Fall is in the air and that means the push is on to harvest all the herbs possible before winter sets in. One of the main herbs that is useful for any herb cupboard is red raspberry leaves. Used for teas and infusions, red raspberry leaves are also one of the most economical.

Red raspberry leaves are used as the base for many herbal tea blends. It gives a tea-like flavor to the blend, and is mild enough that everyone seems to enjoy it.

 

Leaves can be harvested any time of year, and for larger harvests, I encourage constant small batches of leaves harvested all throughout the season. But harvesting in the late summer and fall works just fine. I harvest towards the end of the season. Raspberries line the edges of my yard, so I can easily walk around every evening with a basket and harvest one dehydrator full of leaves a day. 

To harvest red raspberry leaves: 

Snip off the growing tips of the branches and the first few sets of leaves down the branch. I alternate and do this randomly to spread the harvest out a bit. Leave the green stems right on the leaves. 

Dry your leaves:

Once you have your day's harvest, place them stems and all, onto dehydrator trays. Make sure you don't pile them on too thickly, but overlapping the leaves is fine, as they dry fairly quickly. 

Dry at 115-135 degrees if you have a thermostat, or low to medium otherwise. Your leaves will be ready when they are crisp but still remain brightly green on top and whitish on the bottom.

 

Gently hand crush the leaves into the size desired for tea. Then store in glass jars out of the sun. 

Because I only harvest the green, thin stems, they can be left in the tea blend. Anything that won't break up with the leaves should be removed. Especially if you will be putting your raspberry leaves into tea bags. 

Great farmer's market product: 

Harvesting and drying red raspberry leaves is a simple process. If you have the room to dry them, it would also make a wonderful farmer's market item. By harvesting later in the season, you will have plenty of product for your table when other vendors are running out of things to sell. Anyone buying herbs for tea will appreciate buying fresh, organic leaves to use as is or to add to their own tea blends. 

Q & A From Readers: 

Q: Should I harvest from 1st or 2nd year canes? Does it matter? 

A: Either is fine. Your cane may be a year old, but the leaves fall off each fall and you would be harvesting fresh leaves no matter how old the canes are. I do recommend harvesting the tips and near the ends of each cane where the leaves seem brightest though.

Q: Can I make tea with just raspberry leaves, or do I need to add other herbs? 

A: You can certainly make plain raspberry leaves. It's delicious and tastes very similar to black tea, so add your favorite milk, sugar, or lemon as desired. It does make a nice base for adding other herbs to however. Sort of the foil for all your herb teas that would otherwise taste a little weak. Raspberry leaves have no bitter aftertaste, and even made into strong infusions, they are good tasting. 

Q: Should I drink red raspberry infusions?

A: Yes! Red raspberry leaves can be infused and enjoyed on a daily basis. Raspberry leaf infusions contain high levels of potassium, iron and magnesium, plus b vitamins. These  are all specifically good for the reproductive system in women. Raspberry leaf tea is also great for gum health, so drink away!