Another great reason to grow figs…FIG LEAF TEA!
I come from the belief that God made the world for us, not us for the world. With that in mind, I am always amazed but never surprised to find that a plant has multiple benefits and uses for us. That is the case with the fig. Of course, we know that the fruit is delicious and loaded with health benefits. Then there is the sap, which contains a type of latex which is used as a rennet for making cheese. (That was a fun one to discover recently for me.) Now, I have learned that the fig leaf is packed full of nutrients that help maintain healthy blood sugar levels and blood pressure among other things. Can we all say, Wow! According to MedicalDaily.com, fig leaves provide the following health benefits:
- Benefit #1: High fiber content.
- Benefit #2: Helps those with Diabetes.
- Benefit #3: Lowers High Blood pressure.
- Benefit #4: Increases bone density.
- Benefit #5: Lowers Triglycerides.
So, before your leaves fall off the tree (and anytime during the growing season) make sure you pick a few to dry. It won’t take many to have a year’s supply for use in fig leaf tea.
Just tie some together and hang them in a cool, dry location until they are completely dry.
I like to dry most of my herbs in my pantry simply by hanging them with twine and clothes pins.
For this tea I decided to grab the peppermint leaves drying next to the fig leaves.
I put them in a gallon size ziplock bag to crush them (you can reuse it over and over again).
Once crushed, pour them out onto a newspaper to take out all of the stems.
Then pick up the newspaper and pour them into a jar for storage. EASY!
For the tea, simply steep a tablespoon full in boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain it and drink.
Add fig leaves to any herbal tea to compound the benefits. Peppermint itself helps treat so many things from irritable bowel syndrome to decreased prostate cancer growth. Check out this site, GreenMedInfo.com.
Fig leaf tea on its own has a mild, fresh flavor that is enhanced with a drop of honey. This is something you can drink every day and feel good about.
