Winter is here and there is no better time for a comforting tea rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and flavor. . . but without the caffeine.  Red raspberry leaves make a wonderful tea base for your favorite fruits, spices, and sweeteners.

What makes our loose leaf tea special is that our tea leaves are harvested under our high tunnels and are guaranteed no-spray.  Leaves are harvested  at the optimum time for flavor and nutrition – in the flowering stage.   Because we are a small farm, we can do this twice a year – in the spring, on our primocanes and then again in the fall on the floricanes.   Our tea leaves are crushed and hand sifted.   Crushed leaves are available in 8 oz (by volume) lots at $7.50 each.  To keep shipping costs low leaves are packaged in 1/2 lb tin-tie coffee style bags (not in mason jar that is pictured here).

Red raspberry whole leaf tea – 6″ wreath, 10″ wreath, or 20″ swag.

These wreathes are woven just after the branches have been harvested from the plant, and some of the flowers and young berries are still intact.  One large leaf or two smaller leaves will make two cups of tea when steeped from ten to  fifteen minutes.  The leaves can be brewed whole or crushed into an infuser or reusable tea bag.  Each  6″ wreath yields ten to 20 cups or about 5 small pots; 10″ wreathes about twice that yield, and swags are about four times that yield.  Each is garnished with a vintage linen motif, handmade and hand dyed with red raspberries.  6″ wreath=$12.00;  10″ wreath=$20.00; 20″ swag=$26.00.