I know all about making sassafras tea from roots---drank it all my growing' up days on the farm.

Howsomever, I'd dried up some leaves for 'filet' (sp?) to cook with. Today, my missus ground it into a fine powder. Just now she came carrying it into here (where I'm clickety-clackin' on this key-board), sniffing it and wonderin', "Reckon we could make tea out of this?" I sniffed at it, myself, and dogged if it doesn't smell like tea bags!

Anybody know if this was ever done? If so, I'll have my sassafras trees plucked as bald as a senator's noggin before the foliage falls off---the leaves are a nice bright red, right now, sorta like a senator's face when's he's been caught in a scandal.

Fiddlesticks

'Schticks,
Are you saying that you have eaten the stuff in food before? If you have, then it is likely not poisoness, unless the concentration in tea would make it so. If it is not poisoness, then you need only experiment with the amount of powder to put into a gallon jug to make tea to your taste. Let us know how it tastes. Or have Mrs. 'Schticks let us know if you don't survive.
volatpluvia

it aint poisnis i have made tea from just sticking the leaves and water and boiling it. it works the same pretty much. i also rub the green leaves on my clothing as kind of a scent cover up

Volie, the sassafras leaf is a common spice used in Cajun cooking. Ever heard the old song, "Jambalya and a crawfish pie, and a filet gumbo . . . (Goes back to Hank Williams, Sr.)

Wal, the filet in the gumbo is dried sassafras leaves.

Done et some in a stew this week. Ponderin' over the tea. I was just wondering if it was historically done.

Hey, thanks Coon'! I've lived amongst it and lived on it all my life and never thought of tea from the leaves, before!

Thanks,

Fiddlesticks

The root is the part mostly used for tea. I t has blood thinning properties and is very medicinal. The Virginia Colony had a contract with Britain to supply a certain amount annually. It is also said to aid in menstration and colds. It does have great historical significance. However, safroil (sp) is cancer causing so when you add the dried root chips to your boiling pot of water for tea - only skim off the top - the hazardous part is suppost to settle to the bottom. My grandfather used to bring home roots all the time when he worked on the gas lines in the 50's.
ALSO, I have used a product named "Pappy's" it is a sassafras concentrate and contains NO saffroil. Gonna go make myself now.

...also, watch that filet gumbo--sassafras leaves have a propensity to give some folks the runs! It has laxative properties.

laxative properties? Don't need that! Don't want that, either. Had sassafras tea in my younger days, but don't remember that aspect of it...but I'll take your word for it.

WHAT IS IN THE GUMBO IS PRONUCED
FEELAY............ NOT FILET
(a cajun told me to say that)

Well ,
Can I buy these leaves at the local general store ? I would like to try out this here tea yall are talking about.
MM

Medicine Man, all the Sassafras Tea I ever had was made from the root. Don't know if you can get it at the store.

I wonder if you can get at one of those herb stores ?
MM

I been seeing a lot about sassafras causing liver cancer or at least the chemical Safrole, which is what gives it the taste. Safrole is strongest in the root which is why the roots make the best tea. You fellers might want to do a little checking before gulping large quanities on a daily basis but anything in large quanities would be bad for you. Even say...........Moon Pies!
Here in the South, Sassafrass tea always been talked about as a Spring thing. Like eating Poke Salad which I hear contains poisons also. My Granny said it would get the poison OUT of you.
Go figure. I'd believe Granny over modern any day.

Medicine Man,
I bet you can get sassafras root or leaves or even sassafras carvings on the internet.
Sparks

"Pappy's" is a sassafras conccentrate minus the "poisons".
As far as cancer goes, the Surgeon General label did not exsist when I started chewing bacco but somehow when I turned green, I knew it weren't no good for me. Still chewing twenty-five years later.
If it feels good or you like it.....STOP IT !!

Hello! New here.

I still remember my grandmother in Cape Girardeau Mo, boiling roots she dug up. Recently I bought nearly 2 pounds of sassafras on Ebay (search for "sassafras roots"). Not alot of roots, but limbs with bark, etc. Plenty of scent but we'll see how good it is.

I had heard that boiling the leaves doesn't work well, but that sounds false after reading the posts here.

The cancer issue, from what I understand, is false because rats apparently change the saffrole molecule into something that causes cancer. Humans don't have this problem. But the FDA apparently doesn't know this... oh well. I think it's like the Stevia issue...Stevia is what I use in place of sugar. It's perfectly safe and natural. The FDA says it cannot be sold as a sweetener but you can sell it as a "dietary supplement". Well, either way, you are eating it so what is the difference. Secondly, as a "dietary supplement" it is totally worthless...since there is absolutely no dietary value to it at all.

But then the sugar producers want to stay in business... ahem.

Nice to find the forum. I found out that sassafras trees will grow in central illinois ok and I'm going to order a tree and plant it in April. Again, it's nice to know the leaves can be used for tea, etc.

As for "Pappy's tea concentrate", I've used it. Pricey but good.

Welcome to the fire Tim! Glad you can grow 'fras in Illinois. I might say that the leaves are also mighty fine smoothbore wadding! Knocked many a squirrel for a loop whilst using them! 'Fras, the Wonder Tree . . . reckon?

Fiddlesticks

Howdy!

Yup, I'm happy that we can grow it here. I saw one map that showed that they grow as far north as near springfield, but the growing zone I'm in is fine for them. I'm west of Peoria.

Has anyone ever reported Sassafras helping with diabetes? My blood sugar has been lower in the morning since I started drinking sassafras. Nothing else is different. My diet hasn't change but I noticed this yesterday morning and then this morning. I just started drinking it two days ago...

I'm amazed at how much I'm getting out of the roots I'm using. I used just a few sticks and pieces and I think so far I've gotten 3 gallons out of it.

You boil roots over and over till they don't produce? That's what I was thinking anyway.

I'd be getting my tree(s) from Lees trees in Tennessee. Here a link to one of their auctions:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sassafras-Tree-3-4-ft-1-2-yr-old_W0...ZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
But I think I'll wait till April. I can plant then.

Nice to meet you all. Although I live in West Central Illinois, I was born in SPringfield Missouri. We moved here when I was two, but we'd visit grandmother down in Cape Girardeau Missouri. She lived to be 94. I think she would've lived longer but after she fell down a flight of stairs, she got steadily worse. Even Sassafras can't help some things...

Anyway, that was nearly 21 years ago. Still miss her alot.

Yup. I'm hooked on this stuff. I have most of what I just got from W. Virginia and now I have two more pounds on the way!