Fig leaves and tea recipe

I have read that fig leaves made into a tea is a great health tonic and is known to lower glucose levels. I have also found out that fig leaves can be used in place of grape leaves for cooking, example; stuffed grape(fig leaves) and pickling. You can eat these raw. I have and they are pleasant. A mild exotic side under some cheese, with grapes and wine perhaps. Or with some fruit and sparkling cider.

I have made a lacto-fermentation (pickling) of cucumber with garlic, Jalapenos and 3-4 fig leaves. I am waiting until I finish another jar of home made pickles before I open the fig one.

My Turkey Fig bush is very young and will not produce fruit until it is at least 2 years old. As I have read. So, I have cut some of the leaves and dried them at 115F. You can dry them at 95F if you like. It will just take longer. Once dried, I crumbled them and placed them into a glass jar.

I took about 1 T. and put into my Chatsworth teapot strainer basket and added about a cup of some hot boiled water. I let it steep for 5 minutes and then poured into a cup. you can steep it for 10 minutes or more, if you prefer.

I drank it just as is and it is very good and soothing.

The left over steeped leaves were taken out and placed on a small dish to dry. My mother used to say, "You can always use a tea bag twice". Or tea leaves twice as I see it. This is fresh stuff and worth getting a second steep from. The second steeping the next day was more mild and still very good. Well worth saving for that second cup.

Update on Lacto-fermented cucumbers with garlic, Jalapenos and fresh fig leaves.

Very good. I like this better than dill with mustard seeds.