How do you make Sassafrass tea?

[JSUnlimited]

The remnants of "Ike" blew through here in Ohio and took down a couple of trees around my property. One of which was a large Sassafrass. Dad always talked about "Sassafrass tea" but I had never had any of it. So after cutting up the tree, I took the backhoe and dug up the remainder of the stump and roots. I have several roots left ranging in size to use.

So how do you make it?

 

[stub]

Take some small roots and boil them. If drink a lot of it, it'll make your neck burn and keep you awake but it won't kill you.

 

[forgeblast]

I hadn't heard about sassafras tea, so I did a little research: apparently, sassafras tea is created from the young roots of the sassafras tree (Sassafras Albidum), where the concentration of safrole (an oily liquid) is highest in the plant.
One must be careful, and informed, when using Sassafras as an herbal agent. There is conflicting, and incomplete, evidence that safrol has carcinogenic properties.
Wikipedia says that consumables containing more than a specific small amounts of safrole were banned by the U.S. and Canada in 1960, based on animal studies and human case reports.

 

[Western]

Sassafrass was used by the Indians as a blood thinner and purifyer, I have drank it since I was a kid.. Its the flavering in good quality Root beer.

What we do, I take a large 4 qt pot, rinse the roots in cool water. (use roots that are below the dirt line) place 7-8 pieces in the pot that are big but stay under water, I usually boil it for 30-45 minutes or until good dark water. I always use a cloth over a pitcher to strain, then add suger to taste.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

i've always heard of this but never tried it

is it actually good? i know this is open to debate but i'm curious

 

[LBrown59]

The remnants of "Ike" blew through here in Ohio and took down a couple of trees around my property here in 1*SE Ohio.
One of which was a large Sassafrass. Dad always talked about "Sassafrass tea" but I had never had any of it.
2*So after cutting up the tree,
3* I took the backhoe and dug up the remainder of the stump and roots.

1*What part of SE Ohio?
I'm in the Washington County part.

2*A couple of years ago I grubbed about \.6 acres here.
There were several 2 to 4 inch Sassafrass trees.
3*Don't you just love the smell that stirs up?
I sure do?
L B S

 

[LBrown59]

1*i've always heard of this but never tried it.
2*is it actually good?

1*Mom used to make it when I was a kid.
2*I like it.

 

[polo1665]

Used to chew on the leaves when I was a kid in western Michigan. Oily, but had a nice taste to them. Never tried to make tea with the roots though. The wood is also good to smoke meat with from what I've heard. We have some trees on the property, I'll have to try it for smoking.

Mark

 

[MossRoad]

Young leaves are good to chew on... just spit them out when done chewing.

As for the tea.... find young saplings and yank them up. Use the small, tender roots and boil in water for a while. Filter it, sugar it, drink it, tell yourself that you have now drank sassafrass tea, pour it out and have a Coke. It is yucky stuff!

 

[MrWoodChips]

and have a Coke. It is yucky stuff!

Exactly so. I never could stand the taste of coke.

John

 

[polo1665]

Exactly so. I never could stand the taste of coke.

John

Its O.K. if there is a suitable amount of rum added to it

Mark

 

[JSUnlimited]

Its O.K. if there is a suitable amount of rum added to it

Mark

I was thinking of that! Thanks for the replys but after reading other sites about the tea, I may be better off continuing to chewing tobacco. I'm not too savvy in the kitchen so maybe I'll just let this idea pass on. Maybe that is why the ole' man never made it for me? Of course, if there were rum or some crown in it then maybe it might not taste so bad!

 

[SPIKER]

I have a sandwich bag full of sassafras root setting a foot from me right now. it is made using young root bark (the red colored stuff is best) rinse all dirt off and peel off the bark from anything that is slightly larger than small twig. This bag is about 2 years old still smells great. You can boil it in the pan for a few min but most recipes call for making it similar to sun tea, setting the roots into the water for 24 hrs then removing for a more delicate taste. there are a LOT of research on it that says it is bad for ya, as posted above someplace. but also a lot of contradictory info. I choose to keep some around for "pot-porie" as it smells so good. yesterday we cut down some small ~2' saplings from the fence in the back yard. there are none around as far as eye can see to where these were so seeds must really get a good ways away. I suspect birds dropped these there.

yes it is a good drink and made the flavor in root beer in old days.

Mark M