How to Make Corn Silk Tea
Jul 11, 2022 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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This sweet and fragrant Corn Silk Tea is a 1-ingredient drink that takes five minutes and is a great (and delicious) way to reduce food waste. It has amazing medicinal properties and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years!
What is Corn Silk Tea?
It is an incredible, easy-to-make tea with medicinal properties! It is enjoyed across Asia and it is even sold in bottles at many Asian grocery stores. But it’s also very easy to make at home, and it’s a wonderful way to reduce food waste in your home kitchen.
It’s an herbal tea made from the silky strands of the corn plant and is known for its slightly sweet, mild taste. People use the tea for its diuretic, kidney-supporting, blood sugar-regulating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and digestive-support properties.
What Makes This Recipe Great
The flavour of this one-ingredient tea is mild, toasty, with notes of corn (of course). You can enjoy it either iced or hot. Some bottled varieties are also flavoured with toasted rice and corn.
When you make your own, you can add anything you’d like! For sweetness, try adding a touch of maple syrup. After making the tea, use the leftover ears of corn for any of your favorite recipes!
This really is such an easy recipe with lots of health benefits (see below!). I hope you love it!
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh corn silk: Start with 3-4 ears of fresh corn, still in their husk. The more cornsilk you use, the more flavourful your tea will be. I like to use the silk from about 4-5 ears of corn to make 2-3 cups of tea.
- Filtered water
How to Make Corn Silk Tea
- Remove the corn silk from your corn husk and trim off any dead or exposed ends.
- If you’d like to dry your corn silk out, spread it out on a tray and let it sit in the sun until dry to the touch. This step is optional, but you can save dry corn silk for future tea!
- When ready to brew, add corn silk into a mug directly or a large bowl/jar and pour hot water over it. Let steep for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can add water and the silk to a pot and boil for 5-8 minutes.
- Strain and enjoy iced or hot!
What Are the Health Benefits of Corn Silk Tea?
This tea is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to treat urinary tract infections. It’s a mild diuretic and can also aid digestion. Plus, it’s totally caffeine-free! It’s made from the stigmas or the silky strands of the corn plant. Corn silk refers to the long fibers that grow from the tops of corn ears.
- Diuretic: it has diuretic effects, meaning it may promote urine production and help with water retention. This can be beneficial for reducing bloating and swelling and supporting kidney function.
- Urinary tract: Corn silk tea can have a soothing effect on the urinary system and may help alleviate symptoms of urinary tract infections or bladder conditions and irritation.
- Blood sugar: Some studies suggest that corn silk may have hypoglycemic effects and could potentially help regulate blood sugar levels.
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory: Corn silk contains various antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation in the body. This can have potential benefits for overall health and well-being.
- Digestive support: It has a soothing effect on the digestive system and can aid in relieving indigestion and stomachaches.
Note: Always check with your healthcare professional and take necessary precautions if you have any allergies, intolerances, or serious health concerns.
More Ways to Use Corn Silk Tea
You can do more than just drink it! Use it in cooking as a base for soups, broths, or sauces, adding a subtle flavor. Some people also use this tea as a natural dye for food or as an ingredient in herbal blends for desserts or beverages.
Flavor Variations
To flavour your homemade corn silk tea, you can mix other teas, such as earl grey or Green tea. It’s a mild flavour that’s easy to cover!
Recipe FAQs
This tea is generally considered safe, but some individuals may experience allergies or undesired diuretic effects. It may also interact with certain medications. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns!
It is used as a herbal remedy with tons of potential health benefits. It is primarily known for its diuretic properties, which means it may help increase urine production and promote the elimination of toxins from the body. It’s often used to support urinary tract health and relieve symptoms of conditions like urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and bladder infections.
There are less than 5 calories in a cup!
More Tea Recipes
- California Avocado Afternoon Tea (vegan, gluten free)
- Pumpkin Bubble Tea (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free)
- Hibiscus Moon Tea (Herbal Menstrual Cycle Tea)
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know what you think with a star rating and comment below! Follow me on Instagram for more delicious recipes!
How to Make Corn Silk Tea
Ingredients
- 3 cups filtered water
- corn silk of 3-4 corn cobs
- optional
- touch of maple syrup to taste
- toasted rice
- roasted corn
- other tea leaves
Instructions
- Remove the corn silk from your corn husk and trim off any dead or exposed ends.
- If you'd like to dry your corn silk out, spread it out on a tray and let sit in the sun until dry to the touch. This step is optional but you can save dry corn silk for future tea!
- When ready to brew, add corn silk into a mug directly or large bowl and pour hot water over it. Let steep for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can add water and the silk to a pot and boil for 5-8 minutes.
- Strain and enjoy iced or hot!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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