Raspberry Leaf Tea (with dried Wild Raspberries)

Raspberry Leaf Tea is a refreshing beverage made from young raspberry leaves. It has a pleasant taste and aroma and is a populal drink, often available in teabag form in the supermarket. This recipe adds dried foraged raspberries for some added tartness. Raspberry Leaf tea has many reputed health benefits, particularly relating to the later stages of childbirth and labour, but you don’t have to pregnant to drink it! It’s wickedly easy to make, as well. This tea (with dried raspberries) is tinged pink, but won’t be a deep red like shop bought varieties, which consist mainly of Hibiscus for colour and sweetness. If using just the leaves it will lack the tartness and be similar to green tea in flavour and colour.

Ingredients

Prep Time: 5 Mins

• For Fresh Tea: 7-10 fresh Wild Raspberry leaves.
• For Dried Tea: 1 tsp of dried Raspberry leaves and 2-3 dried Raspberries.

Method

For fresh Tea:

1. Making Raspebrry Leaf tea is simple, Just steep 7-10 young, fresh raspberry leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes and add sugar to taste if desired.

For Dried Tea:

1. Harvest and wash a desired amount of Raspebrry leaves and Berries.
2. Dry the plants and berries in a dehydrator. Be aware that the berries will take a lot longer to dry due to their water content.
3. Store the leaves and berries in a clean, dry jar.
4. Use 1 tsp in a tea strainer and steep in just-boiled water for 5 minutes. The berries can be added straight into the cup. Add sugar to taste, if desired.