Dry comfrey leaf for a tea, infusion, or decoction - PEP BB medicine.sand.dry.comfrey

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.

In this badge bit, you will harvest, dry, and store comfrey leaves.


(Image from: marksvegplot.blogspot.com)

Minimum requirements:
-  Harvest, dry, and store enough comfrey leaf to make a tea, infusion, or decoction.

To document completion of the BB, provide proof of the following as pics or video (< 2 min):
- a picture of the fresh herb being harvested or just 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
    - label shows where the herbs came from, the date, and the method of drying

Here is my submission for the Natural Medicine Aspect - Harvest, Dry, and Store Comfrey Leaf BB.

I harvested Comfrey leaf while at Wheaton Labs during SkIP 2021 and dried it in the new solar/RMH dehydrator that was built during the PTJ.  The RMH part will/was built in October 2021.

To document completion of the BB, provide proof of the following as pics:
- a picture of the fresh herb being harvested or just 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
    - label shows where the herbs came from, the date, and the method of drying

The comfrey in my garden is ready to harvest! I also found some along the snake river that's ready. Here's the two plants, the comfrey leaves and blossoms drying, and stored in a labeled jar. I even used it as a poultice that day when my kid skinned her leg!

I harvested some comfrey and put it in a paper bag in my seed drying room.  This batch is being dried to use in oils or salves.

In this badge bit, you will harvest, dry, and store comfrey leaves.

Minimum requirements:
-  Harvest, dry, and store enough comfrey leaf to make a tea, infusion, or decoction.

To document completion of the BB, provide proof of the following as pics or video (< 2 min):
- a picture of the fresh herb being harvested or just 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
   - label shows where the herbs came from, the date, and the method of drying

When the comfrey has cured, and is ready to store away, I'll post again.

Dried Comfrey Leaf: I do grow this in my yard, but this specific batch was harvested from my cousin Liz's yard. I followed the suggestions for drying on https://www.theherbwalker.ca/drying-your-own-comfrey-leaves/

Minimum requirements:
-  Harvest, dry, and store enough comfrey leaf to make a tea, infusion, or decoction.

To document completion of the BB, provide proof of the following as pics or video (< 2 min):
- a picture of the fresh herb being harvested or just 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
   - label shows where the herbs came from, the date, and the method of drying

Hindsight, If I were to do a larger batch of drying I would probably would destem and chop the leaves before storing. I did them whole and I can see how space could be better optimized. I did not have any clips to utilized so I got some cotton thread and a needle and strung up the leaves to dangle and dry.

Thanks Opalyn for getting this added!!

I planted several towards the end of last growing season, they absolutely took off this year. The chooks love them and, now that I have a good storage method, so do I!

I picked comfrey before baby grasshoppers could eat up all of the leaves. I cut the leaves in smaller pieces to speed up the drying process and then let them air-dry under a fan.

Comfrey Leaf from the front beds

here's me harvesting, drying and storing comfrey for this BB.