Strawberry Leaves

Did you know that the leaves of the strawberry plant are even more nutrient-rich and beneficial than the berries themselves?

That's right! And you can brew a great tea with strawberry leaves to get all those health benefits.

Let's look at some of the nutritive properties of strawberry leaves, and then we'll delve into some recipes for a tea that will allow you to extract them.

Nutrients in Strawberry Leaves

Some of the nutrients in strawberry leaves:

• Antioxidants
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron
• Caffeic Acid

Strawberry Leaf Tea

What Is Strawberry Leaf Tea?

Now that you've (hopefully) grown your own delicious strawberries, you're ready to brew up some healthful strawberry leaf tea. But what exactly is it?

Strawberry leaf tea is, pretty obviously, a tea that's made from the leaves of the strawberry plant.

The leaves impart a mild and earthy flavor. Some say there is a fruityness to them, while others say they're just herbaceous and a bit grassy.

While the taste isn't anything to write home about, the health benefits we're after are much more important than how it tastes. We'll also look at a couple recipes later to doctor up this health-tea and make it truly something tasty and amazing.

Strawberry Leaf Benefits

Strawberry leaf tea is a veritable health tonic, boasting some great benefits and a number of important nutrients.

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Let's look at some of the reasons why strawberry leaves are so good for you:

Strawberry leaves can help with stomach issues, digestion, cramps, and nausea.

They're anti-inflammatory.

They contain caffeic acid, which has also been found to help with arthritis and joint pain.

Strawberry leaves can also help lower blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even aid with kidney issues.

How To Make Strawberry Leaf Tea

Hot Tea

Simply pour boiling water over your strawberry leaves, and allowed to steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Then strain out the leaves, and optionally stir in a little local raw honey.

You can also steep the berries with the leaves to add some extra flavor to the tea. The two make such a great combo together.

Cold Brew

Cold brew is the slowest extraction method, and happens in the fridge.

It yields the smoothest flavor with the least bitterness compared to other extraction methods.

Add your strawberry leaves (and anything else, e.g.: hibiscus roselles) to a jar or pitcher of water and leave in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours before enjoying.

Sun Tea

Sun tea is a favorite during the summer because you don't even have to fire up the kettle.

Just leave a jar of water with your strawberry leaves in it out in the sun all day and you've got a great extraction.

Pour over ice and serve.

This warm extraction balances some of the benefits of cold brew (smooth and less bitter) with some of the benefits of hot tea (quicker extraction times) for the best of both worlds.

Iced Tea

Make hot strawberry leaf tea as above, and then pour over ice or put in the fridge for a few hours.

Refresher

Another option is to puree the strawberries in water, and strain them into your strawberry leaf tea. I find this to be particularly refreshing when poured over ice in the summer!

Lemonade

You can steep strawberry leaves with any extractio method above. Then add the strawberry leaf tea into your strawberry lemonade for an absurdly good summer bevvy.