File' Powder
 

My tomato garden is surrounded by Sassafras trees, wondering when is the best time to harvest leaves to dry to make File' Powder for gumbo? Last year the leaves had yellowed before I remembered to pick any.

Usually it's in the fall before the leaves fall.

No sassafras trees here I miss them.

Worth

[QUOTE=pmcgrady;573545]My tomato garden is surrounded by Sassafras trees, wondering when is the best time to harvest leaves to dry to make File' Powder for gumbo? Last year the leaves had yellowed before I remembered to pick any.[/QUOTE]
Did you watch the same cooking show I did? : ) I was watching Tv and they was using File' to make gumbo and said it was made from the Sassafrass tree. I have lots of trees. I been letting them cultivate around because I heard the Sassafrass tea was good for you and the roots used to make rootbeer. Didn't know til the show it was a spice and was thinking about trying to dry some leaves.


[QUOTE=Rajun Gardener;573555]Usually it's in the fall before the leaves fall.[/QUOTE]

Rajun... Have you tried to dry any before? When I looked on line to see about harvesting the leaves, it said to cut branches off, tie and hang upside down in cool, dry place. I have no problem with cutting the branches, but wondered if you do does it stunt the trees? Will they grow more branches since they a tree and not like a shrub that will easily branch out and grow again?



[QUOTE=Worth1;578962]No sassafras trees here I miss them.

Worth[/QUOTE]

Worth... If you want a couple of seedlings, just let me know. Be glad to send you some. Have sent seedlings to other folks that had missed them too, usually in the spring when they first emerging.

I haven't dried them, File is available in stores but a few people told me that once you eat fresh dried File you won't eat the commercially made stuff anymore.

I wouldn't worry about stunting the tree, you only need a few small limbs to make enough to last a while. There's so many articles but none really specific on how to harvest it so I guess you just need to try and see how it works.

Here's a few
[url]http://www.nolacuisine.com/2006/07/03/homemade-file-powder/[/url]
[url]http://generalhorticulture.tamu.edu/prof/Recipes/File-Sassafras/file.html[/url]
[url]http://honest-food.net/2016/07/25/root-beer-syrup-recipe/[/url]
[url]http://southernforager.blogspot.com/2013/07/making-file-with-sassafras-leaves.html[/url]