Sassafras has a long history in North America, with its distinctive spicy-sweet aroma once defining the classic flavor profile of root beer. The tree’s roots and bark were traditionally brewed into a reddish tea, valued for its unique taste and role as a springtime tonic. While commercial use of sassafras is now heavily regulated, home harvesting remains a practice for those seeking this historic flavor. Understanding the plant’s identification, safety considerations, and ethical harvesting techniques is necessary before attempting to prepare a home-brewed cup.
Identifying Sassafras and Essential Safety Warnings
The sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) is easily recognizable by a unique botanical feature: it produces three distinct leaf shapes on the same branch. These shapes include a simple oval leaf, a two-lobed leaf resembling a mitten, and a three-lobed leaf that looks like a trident. Crushing any part of the plant—a leaf, a twig, or a piece of root—releases a strong, pleasant, and unmistakable root beer or citrus-like fragrance. This aromatic oil is the key to both its appeal and the primary safety concern associated with its consumption.
The compound responsible for this distinctive scent is safrole, which is highly concentrated in the root bark. Safrole has been classified by regulatory bodies as a potential carcinogen, based on animal studies showing it can induce liver tumors. Consequently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil and safrole-containing sassafras in commercially prepared food products in 1960. This regulation means that any home consumption of traditional sassafras tea, particularly that made from the root bark, involves consuming a substance the FDA prohibits in the food supply.
For those choosing to proceed with home preparation, the leaves contain undetectable levels of safrole, making them a safer alternative for flavoring. Modern harvesting often focuses on the leaves for culinary use. When utilizing the root bark, which contains the highest concentration of the volatile oil, moderation is advised due to unresolved health questions surrounding long-term, high-dose consumption.
Sustainable Harvesting Methods and Timing
To ensure the long-term health of the sassafras population, harvesting must be done with conservation in mind. Sassafras trees naturally spread through underground runners, which produce numerous small saplings around the “mother” tree. The most ethical method for obtaining root material is to harvest these small, pencil-sized saplings. When harvesting, carefully loosen the soil to access the shallow, horizontal root runners without disturbing the main tree’s root system.
The best time to harvest roots and bark is during the tree’s dormant period, from late fall after leaf drop through early spring before the buds break. During this time, the tree’s energy and aromatic oils are concentrated in the roots, providing the most potent flavor. To maintain the population, never harvest more than a small fraction, 5%, of the available root material from a localized area or a single established tree.
If focusing on the safer leaf material, harvest should occur when the leaves are young and vibrant green, from spring through early summer. Sustainably foraging leaves means plucking or cutting individual leaves, leaving the branches intact. To minimize stress on the plant, never remove more than a quarter of the leaves from any single tree or sapling at a time. The leaves, which are used to make filé powder, are most potent when young.
Cleaning, Drying, and Brewing the Tea
Immediately after harvesting, the root material must be thoroughly cleaned. Use a stiff brush or scrub pad under running water to scrub the roots, removing dirt from the surface and crevices. Once clean, the roots should be cut into small, uniform pieces, or the outer bark can be carefully peeled off larger sections, as the bark contains the most flavor.
Proper drying is essential for long-term storage and preventing mold. The root pieces should be spread in a single layer in a cool, dry place away from direct light and allowed to air-dry for about a week until brittle. Alternatively, a food dehydrator can be used to ensure the material is completely dry, after which it should be stored in an airtight container until ready for use.
For the leaves, they should be spread flat or hung in small bundles in a dark, dry location for seven to ten days until they become crisp and crumble easily. Once thoroughly dry, the leaves can be ground into powder, traditionally known as filé. This powder is used as a seasoning and thickener, but it should be added to stews or liquids only after they are removed from the heat, as boiling can make the liquid unpleasantly stringy.
To brew root tea, a decoction method is used, requiring simmering to extract the flavor from the dense bark. A common ratio is about 1/4 cup of chopped, dried root or bark per 1.5 quarts of water. Place the material into the water before bringing it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the liquid turns a deep reddish-brown color. The tea can then be strained, sweetened to taste, and enjoyed hot or cold.