PEP BB medicine.sand.dryblackberry - Dry blackberry leaf or root bark for a tea/infusion/decoction

I put up some dried blackberry leaves for healing tea over the winter.

(LOL, it’s funny having to label this one with where I got the leaves…I live on Blackberry Ln and it’s named after our most notable weed. :-) )

It's time to start pulling up or trimming back the volunteer wild blackberry in the areas of the yard where we walk barefoot, so I thought I'd build my leaf stocks for winter.

Blackberry leaf, thanks to the high level of tannins it contains, has been a powerful medicine for our family in the past when we've been unfortunate enough to experience the acute effects of surprise exposure to food intolerances. For this reason, I like to have some preserved for when fresh leaves are unavailable.

Since I have an abundance of volunteer wild blackberry in my new garden, I plan to make good use of this resource by trying it for sore throats and to supply the tannins to batches of fermented pickles to help them retain their crunch.

I harvested leaves and dried them on the 'herb' setting in my electric dehydrator (95F/35C).

Hello, skip team! I went down by the lake to scout for blackberries for some leaves I might be able to dry for tea when I need it.

I like gathering blackberry leaf (and other leaves, generally) in the spring when the plant is sending all its energy to new growth. My stock was running low, so it was an opportune time to document for a BB. I try to keep the leaves as whole as possible in storage, as they stay fresh longer than if they are crushed.

The jar looks quite small at that angle, but there’s a full two cups of dried leaves in there.

BlackBerry leaf tea bb submission

I thought I had already submitted this BB last year when I dried Trailing Blackberry leaves for tea, but apparently I didn't.  I enjoyed the tea from last year's harvest, so all the more reason to do it again this year!

Jennifer Richardson wrote:This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Natural Medicine.

For this BB, you will harvest, dry, and store enough blackberry leaves or root bark to make a tea, infusion or decoction.

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must post:
- a picture of the fresh herb being harvested
- a picture of your herbs drying (hanging, in a dehydrator, in a bag, etc.)
- a picture of your herbs in a sealed and labeled container, with the label indicating where the herbs came from, the method of drying, and the date

-I harvested and dried blackberry leaves for medicinal tea! I did not discriminate between standing and trailing brambles or red and green leaves, and I gathered both leaves in threes and leaves in fives.  
-I rinsed them, and once the surfaces were dry I folded them in a fine scarf, tied it in a hammock, and set it to dry over the air purifier so it would have constant, cool airflow.
- I put them in a labeled jar, thoroughly crispy but still nicely green.

Here is some information on their medicinal virtues: https://permies.com/t/244770/Medicinal-Shrubs-Rubus-Blackberry-Raspberry#2270810

Found wild blackberries on my hike

Blackberry leaf harvest and storage.

Blackberry leaf dried and saved.

Yay for dried leaves!!