Making Kratom Tea – Brewing and Dosage Ideas for the Rest of Us

Because kratom is not tested or approved by the FDA, kratom can only be sold in the United States to be burned as incense; it burns quite well, with odors reminiscent of a crisp fall day. I can’t tolerate ingesting kratom or kratom tea, but for those looking for a legal, effective, all-natural means of alleviating chronic pain, for example, from Lyme disease or spinal cord problems, Kratom is an amazing leaf and may offer the relief you’re looking for.

Kratom are the dried and crushed (or powdered) leaves of the species Mitragyna speciosa, a tree that is native to Southeast Asia. The kratom tree belongs to the same botanical family as the coffee tree. It has been used as a medicinal and recreational herbal drug for thousands of years, offering stimulant (in low doses), sedative (in higher doses), pain-relieving, and (yes) euphoric properties, similar to those of opiates. Kratom contains similar alkaloids to pharmaceutical synthetic opioids, but is said to be much less addictive. In fact, kratom is sometimes used as a means to lessen the withdrawal symptoms of opiate addiction. However, if you are going to use it for pain relief, be careful and treat it with respect.

After 2 back surgeries and years of occasional but severe discomfort, I realized that I needed a non-addictive means to control the episodes of severe back pain that come from time to time; Kratom fits that bill perfectly. Kratom is an all-natural solution that really works for me. Frankly, I’m not sure if it actually relieves back pain, or if it just makes me not care (because, frankly, it gives off a really wonderful opiate-like buzz that feels GREAT!). I guess it doesn’t really matter; Occasionally I use kratom, I feel better… period. Life is good!

Now, there are some who really enjoy the ancient ritual of boiling, steeping, stirring, straining, and repeating, to make a batch of kratom tea. In fact, some also enjoy the bitter alkaline and green grass taste of kratom tea… but personally, I don’t mind either. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the smell of fresh kratom leaves and powder, and I love the pain-relieving and attitude-changing effects of kratom, but that alkaline bitter taste, the ingredient that makes kratom so special, just turns my stomach. The preparation of kratom tea is not a ritual for me, but a necessary evil, a real painful task that must be done to enjoy the benefits of the leaf.

BEER PREPARATION: I have found that using an old school coffee pot takes the pain out of making kratom tea. I bought an old 8-cup glass Pyrex coffee pot on eBay for $15, and it makes really good kratom tea. I would steer clear of automatic coffee makers or kettles that plug in, because you’ll want to brew your kratom tea much longer than the typical automatic coffee percolator cycle. I really like my clear glass kratom percolator so I can watch the tea darken as I go. Find a reputable source of kratom… remember that kratom is usually sold as sticks. Personally, I think it’s best to stay away from adulterated “enhanced” extracts and blends – I stick with standard, all-natural kratom leaves.

Here is my simple preparation technique, you will need: – Half an ounce of crushed leaf kratom. Some use powdered kratom, but I personally don’t like it, because it makes a muddy kratom tea. – 2 liters of water (for two preparation cycles of 1 liter). – OPTIONAL, lemon juice (see amount below) – A stovetop percolator. – Another container, such as a 2 qt. jug, to mix both brewing cycles

LET US BEGIN!

1- Place the kratom in the basket of the coffee pot and pour 1 liter of water through the basket and into the coffee pot before placing the top strainer to moisten the kratom leaves. I then like to make sure the kratom is evenly distributed in the basket after pouring. Some believe that adding up to 25 percent lemon juice to the water helps draw out the alkaloids from the kratom leaf—this is a decision only you can make.

2- Once the water heats up and starts to seep, turn on the clock and let the kratom tea steep for at least 15 minutes… 20-25 minutes is more to my liking. Keep the flame as low as possible, a very strong boil makes kratom tea taste terrible!

3- After the first infusion, leave the kratom in the basket (you can press them down with a spoon if you like, to extract more liquid, but it’s not necessary), pour your infusion into a 2-quart container, then pour the second quart of clear water (or lemon water) through the kratom-filled basket and brew it too, just like the first. strain…again, 15 minutes or more.

4- You will notice that the second brew cycle produces a lighter tea, because you have extracted all the good things from the kratom leaves, so you have exhausted them.

5- Once I’m done, I discard the leaves (some people eat them, whoops!), then mix the 2 infusions together in the 2-quart container to chill. Some boil the mixture lower, to make a stronger tea… I don’t.

6- After cooling down a bit, I pour the kratom tea into clean plastic iced tea bottles, refrigerate what I will use in a few days, and freeze the rest. Refrigerated kratom tea will only last about 5 days, frozen tea will last for months.

MASKING THE TASTE: As I mentioned earlier, I hate the taste of kratom tea. While I was never able to completely mask the bitter taste and aftertaste of kratom tea, I have found that a half teaspoon of a commercially flavored extract per 16 ounces of tea will really help. My favorites are raspberry and peach, but spearmint and peppermint work pretty well too. I also add 2 teaspoons of sugar, Splenda or Stevia. I drink my tea cold (iced tea), and usually with a straw, because I don’t like that numb feeling in my mouth, and the straw helps bypass the old taste buds.

OTHER OPTIONS ARE OUTSIDE: I’m a big fan of capsules… because there are almost no flavors. “Toss-N-Wash” is another option…place a teaspoon (or tablespoon) of kratom in the back of your throat and quickly wash it down with a liquid – one big gulp. I use orange juice, but others claim that there are actually benefits to using grapefruit juice, a reaction to the acids in the grapefruit juice.

Believe it or not, “toss-n-wash” can sometimes leave less of an aftertaste than tea, but the big problem with toss-n-wash is that the kratom sometimes gets “stuck” in your throat, which is not a pleasant experience! I have not tried to “throw and wash” anything other than powdered kratom. I can’t imagine trying to swallow crushed kratom!

So there you have it… an “easier and smoother” method of using kratom. I certainly hope that my experiences and observations with this amazing ethnobotanical can help you and others reap the beneficial effects of kratom. Once again, use kratom responsibly. Don’t drive under the influence, make sure you give yourself time to enjoy the benefits of kratom; kra tom