Rene Caisse Tea Products
How to brew Rene’s Tea
What you Need
Enamelled, Glass or stainless steel pot with a lid is fine.
Tip: Do not use any aluminium pots/utensils:
Bottles and caps (Amber coloured bottles are perfect) or Canning jars, lids & rings.
Stainless Steel Strainer and funnel, and a glass measuring cup.
The following recipe is for making one gallon of tea using 1/2 cup (2 oz) of Essiac tea herbs. Using the proper sterilization and canning procedures, the unopened bottles/jars can last several months, but once opened, they need to be kept in the fridge where they can last 3-4 weeks.
To Start 57g 2oz pack of tea
1. Pour 5 quarts/litters of un-chlorinated water into pot and bring to a boil. (distilled, spring, reverse osmosis etc)
2. Add the contents of a 2 oz packet of dried Essiac tea herbs to the boiling water, turn the heat down to medium, and boil hard for 10-15 minutes (don’t get distracted so it doesn’t boil over).
3. Turn off the heat, scrape down the sides of the pot and allow the tea to sit, covered, in a warm place (room temperature) for 10-12 hours. (Maximum of 18 hours)
After the decoction has steeped
4. Reheat the tea in the covered pot until steaming hot (approx. 82 – 93°C / 180 – 200°F), but do not boil it twice. (If boiled twice, it may not taste as good.)
4 B. At the same time, sterilize your bottles (not the plastic lids) or jars (with their lids), by placing them in gently boiling water, or placing them in the Oven at 150°C / 300°F for 20 minutes. Put your utensils in the measuring cup with the bottle lids, and pour boiled water over them and let them sit until needed.
1. Turn off the heat to the decoction and allow the tea to sit un-covered and undisturbed for several minutes so that the herbs will settle to the bottom of the pot.
2. Place funnel and strainer on top of preheated bottles/canning jars.
5. Carefully pour off (decant) the liquid from the pot into the canning jars so as to keep sediment out as much as possible. Screw the lids on, allow to cool and then refrigerate. The sediment can be used for poultices or can be discarded. Some sediment at the bottom of jars is quite usual and acceptable.
Using Mason Jars
An alternative suggestion if you’re using mason jars to get a good seal is to give your jars or bottles a “water bath.” We think heating the tea and bottle is easier in the methods above, but this is all about what works best for you.
You can start here from step 3 in the above instructions if you choose.
Continued from Step 3.
1. (alternate method) Once your tea has steeped you can place the bottles in a big pot of boiling water until you add the tea or you can place them in the oven at 104°C – 149°C / 220° – 300°F until you fill them.
2. Once they’re filled about 1 inch from the top, wipe the rims with a clean, dry cloth. Lay the lid on the jar. Screw the ring just as tight as you can get with 2 fingers.
· Do not put the lids on too tightly or they will buckle when they cool and seal.
1. Place in a pot large enough that you can fill with water until the jars are covered by at least 2 inches.
2. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes carefully remove from the pot, place on a folded towel away from any drafts.
4. Leave the jars for 24 hours. After 24 hours you can remove the rings and wipe down the jars.
· You may hear a “pop” when the jars seal. This is perfectly normal.
· If you weren’t around to hear the pop that gives you confidence that your seal is good, you can unscrew the rings. If you can lift the jar by the lid without the ring on, your seal is great!
5. Label them with the date you made them.
Storing Rene’s Tea
Some people say they can be stored for years this way. This may be true of many foods, but we don’t recommend it with Essiac. They will store longer before they are opened through this process, but we would use them within a few months. It’s always better to have freshly made tea anyway.
If you have used clear glass, keep your tea out of the light. You can put a paper bag, a sock or a cloth over your tea for extra protection. When it’s in the fridge, it won’t see the light often enough to be overly concerned, but it’s always better to take a little extra loving care.
It’s not recommended to drink your dosage straight from the bottle as this may cause bacteria to grow. Always use another vessel to drink your tea from.
The sediment can be used for poultices, or even salves. Another great way to connect with these amazing plants!
Water Has Memory ~ How the way you interact with the water in your decoction can make your tea even healthier.
How to Drink Rene’s Tea
Pour 1 to 2 fl. oz. of the concentrated Essiac tea (1/8 to 1/4 cup) into a mug and add hot water, once or twice daily. It is best to start out with a small daily amount and increase gradually. Do not freeze or microwave the tea. Drink Essiac tea on an empty stomach. Take the time to sip your Essiac tea slowly; don’t gulp it down. For maximum effectiveness, hold tea in mouth as long as possible to absorb sublingually (under the tongue). Essiac tea is detoxifying so it is very important to drink plenty of pure water during the day and to have regular bowel movements. Discard Essiac tea if it tastes sour or if white mould appears floating on the surface. Essiac herbs and tea are light and heat sensitive so it is important to store in a cool, dark place or the fridge once made.
