Sea Buckthorn Tea

Are you looking for the perfect hot drink to boost your immune system for the cold winter days? Then this sea buckthorn tea recipe might be the right one for you. This light tea, made from sea buckthorn leaves and berries, bursts with healthy vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and delicious flavor. Also, it is free of caffeine and has no stimulant properties, making it a great, cozy evening drink.  

What is Sea Buckthorn 

Sea buckthorn is a thorny shrub that fruits bright orange berries. Other common names for the shrub are sandthorn, Siberian pineapple, shallow thorn, or seaberry. These berries are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Their unique astringent flavor makes them a versatile ingredient. 

Where to find Sea Buckthorn

If you live in a region where sea buckthorn grows, you might consider foraging it yourself. The shrub grows in multiple regions around the world. Here in Northern Europe, it commonly grows close to the coastlines. Still, the plant also grows in parts of Asia and North America. It typically thrives in areas with cold winters and well-drained soil. The shrub grows up to two meters tall, with narrow, long leaves with silver scales. 

I was in Denmark a while ago, where the sea buckthorn grows in abundance along the coastline. You can easily pick a ratio of berries and leaves you enjoy for this tea. While the shrub looks recognizable, be careful not to confuse the plant with lookalike species like Pyracantha Spp when foraging yourself. 

Ingredients for Sea Buckthorn Tea

You only need sea buckthorn for this tea. I am making a mixture of the leaves and berries for the tea. I enjoy this combination, but you can also make a delicious infusion just from the berries or leaves, depending on what you have on hand. Optionally, you can add other spices to the tea, like cinnamon or star anise. 

The sea buckthorn leaves have a mild, slightly hay-like taste to them. The berries add freshness and the sourness we all love from sea buckthorn. 

Optionally, you can finish the steeped tea with a sweetener of choice, or some lemon juice. 

How to make Sea Buckthorn Tea 

If foraging the sea buckthorn yourself, you can make the tea fresh or dry the ingredients to make it pantry-friendly.

Drying the Ingredients

When making the tea fresh, steep your sea buckthorn leaves in hot water. I’d recommend not using boiling water. Around 90° C is perfect. You can cut the berries and let them infuse as well. 

If you want to make your sea buckthorn tea storable, you will want to dry the leaves and berries. Spread them out evenly on a baking sheet. I’d recommend drying the leaves and berries separately, as they take different times. 

Heat the oven to 60° C (140° F). The leaves should be dry after a few hours. You can continue to dry at room temperature. The sea buckthorn berries will take longer to dry in the oven. I’d recommend leaving them for around 6-7 hours. Afterward, the berries can continue to dry at room temperature until they have lost their remaining water contents. Keep them in a warm, dry, and sun-protected space when drying them at room temperature.

Steeping the Tea:

Add your favorite mixture of sea buckthorn tea to a teabag and steep it for around 7-10 minutes. 

If you cannot get your hands on these fresh ingredients, or you don’t want the effort of making your tea mix, you can also opt for buying sea buckthorn tea online. 

I hope you enjoyed this simple tea recipe. I think it is just so fulfilling to drink or eat something that you have foraged yourself. Let me know what you think in the comments!

• If you like sea buckthorn, you will love this sea buckthorn jam recipe and this yeast cake with sea buckthorn!

Other Hot Drinks to Enjoy:

• Spicy orange mint tea
• Rose hip tea
• Masala chai
• Lavender milk tea
• Rose hip Jam
• Dirty chai latte recipe
• Hot spiced apple juice

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