How to Make Huckleberry Leaf Tea

Huckleberry leaf tea has a tart flavor.

Dried huckleberry leaves

Medium-sized tea infuser

Teaspoon

Tea kettle with water thermometer

Tea cup

Measuring cup

Tap water

Mortar

Pestle

Trash can

Things You'll Need

• Huckleberry leaf tea is easy to prepare. (However, if you plan on harvesting the leaves instead of buying them, you need to pick them in the summer.) The plant and its berries have medicinal qualities, such as helping relieve circulatory ailments like varicose veins and improving digestion. People also drink the tea because they like the taste, which has a tart flavor that's a cross between raspberry and blueberry.

Instructions

Prepare the Tea Leaves

1. 

   A mortar is a bowl that's used for grinding ingredients like herbs.

   Put 1 teaspoon of huckleberry leaves in the mortar.

2. 

   A pestle is a stick-like tool that's used with a mortar.

   Grind the pestle against the leaves to crush them into small pieces.

3. 

   A tea infuser holds tea leaves while they steep in water.

   Open the tea infuser.

4. Scoop the tea leaves from the mortar with the teaspoon and place them in one side of the tea infuser.

5. Snap the infuser closed.

6. Sit the infuser in the tea cup.

Prepare the Water

1. 

   Always start with cold water when you make tea.

   Let your cold tap water run for 10 seconds to flush impurities from it.

2. Fill the measuring cup with 6 ozs. of water.

3. 

   A water thermometer tells when the water reaches the temperature you want.

   Pour the water into the tea kettle with the water thermometer.

4. Set the tea kettle on a stove burner and turn the burner on high.

5. Let the kettle sit on the burner until the water thermometer indicates that the water has reached between 205 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

Steep the Tea

1. Pour the hot water into the tea cup.

2. Let the tea steep for five minutes. If you prefer stronger tea, let the leaves steep for six or seven minutes.

3. Remove the tea diffuser from the tea cup.

4. Dump the tea leaves into the trash can and rinse the diffuser with hot water.

5. Let the tea cool for a few minutes before drinking it.

Tips & Warnings

• For sweetness, add honey or table sugar to your tea. Lemon will make the drink more tart. If you prefer a smoother flavor, pour a few teaspoons of milk into it.

• If you drink huckleberry leaf tea every day, stop consuming it after three weeks. Too much of the herb may make you feel sick. Give your body a few weeks to completely flush the tea from its system before you resume drinking it.

References

• North Idaho Homebrewers: Cami Berry Ale
• Herbco: Huckleberry Leaf Whole
• Home Depot: Presto Heat n' Steep Electric Tea Kettle
• Learn-About-Tea: Tips for Brewing Tea