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making tea from (tree) leaves

Sherlock

Boswellia for lungs and MC stabllizing
Messages
1,287
Location
k8518704 USA
Would anybody know about making tea from mulberry tree leaves? I dry the leaves but I need some way to shred them or pulverize them, before putting that into a tea ball. Otherwise I get very weak tea after steeping it. Thanks.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
I ve never tried it, but have you considered once they are very dry whizzing them in a blender? Im afarid i dont know much about mulberry tea - but i find that fresh herb leaves make stronger teas - if i dry out my lemon balm it never tastes the same as when i drink it fresh. Ive tried freezing herbs instead and this gives results almost as good as fresh. Not sure about Mulberry though.
Justy
 

Sherlock

Boswellia for lungs and MC stabllizing
Messages
1,287
Location
k8518704 USA
I ve never tried it, but have you considered once they are very dry whizzing them in a blender?
Thanks, I'd thought about that but didn't see how I could get that vortex going. I'd used a blender for flaxseed in the past - maybe I'll have to try it. Fresh leaves made weak mulberry tea in my experiments. I'm trying to get the quercetin content out of it :)
 

Sherlock

Boswellia for lungs and MC stabllizing
Messages
1,287
Location
k8518704 USA
Maybe you need to dry them longer...? This site gives clear directions on how to make mulberry tea.
http://alliumcepa2u.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-i-make-my-own-mulberry-tea.html
Thanks, that is exactly the hand-crumbled way I'd tried - so at least I know there is no secret that I'm missing. I just made another cup, steeped 20 minutes. It is still fairly weak and not as dark as theirs, maybe it's a matter of the variety of tree. I'll just use more leaf per cup, maybe triple.

P.S. Just heard geese overhead, heading south.
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
Thanks, that is exactly the hand-crumbled way I'd tried - so at least I know there is no secret that I'm missing. I just made another cup, steeped 20 minutes. It is still fairly weak and not as dark as theirs, maybe it's a matter of the variety of tree. I'll just use more leaf per cup, maybe triple.

P.S. Just heard geese overhead, heading south.

Glad it was helpful.

I love water fowl. :)

3 Canada Geese Migrating.jpg
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I know some things can vary in strength depending on when they are picked. I think I remember something about herbs often being picked first thing in the morning??? (I hope I have that right) cause they were best then. (maybe they loose volitile oils during day which would make them stronger by picking them in the morning? So maybe experiement with the picking time.

Maybe the strength may vary too in different seasons when the tree is doing different things. If there are different types of mulberry trees, one would think the varieties may really vary. I too have a mulberry tree.. maybe I will experiement with it some time..
 

Sherlock

Boswellia for lungs and MC stabllizing
Messages
1,287
Location
k8518704 USA
I also just remembered: mulberry acts as a carb blocker (alpha glucosidase inhibitor), something like the drug Acarbose. I don't need to lose any weight or have blood glucose problems, so I'd need to separate the mulberry tea from starchy meals.
 

leela

Senior Member
Messages
3,290
Also, you might want to try not putting them in a tea ball, but steeping the them loose, then straining.
This way you can maximize surface area, as they won't crowd as they expand in the water.