How to Use Soursop Leaves: Tea, Longer Simmers, and Storage

By Suhail Rivera, JD, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

Soursop leaf is simple to prepare, but there is more than one way people actually make it at home. This article covers the standard steep, the longer simmer some households use instead, how many leaves to use and whether to crush them, hot versus iced, and whether the same leaves are worth a second brew.

What soursop leaves are

Soursop leaves are the whole dried leaves of the soursop tree, Annona muricata, the tropical evergreen behind the sweet green fruit known across Latin America as guanabana. In Spanish the leaves are hojas de guanabana. They are brewed on their own, not mixed with the fruit or its pulp.

The standard steep, hot or iced

Add two to three whole dried leaves to eight ounces of just boiled water, cover, and steep for about five minutes, then strain. Two leaves give a lighter cup, three a deeper, more herbal one. Covering the cup while it steeps keeps more of the aroma in the water instead of in the air above it. For iced tea, brew it a little stronger with three leaves, strain, let it cool, and pour over ice. It holds up well cold and does not turn cloudy or bitter the way some teas do.

The longer simmer some households use

A quick steep is the most common method, but some households treat the leaf more like a bark and give it a short simmer instead, five to ten minutes on low heat with the pot covered, then a few minutes resting off the heat before straining. This pulls more out of the leaf and gives a stronger, more herbal tasting cup than a five minute steep does. If you try it, start on the shorter end of that range and see how strong you actually want it, since a longer simmer is easy to repeat next time and hard to undo once it is in the cup.

How many leaves, and whether to crush them

Two leaves per eight ounce cup is a reasonable starting point, moving up to three or four if you want it stronger rather than steeping the same two leaves longer. Crushing or tearing the leaves before brewing exposes more surface area to the water, so a crushed leaf gives up more flavor faster than a whole one does. Whole leaves are the gentler, more predictable option and let you see what went into the cup. If you want a quicker, stronger brew, tear the leaves in half before adding them rather than leaving them whole.

Reusing the leaves

The same leaves can be steeped a second time, but the second cup is noticeably lighter than the first, since most of what the leaf has to give comes out in that initial steep. Most people brew a fresh batch each time rather than relying on a second steep to carry a whole cup, but if you are trying to stretch a small amount of leaf, a second, shorter steep right after the first is a reasonable way to get a bit more out of it.

Where to get soursop leaves

We sell Soursop Leaves, 2 oz, whole dried leaves for tea, one ingredient and nothing added. If you would rather not measure leaves at all, we also carry pre portioned soursop leaf tea bags. For a video walkthrough of a simple soursop leaf cup, see our chamomile and soursop leaf tea recipe.

Who should not drink it

• Anyone pregnant or nursing should talk to a doctor before drinking soursop leaf tea.
• Not recommended for anyone under 18 without a doctor's input.
• Anyone with Parkinson's disease or another neurological condition, or with a family history of one, should raise it with a doctor before starting.
• Anyone taking medication or managing a health condition, including blood pressure medication, should ask a doctor or pharmacist first.

Suhail Rivera, JD, is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop. She has spent years sourcing, handling, and selling the herbs she writes about, working directly with growers and third party testing labs. She holds a Juris Doctor. She is not a medical professional, and her articles are for general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition. Read more about her and the store on the About page.