This nettle leaf and red raspberry leaf tea is my regular tea blend and a great introduction to making your own loose-leaf teas. This recipe shows you how to make a half gallon of iced tea or a small cup of hot tea making this tea perfect anytime of year.

This delicious tea works well with other herbs and helps you determine the quantities to use as you experiment with other herbs for tea making. Once you see how easy tea-making can be, you can branch out and try adding or swapping other herbs for added health benefits and variety.

This is a lifestyle blog, the posts on my site contain my opinions and are meant for entertainment or informational purposes only, and shouldn’t be seen as any kind of medical advice. I am not a professional please talk to your healthcare provider before taking any new supplements or herbs.

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic nettle leaf

1/4 cup organic red raspberry leaf or red clover

1/4 cup other herbs of choice (opt.)

2-4 springs of fresh mint or 2 tablespoons peppermint leaf

up to 8 cups of water

1 tablespoon raw honey (or to taste)

Equipment needed

Tea kettle or medium saucepan

half-gallon glass jar

Stainless steel tea strainer

Benefits of Nettle Leaf

(stinging nettle)

Nettle is a truly powerful herb packed full of vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Especially vitamin D and K2. Nettle tea is cancer-fighting, anti-aging, good for blood pressure and blood sugar. It helps prevent common women’s health issues such as urinary tract infections, and anemia.

Benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf

Red raspberry leaf is high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It aids the body in detoxification and supports a healthy metabolism. This herb has been used to support women during all stages of life, especially pregnancy, postpartum, and the menstrual cycle, as well as to increase milk supply.

Red raspberry is considered a tonic herb and has been used as a pregnancy tea throughout history, be sure to consult your doctor or midwife concerning safety during the different stages of pregnancy.

Why make loose-leaf tea?

Making your own tea from loose-leaf herbs is fun and health-supporting! Choose your own tea combinations to support your overall health. Start with this recipe then you can branch out and add other health-supporting herbs, one at a time based on the health benefits you are looking for.

Other Herbs to Try in This Tea

English lavender flower
Oat straw
Holy Basil
Dandelion leaf
dandelion leaf
organic rose hips
alfalfa leaf
Red clover
Lemon balm

How to Use This Tea/ Variations

This recipe is the perfect starting point to support your health and start making your own tea combinations based on your health needs. Nettle leaf is made to be the base herb in this recipe then you can swap an herb for raspberry leaf such as red clover if you choose and add in other herbs up to 1/4 cup. If adding in stronger herbs just use a couple of Tablespoons of that herb. I usually aim for about 3/4 to 1 cup of loose herbs for my tea when using a half-gallon mason jar, you can add more or less depending on your preferences.

Variations:

What a different version of tea may look like:

1/2 cup nettle leaf

1/4 cup red clover

2 tablespoons holy basil

2 tablespoons dandelion root or leaf

4 springs of fresh mint

How to make a single cup of tea

Using a tea strainer or tea ball add about 2 heaping tablespoons of nettle and 1 heaping tablespoon of red raspberry leaf, 1 spring of mint, honey to taste.

Process shot of steeping a single cup of loose leaf tea.

Where to purchase your herbs?

When you are getting started, I recommend buying your loose herbs from your local health food store or some companies offer smaller quantities. That way you do not have to commit to buying such a large amount at one time and you can experiment with different tea combinations to see which you like best.

When you are ready to buy larger amounts, I recommend purchasing from:

Vita Cost
Mountain rose herbs
Frontier
Amazon

Step-By-Step Instructions

Begin by boiling water, 4-7 cups, depending on your brewing container. (Use a Half-gallon jar or Quart-size mason jar.)
Place honey into your jar, then add your herbs, nettle leaf, red raspberry leaf, and fresh mint, to a large tea strainer or place them loose in your jar to filter after they infuse.
Pour hot water over the herb mixture. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes or longer.
When tea is done infusing remove the tea strainer or if you placed the herb mix into the jar, place the strainer onto another half-gallon jar and pour the tea through the strainer into the jar. Some of the remaining herbs will collect at the bottom of the jar pour off the remaining liquid then place your hand in the jar squeeze the remaining liquid from the herbs and pour it through the strainer.
Add filtered water to make 8 cups of tea total.
Stir and serve over ice.
Place a lid on your half a gallon of tea and place it in the fridge.
Keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Check out the full recipe and ingredient list below, and connect with me in the comment section.