How to Preserve Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

Step 1

Gather young raspberry leaves.

Step 2

Wash the leaves well with running water to remove dust and insects and lay them out on a kitchen towel to let some of the moisture evaporate.

Step 3

You can either let the leaves dry naturally, or use a food dehydrator to dry the raspberry leaves quicker. First, Then decide how you are going to dry the raspberry leaves:

Step 4

Hang and Air Dry: Remove the lower leaves, tie the stems into small bundles, and hang upside down in a dry.

Step 5

Drying Screen: Spread the leaves out on a drying screen. Suspend the screen over two chairs so the air can circulate above and below the screen.

Step 6

Food Dehydrator: Preheat food dehydrator to 100˚F. Place the herbs in a single layer on dehydrator trays and place in the dehydrator until herbs are dry, 1 to 4 hours depending on the type of herb. Check every 30 minutes to prevent over drying.

Step 7

Once the leaves are dry, store lightly packed in a glass jar away from direct sunlight. Try not to crush them to reserve the flavor until you are ready to brew your tea.

Step 8

Store the jars in a in a cool, dark place, away from heat, humidity, and temperature fluctuations. Dried herbs will remain potent for 6 to 12 months when stored properly.

Step 9

To brew the tea, use about 1-teaspoon of crushed, dried raspberry leaves per 8-ounce cup of boiling water. Steep for at least 5 minutes and drink like regular tea.