How to Prepare Essiac Tea

Creating the Herbal Mixture

Combine the Turkish rhubarb root and slippery elm bark in a bowl. Wash your hands before handling the herbs. Use your hands to stir together 4 ounces (120 g) of powdered slippery elm bark with 1 ounce (30 g) of powdered Turkish rhubarb root in a large bowl. Avoid stirring too briskly which brings the dusty herbs into the air.

Mix in 1 pound (450 g) of powdered sheep sorrel leaves. If you've cut and ground these leaves yourself, it's fine if they're not completely powdered. Stir the leaves into the Turkish rhubarb root and slippery elm bark mixture.

Stir in 6 1/2 cups (1 pound 5 ounces or 767 g) of burdock root. Mix the cut and sifted burdock root into the other herbs until it's evenly distributed.

Store the herb mixture in a glass container for up to 1 year. Since you won't be using all of the herb mixture for 1 batch of tea, put the herbs in a clean glass container with a lid. Keep it in a cool dry place for up to 1 year.

Brewing the Concentrated Tea

Bring 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water to a boil over high heat. Pour the water into a stockpot that's at least 3 gallons (11 liters) in size. Put the lid on the pot and turn the burner to high. Heat the water until it comes to a vigorous boil. This should take about 30 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup (90 g) of the Essiac herb mixture. Wear oven mitts and remove the lid from the stockpot of boiling water. Add 1 cup (90 g) of your herb mixture and use a long stainless steel or wooden spatula to stir it into the water.

Cover and boil the tea for 10 minutes. Put the lid back on the stockpot and let the tea boil vigorously for 10 minutes. You may need to reduce the heat if it looks like the water will boil over the sides of the stockpot.

Turn off the burner and let the tea steep for 12 hours. Leave the stockpot covered while the tea steeps at room temperature. Remove the lid and stir the tea well at the halfway point. Then put the lid back on and let the tea finish steeping.

Turn the burner to high until the tea simmers. Keep the stockpot covered as you heat the tea. It may take up to 20 minutes for the tea to begin bubbling gently. Avoid boiling the tea since this can destroy the antioxidants in the herbs.

Turn off the burner and transfer the tea into your glass storage bottles. Leave the tea to settle for a few minutes before you pour it into your clean bottles. Place a clean funnel on a bottle and slowly ladle the tea into each bottle. You can use 12 16-ounce (473 ml) amber colored bottles or larger bottles of your choice. Other darker colored bottles are fine too since they'll also block sunlight from the tea. It's fine if sediment from the herbs settles in the bottom of the bottles.

Cap the bottles and store the bottles of tea in a cool dry place. Put clean caps on each of your filled bottles. Put the bottles in a cool dry pantry or storage cabinet. Once you open a bottle, you'll need to store it in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks. Unopened bottles of Essiac tea can be stored for 12 to 15 months.

Drinking the Diluted Tea

Bring water to boil and pour 4 tablespoons into a cup. Heat a kettle of water and pour 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of the boiling hot water into a tea cup or mug.

Stir in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the Essiac tea. Measure the tea from 1 of your prepared bottles and pour the tea into the boiling hot water. Stir the tea until it's combined with the water. Drinking diluted tea and water throughout the day will prevent side effects such as diarrhea, lower-back pain, and nausea. These are thought to be caused by toxins being released because of the tea.

Drink the tea on an empty stomach and wait 2 hours before eating. It's often recommended that you drink Essiac tea at bedtime or at least 2 hours after you've eaten. Wait 2 hours before you eat anything. Drink 1 serving of the tea a day. Avoid diluting the tea with milk. If you like, you can add a little honey or stevia.

Store the opened bottle of Essiac tea in the refrigerator. You can store unopened bottles in the pantry, but keep the opened bottle in the refrigerator. This will also make it easier to use the next day.