How to Make Kratom Tea from Scratch

Soothing, calming, and uplifting – we could all use a daily dose of kratom in our lives. Native to the islands of Indonesia, kratom comes from the Mitragyna speciosa tree and it lends impressive herbal effects that can help you target a myriad of daily nuances, a learning to make kratom tea from scratch can be useful.

One of the easiest ways to enjoy kratom would be by turning it into tea. Lots of those who enjoy kratom steep their leaves in hot water to infuse their drink with the herb’s potent benefits.

Want to learn more about this unique method for enjoying kratom? Here’s everything you need to know about kratom tea and how you can make your own from scratch.

Homemade Kratom Tea Leaves

In most US states, it’s completely legal to grow your own Mitragyna speciosa tree in your own backyard. So if you’ve got a young tree that’s started to sprout large enough leaves, then it may be possible to harvest the fresh leaves and make kratom tea from scratch.

Tip: Avoid harvesting leaves that have just sprouted. Fully developed leaves will give you more potent benefits, so leave the new growth to reach full size before you harvest them.

In general, the Mitragyna speciosa tree will drop leaves on its own when it’s ready. To find the most viable leaves, give your tree a gentle shake. Any leaves that have reached their full development will fall off on their own.

Drying Harvested Fresh Leaves

It isn’t possible to make kratom tea out of fresh leaves, so if you’ve got a bunch of fresh leaves in your pantry, then you might want to dry them out. What’s more, dry leaves are easier to store altogether and have a much longer shelf life compared to fresh leaves.

There are several ways that you can dry out your fresh leaves, including:

• Fridge drying – Fridge drying is often the method of choice for most people because it’s easy and accessible. To dry your kratom leaves, take 6 to 8 leaves and stack them on top of each other with paper towels between each leaf.

Once they’re all stacked, place them inside your fridge. Store the leaves away from other fridge contents that might give off moisture. Every few days, interchange the stack by moving the topmost leaf to the bottom, giving each leaf a day of top stack exposure.

While it might take 2-3 weeks for your leaves to completely dry out, refrigeration is a great way to dry fresh kratom leaves because it keeps a lot of the alkaloid content intact.

• Sun drying – Sun drying is another practical way to dry out your kratom tea leaves. As the name of the method suggests, the process entails nothing more than simply laying out your leaves under the sun.

Take a tray and layout as many leaves as possible with minimal overlap. Then set it out under direct sunlight, preferably during sunrise up to sunset. Avoid leaving your kratom tea leaves out during the evening or before the sun rises since there might be excess moisture in the air.

Sun drying tends to take a much shorter time than fridge drying, requiring no more than a few days to a week in order to get your leaves completely dried out.

Keep in mind though that there is the risk of damaging the structure of the leaves when they’re left outside due to the wind and other elements. Because of that, you might also lose some of the alkaloid content.

Storing Kratom Tea Leaves

If you’ve made a fresh batch of dried kratom tea leaves, then the next thing you need to think about is storage. The way that you keep your tea leaves will impact the quality of its benefits. Poor storage can lead to alkaloid loss and may give you an unsatisfactory experience once you use the leaves.

Some people like crushing their kratom tea leaves and then putting them in an airtight ziplock bag or jar. For the purpose of making tea, whole or loose leaves are always better because they retain a larger amount of alkaloids and flavor. Turning your kratom tea leaves into powder or dust and then steeping them in water can make the taste even more bitter as tannins bind to the alkaloids.

Store your tea leaves in a dry area and away from direct sunlight. Under the right conditions, your kratom tea leaves could last for up to 6 months. However, if you want to enjoy the most potent benefits, using up all the leaves within 3 months after drying them should give you the strongest kick.

How to Make Kratom Tea

A common mistake people make in the process to make kratom tea from scratch is putting the leaves in the water as it boils. Exposure to high temperatures damages the alkaloids in the leaves, resulting in a subpar kratom tea drinking experience.

To get the best results, boil water separately and leave it to cool slightly. While waiting, take your desired amount of kratom tea leaves and place them in a tea bag or filter paper, ready for steeping.

How much dry leaves should you use? Remember that depending on the potency of the effects you want to achieve, it’s imperative that you adjust your dosage. Here’s a quick guide on how much kratom leaves you should use to achieve your desired effects:

• 2 – 6 g – mild effects
• 7 – 15 g – moderate effects
• 16 – 25 g – strong effects
• 26 – 50 g – very strong effects

Once you have your ideal dosage prepared in a tea bag or filter paper, steep the kratom tea leaves in your hot water. Leave it for about 5 – 10 minutes, making sure to remove the leaves before the tea becomes too bitter.

Making Kratom Tea with Powder

If you have kratom powder in your pantry, then it may still be possible to make tea. The method differs in that powder is mixed into the water itself. Instead of filtering the kratom tea, it can be taken as is with the powder sediments still in the brew.

Again, avoid boiling the powder with water since it can release the alkaloids that give it its potent effects. Instead, boil the water separately and mix the powder in after leaving the water to cool slightly from boiling temperature. Leave the mixture for 10 – 12 minutes and drink as is or add sugar, honey, or other flavors to mask the bitter taste.