Red Raspberry Leaf: Female Reproductive Tonic as a Delicious Sweet Tea! [Recipe inside]

Red Raspberry Leaf and nectarine iced tea in the making! 

Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus) tastes gently sweet and earthy, and is a uterine and pelvic tonic. The way I’ve made it here tastes like what I imagine an authentic Southern sweet tea would be like, except it’s incredibly healthful.

Red Raspberry Leaf is beneficial for all phases of the female life cycle from menses and pregnancy to menopause and it's just plain tasty and nutritious! As an herbal tonic (tonic means beneficial and safe for daily use), astringent (tightens and heals tissues), and nutrient, this herb is helpful for menstrual irregularities, heavy menses, uterine fibroids and frequent urination. You can drink 1-3 cups daily.

This herb is typically thought of as a pregnancy herb, but it’s beneficial to all bodies, all the time because it’s high in minerals like potassium, zinc, magnesium and calcium.

During the last trimester of my pregnancy, I drank about 3 cups of this infusion daily to help prepare for childbirth. It’s not necessary, but it tastes great, is nutritious and why not give a little extra tone and strength to my uterine muscles for the herculean feat of childbirth!

I buy nutritious and gentle herbs like Red Raspberry Leaf and Nettle Leaf in bulk because when making an herbal infusion, you want at least a handful of herb per 32 ounces of water, so it gets used quickly!

Mountain Rose Herbs, Pacific Botanicals in Oregon and Starwest Botanicals are some of my favorite online, high-quality suppliers to source herbs from. 

Let it steep for 4 hours to overnight, strain and enjoy warmed up or kept chilled in the fridge.

I added sliced fresh nectarines to the dried red raspberry leaf herb in the mason jar, then added freshly boiled water to cover. I let it steep 4 hours on my countertop, then placed in the fridge to start chilling for an hour. I strained the brewed herbs and nectarines, and was left with a deliciously naturally sweetened, herbal tea. You can also add a bit of raw honey if you like. 

The combo of Raspberry Leaf with nectarines or peaches is super good-- tastes like a sweetened iced black tea. If nectarines or peaches are out of season, try apples or pears instead. Yum!

Any questions? Just ask! 

Xoxoxox, Veronica

Clinical Herbalist and certified Fertility Awareness Educator