I first heard about raspberry leaf tea during my second pregnancy. After having an induction and epidural with our first, I was eager to attempt a natural birth. I read every book I could and tried teas and pills that touted assisting in the birth process. Raspberry leaf tea has been my drink of choice during my two subsequent pregnancies.
Raspberry leaf tea claims to tone the uterus during and after pregnancy. My midwife even suggested it at one of my appointments to help jumpstart the birthing process. (Although my birth history certainly doesn’t hold evidence for this!)
When my supply ran out this pregnancy, I decided to save some money by learning how to make raspberry leaf tea. I have a large chunk of raspberry plants in my back yard-lucky me!
I like this homegrown tea even better than the packaged kind. We are not big tea drinkers, but the whole family has grown to love this refreshing tea. Husband is worried he is going to sprout a baby belly from drinking so much! 
Make your Own Raspberry Leaf Tea
Step 1: Dry Your Own Raspberry Leaves
- Pick fresh raspberry leaves.
- Wash and dry leaves.
- Spread in a single layer on dehydrator trays.
- Dry in a dehydrator at 100* for approximately 8 hours or until very dry. (If there is any moisture left in leaves, they may mold while in storage.)
- Store leaves in an air-tight container until ready to use. (A plastic baggie or mason jar works well.)
I have had the same dehydrator for several years and have been very happy with it. It is very reasonable, well rated, and is Amazon’s top-selling dehydrator. During the summer, my dehydrator is a real workhorse. A dehydrator is a must for any productive backyard garden!
Step 2: Brew your Raspberry Leaf Tea
- Boil water on the stove in a tea kettle, pot, or mug in the microwave.
- While waiting for water to boil, grab a handful of dried raspberry leaves and place in a glass quart mason jar. If you are just making a cup, use approximately a tablespoon. (Play around with the amount you use until you get your desired strength.)
- When water has boiled, pour over tea leaves in jar or mug. (Careful, it’s hot!) Let steep 10 minutes.
- When tea is done steeping, strain through a sieve into another container.
- Drink hot or wait till cooled and add ice if you like yours cold (like me).
Tip: While you can totally make this in a whatever container you have on hand, I love to use our french press. No strainer after the tea steeps; instead I just push the plunger down and the tea is ready to drink. I have one similar to this one available on Amazon.
Don’t expect raspberry leaf tea to taste like raspberries. You are steeping the leaves not the berries! But it does have a light green tea flavor.
How about you? Have you ever brewed your homegrown raspberry leaves? What about other teas?
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