Directions for Making Essiac Tea

Essiac tea has long been held as a potent alternative therapy for cancer, a detoxifying substance and an immune-system booster. The degree to which it is effective, if at all, is still being determined and debated by scientists and medical professionals. Regardless, the mixture still makes for a tasty and calming tea. This guide will show you the key steps to making essiac tea.

Supplies and Ingredients

• To make essiac tea, you'll need a few key kitchen supplies, which can easily be found at your local food supply store, hardware store or grocery. First, you'll need a teapot. Make sure it is made from either enamel or stainless steel, but not aluminum, which can react to the tea. You will also need to purchase canning jars, rings and lids as well as a strainer, a funnel and a measuring cup. As for ingredients, you'll need 6.5 cups of burdock root, a pound of powdered sheep sorrel herb, 1/4 lb. of powdered slippery elm bark and an ounce of powdered Turkish rhubarb root.

Preparation

• Take all the ingredients and mix them together thoroughly. Put the concoction in a glass jar or jars and store in a dark location, such as the kitchen cupboard. Next, using a measuring cup, scoop out an ounce of the herb mixture. Boil in 32 oz. of water over a stove top for 10 minutes, ensuring the pot or teapot is covered. Turn off the stove and allow the mixture to sit overnight, ensuring it is still covered. The next day, reheat the mixture over the stove until it is steaming, and then allow it to cool once more. Finally, using the strainer, strain the mixture through the filter into the jars and allow the mixture to cool further.

Storage

• After the essiac tea mixture has been properly strained into glass jars and sealed, you can store the jars in the cupboard or any other dark location. However, once the jar has been opened for use, you must be sure to store the jars in the refrigerator. As an additional precaution to prevent molding, you may choose to store the jars initially in the refrigerator, forgoing storing them in the cupboard altogether. As you reach the last bit of tea in a jar, your mixture will be thick. Pour this thick mixture into a larger jar and store in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, the mixture will have separated, allowing you to use the tea portion and discard the thicker sediment.