Kids & Pets-
Here is a suggested guide for dosage of the 4 herb decoction: (5ml is about 1 teaspoon)
5 – 10 lbs. – 1 to 2 ml 10 -20 lbs. – 2 to 4 ml 25 – 40 lbs. – 5 to 8 ml 40 – 50 lbs. – 8 – 10 ml 50 – 75 lbs. – 10 – 15 ml 75 – 100 lbs. – 15 – 20 ml over 100 lbs. – 20 – 30 ml
Important : Don’t forget to take a break away from taking the tea, once in awhile. If you don’t, the body figures it doesn’t have to do any work, because you are supplying what the body needs. Take the tea in the morning and at bedtime Monday to Friday, then take the weekend off or take it for a month and take a week off.
Ingredient’s & Nutrition
Ulmus rubra/fulva – Slippery Elm The inner bark of the slippery elm tree is known for its soothing properties. Native Americans soaked the inner bark to use as a nutritious food. Slippery Elm contains small amounts of beta-sitosterol and a polysaccharide. Taste in Decoction: Sweet, Pleasant. Slippery elm bark contains mucilage (galactose, 3-methyl galactose, hexoses, pentoses, methylpentoses, polyuronides, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid residues), complex carbohydrates, tannins, calcium oxalate, phytosterols, sesquiterpenes,flavonoids, salicylic acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, decanoic acid, and vitamin E. The inner bark of slippery elm also contains various nutrients, such as beta-sitosterol, campstool, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, beta-carotene and vitamins B1, B2, B3 and C. We use inner bark, powdered 9%
Arctium lappa – Greater Burdock Burdock root contains an abundance of minerals, particularly iron. Taste In Decoction: Woody, Slightly Sweet. Burdock root contains bio-available calcium, vitamins A, B complex, C, vitamin E, and P, potassium, phosphorous, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, silicon, zinc, iron, chlorogenic acid, essential oil, flavonoids, inulin, lactone, mucilage, polyacetylenes, resin, tannins, and taraxosterol. It also contains smaller amounts of copper, manganese, selenium, and sulphur. We use 54%
Rheum palmatum tanguticum – Turkey Rhubarb Turkey Rhubarb is more potent than garden rhubarb root and is more palatable. Taste In Decoction: Strong, Bitter, Not Unpleasant. Turkey rhubarb root is famous for its benefits. This root is rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamin A, some of the B complex vitamins, and vitamins C, and P. Its mineral content includes calcium, chlorine, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, silicon, sodium, sulphur and zinc. chromium, cobalt, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, zinc, and potassium We use root, powdered 2%
Rumex acetosella – Sheep Sorrel with the roots Rene Caisse isolated sheep sorrel as the main Essiac herb that caused regression of metastasized cancer and reduction of tumours. She used the whole herb including sheep sorrel roots. In fact, she stated that sheep sorrel roots are a necessary part of the formula. In spite of this fact, nearly all Essiac suppliers do not include the roots, because they take two years to mature, so they would have to replant and wait for two more years if they harvested the whole plant. Sheep sorrel is a traditional food of native cultures and is still served in fine restaurants along with other sorrels. Taste In Decoction: Acidic, not unpleasant. Sheep sorrel is a rich source of oxalic acid, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorous, beta- carotene, and vitamin C complex. It acts as a powerful antioxidant and Also contains vitamins A, B and C complex, D, E, K, P and U, bio-available calcium, iron, magnesium, silicon, copper, iodine, chlorophyll, and zinc. We use 35% powdered roots – 10% aerial)
A Canadian nurse named Rene Caisse developed a four herb tea bland in 1922. She said the formula originally came from an Ojibwa Indian medicine man. It is a mixture of 4 herbs that are found in the wild, and were used by Native Americans for centuries before Rene Caisse found out about them. “The herbs, when mixed together, simply balances the immune system, while cleansing the blood, oxygenating the cells and detoxifying the body”.
Rene Caisse never registered, patented or trademarked “Essiac” which was simply her last name spelled backwards and was originally derived from a native American herbal remedy. The word “Essiac” was in common usage in the 1930s, decades before anyone tried to “register” or “trademark” the word “Essiac”. We only use the “Essiac” formula which Rene Caisse’s best friend, Mary McPherson, officially entered into the public domain in a sworn affidavit in 1994 in Bracebridge, Ontario.
*Disclaimer: This information is for historical and educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the CFIA or FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Please be advised:
Before making any changes to your diet or making decisions about therapies you should always consult with your doctor,
especially if you are pregnant, nursing or have existing conditions.