Making mulberry tea is straightforward: steep dried or fresh mulberry leaves in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. You can also make a fruit version using fresh mulberries. The leaf tea has a mild, slightly grassy flavor and is naturally caffeine-free, which makes it a good option for any time of day. Here’s how to prepare it both ways, plus tips on harvesting and drying your own leaves.
Basic Mulberry Leaf Tea
Start with about 1 teaspoon of dried mulberry leaves (roughly 2 grams) per cup of water. If you’re using fresh leaves, double that amount since fresh leaves are lighter and less concentrated. Bring your water to a boil, then pour it over the leaves in a mug or teapot. Let it steep for 5 to 10 minutes. A shorter steep gives you a lighter, more delicate cup, while a longer steep pulls out more of the leaf’s earthy flavor and active compounds.
Strain the leaves and drink it plain, or add honey or lemon to taste. Mulberry leaf tea has a smooth, slightly sweet quality on its own, so many people enjoy it without any additions.
Cold Brew Method
For a gentler, less bitter flavor, try cold brewing. Use a ratio of about 1 gram of dried leaves per 100 milliliters of water. Place the leaves in room temperature water instead of hot, and let the jar sit in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Cold brewing extracts flavors slowly, producing a smoother cup without the sharper notes that hot water can pull out quickly. Strain and serve over ice.
Harvesting and Drying Your Own Leaves
If you have access to a mulberry tree, you can make tea from scratch. Pick young, tender leaves, ideally in late spring or early summer when they’re bright green and not yet tough or leathery. Avoid leaves from trees that have been sprayed with pesticides or sit near busy roads.
Rinse the leaves thoroughly to remove dirt and insects. From here you have a few drying options:
- Air drying: Spread the leaves in a single layer on a clean towel or drying rack in a warm, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight. Turn them once a day. They’ll be fully dry and crumbly in 3 to 5 days depending on humidity.
- Oven drying: Place leaves on a baking sheet and dry at the lowest oven setting (around 150 to 170°F) for 1 to 2 hours, checking frequently. The leaves are done when they crumble easily between your fingers.
- Light roasting: For a richer, slightly toasty flavor, dry-roast the leaves in a skillet over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly until they darken slightly and become fragrant. This is a traditional method that deepens the tea’s flavor.
Store dried leaves in an airtight container away from light and moisture. They’ll keep for several months.
Making Tea From Mulberries (the Fruit)
Mulberry fruit makes a very different drink: a sweet, berry-forward iced tea rather than the herbal leaf version. To make it, pulse about 1 cup of fresh mulberries in a food processor until broken up. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing with a spoon to extract all the juice. Stir that juice into brewed black or green tea that’s been chilled. Sweeten to taste, starting with a few tablespoons of sugar per 4 cups of tea. This works equally well with blackberries or blueberries if you want to experiment.
You can also simmer whole mulberries in water for 10 to 15 minutes, strain, and drink the resulting liquid as a simple fruit tisane. The color is a deep reddish-purple, and the flavor is mild and berry-sweet without much tartness.
What’s Actually in Mulberry Leaf Tea
Mulberry leaves contain a compound that blocks an enzyme your body uses to break down carbohydrates into sugar. This is why mulberry tea has a reputation for supporting blood sugar balance. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, mulberry leaf extract significantly reduced total blood glucose rise after a carbohydrate-rich meal over a 120-minute period, with higher doses producing a greater effect (up to a 22% reduction compared to placebo).
The leaves also contain several antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids like quercetin derivatives and a natural form of GABA, a compound associated with relaxation and blood pressure regulation. The specific antioxidant and nutrient content varies depending on the variety of mulberry tree and when the leaves were harvested, with younger leaves generally offering higher concentrations.
Side Effects and Interactions
Mulberry leaf tea is well tolerated by most people. Studies lasting up to 12 weeks have reported no serious harmful effects, according to the National Institutes of Health. The most common complaints are digestive: bloating, gas, constipation, or loose stools, particularly when you first start drinking it or consume large amounts.
Because mulberry leaf can lower blood sugar, combining it with diabetes medications creates a risk of blood sugar dropping too low. If you take medication for blood sugar management, it’s worth discussing mulberry tea with your prescriber before making it a daily habit. Safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding hasn’t been well studied, so there isn’t enough data to confirm it’s safe during those periods.
Tips for the Best Cup
A few small adjustments make a noticeable difference in flavor and quality:
- Leaf age matters: Young, light-green leaves produce a smoother tea. Older, larger leaves tend to taste more bitter and fibrous.
- Don’t over-steep: Going past 10 minutes with hot water can make the tea taste grassy and astringent. If you want a stronger cup, use more leaves rather than steeping longer.
- Pair it well: Mulberry leaf tea blends nicely with green tea, mint, or a small piece of dried ginger. These additions complement the mild base flavor without overwhelming it.
- Start with 1 to 2 cups daily: This gives your digestive system time to adjust and lets you gauge how your body responds before increasing your intake.