Things Required:
- 2 nice big Pots Or One pot and a deep fryer
- Some Cactus
- A potato Smasher or a quart jar (or anything with a fairly flat bottom that you can smash with. I didn't show it in the pic as it can pretty much be anything that is clean with a flat bottom)
- A Strainer
- Some Window Screen
- Some Water
- And a nice sharp kicthen knife
Ok Step 1: Get you some cacti
This can be san pedro, Torch or my personal favorite Bridgesii. They can be obtained from BBB or KT botanicals I use bridgesii as I find it to be the most potent of all the trich cacti with all things being equal. I know that there are those that will argue that they perfer pedro or torch but, alas This is my preference and BBB sells a good product.
Remember that 600 to 800 grams is a good starter dose 800 to 1200 Moderate, 1200 being on the HIGH side, then 1300 and above being Heavy doses of course the more cactus you add the harder the trip will be.
I only used 1000 grams here as I am bioassying a new cactus and Thank god I only used 1000 grams of this cactus. A 1000 grams can also be a MINDBLOWING dose as with cactus every cutting and cactus if buying them you are playing the potency roulette wheel, sometimes its empty and sometimes its completly loaded. This one blew my fucking mind.
Step 2: Preparing the cactus for the Tea
Slice the cactus cuttings into thin slices (approx 1/4 to 3/8" thick, can be up to 1/2" thick but, thats pushing it) then quarter or dice each slice (dicing is better the smaller the pieces the better this will turn out).
Now place the diced cactus into a nice big pot or deep fryer that will hold the material and the water required.
Step 3: Making the Tea:
Cover your cactus material with twice the water there is flesh.
Keep the orginal water level the same thoughout the teaing process.
Turn your stove on Medium to Medium high and allow to boil hard for one hour (You want the water at about 230 to 240 F (100 to 115 C). I like the deep frier cause I can set the temp at which the water will boil)
After one hour use the potato smasher, quart jar filled about half way with water with lid on lid (lid doesn't have to be on but, its better on the hands) or anything with a clean flat bottom on it and mash the cactus material up real good. Take the pot off the stove and set it on a table for this (in a deep frier how ever you just smash it in that). The heating elements of the stove can be damaged if done while pot is still on the elements. For deep frier just disconnect the thermostat from the frier and allow boiling to stop.
Give it 15 or so good hard presses while turning your hand.
After the cactus has been smashed place pot back onto heat or in deep fried plug thermostat back in. After this smash every half hour or so.
The cactus can be stirred every 10 or 15 minutes to ensure none of the cactus flesh burns on the bottom.
The water doesn't need to be strained until it's saturated with alkaliods.
Unsaturated
Saturated
Step 4: Straining:
This is a very simple process. You will need the strainer, screens and the pot that isn't currently being used to cook in.
Place screens inside strainer criss cross them
Then place that Strainer in the Clean pot
Now, pour the tea with flesh into the strainer. Remember with deep frier disconnect the thermostat first.
Now press out all the remaining liquid out of the flesh. This is done to get out all water that contains alkaliods out of the flesh.
After filtering dump flesh back into cooking pot or deep frier
Now fill the pot or deep frier back up with twice the amount of water that there is flesh
Repeat steps 3 and 4 two to 3 more times. This way all the alkaliods are pulled from the cactus flesh. You will know you have all the alkaliods out of the flesh when it looks very very light and the flesh doesn't have a bitter taste
Fresh Flesh
Used Flesh - The used flesh should look like the below pic or perhaps a bit lighter depending on how many pulls. The pic below is from the 3rd pull. The flesh should be lighter if a forth pull is done. During the forth pull more often, This can be done on the 3rd pull but, seems more effective on the 4th as the water is cleaner and there isn't as many alkaliods in the flesh as there would have been from the 3rd pull, so the water can absorb the last bit of them. Again, the flesh should taste blan, no bitterness, if the flesh is still bitter there are still more alkaliods left.
Step 7 Reducing:
After the teaing phase there should be around a half gallon and above of tea in the reduction pot. Well, thats entirely to much teea to drink, so we reduce.
Place the reduction pot on the stove and boil at same temp as the flesh was or higher if using a deepfrier dump the reduction pot into the deep frier. Place the stove on MEDHI to HI or at about 250 (121 C) or so on the deepfrier.
Once the tea has reduced to say a pint of less its a good idea to reduce the heat to MED on the stove or about 212 or 215 (100 to 101 C) on the deepfrier. Stir as the final reduction takes place, This will prevent burning the alkaliods.
Once you have reduced it down to the level you want, a cup of less. Allow to cool and SLAM that shit, and off ye shall go.
The Finished Tea
Edited by Sidestreet, 10 September 2016 - 03:34 PM.
