Alwanza: Essiac Tea Formula

Essiac Tea

Ingredients by weight:

24 parts Burdock (aka gobo) root (Arctium lappa), cut
16 parts Sheep Sorrel plant (Rumex acetosella), cut or powder
4 parts Slippery Elm bark (Ulmus rubra), powder
1 part Turkey Rhubarb root (Rheum palmatum), granulated

Example of ingredients by volume for estimates only:

1.5 cups Burdock root, cut
2 cups Sheep Sorrel plant, cut
1/4 cup Slippery Elm bark, powder
1 tablespoon Turkey Rhubarb root, granulated

Instructions:

Mix up a batch of herbs and put them in a jar so you will have them when you need them. Store whatever you are not using in a cool, dark, dry place.

The proportions for a batch of tea are 1 cup herb mix to 1 quart water.
Be sure to use either a glass or stainless steel cooking pot with a lid for making the tea.
If the resulting remedy shows signs of mold, fungus, or bacterial growth, discard and do not use.

Put clean unhalogenated water in pot and bring to a rolling boil.
Turn heat down and add herbs.
Mix herbs into water with wooden spoon or chopstick.
Simmer with lid on for 10 mintues.
Turn off the heat.
Stir the mix with wooden spoon or chopstick, especially bringing any herb that is on the side of the pot back into the water.

Put lid back on pot and let mixture sit and cool for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, reheat the pot to almost boiling point but do not boil.
Turn off heat and while still hot, using a metal strainer with single weave holes, strain the mixture into another very clean glass or stainless steel container, separating the herb solids from the liquid.
While still hot, strain a second time, either into the original pot after it is washed, or another very clean glass or stainless steel container.

Do not use cheese cloth or filter paper, as we want to keep the tiny loose leaves in the Essiac tea.
The slippery elm has turned the wet herbs into a gelatinous sludge. It is also acceptable to decant off the liquid and strain it into storage containers.
The gelatinous solids can be discarded.

Pour liquid and whatever tiny leaves remain into very clean glass storage jars, allow to cool, then place in refrigerator.
If the resulting remedy shows signs of mold, fungus, or bacterial growth, discard and do not use.

Usage:

Shake to mix sediment before pouring. Take at least twice daily.
Half a cup of tea, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and wait 2 hours before eating.
Half a cup of tea, at night, at least 2 hours after final meal.