BLACKBERRY
Blackberry
Rubus various species
Blackberrys have been used through the
ages for a variety of
medicinal purposes, from diarrhea
to a general restoritive.
The main chemicals present in
blackberries are gallic acid and
tannin, and it is present in
every part of the plant.
Blackberries picked and dried then powdered
can be stored and used
with a small amount of water to
counter act diarrhea. The tea made
from the leaves, steeped in water
for five minutes, or simmering bark
of the root, can be used in 1 cup
increments several times a day.
Blackberry leaves are available
at most health‑food stores, or you can
dry your own. Cordials have been
used in the past for those with colds
and flu, along with
vinegars. Also old folk tales state
that mixing
vinegars with water seems to aid
those with gout and arthritis. And
the use of vinegars for a fever
is suppose to be lowered by the use of
blackberries. Blackberry shoots
boiled into a tea is said to have been
used for mouth irritations such
as canker sores. Possibly because
of
it's astringent properties. A tea from the leaves and the drinking
of
the juice has also been used in
the past for an upset stomach.
A cordial from the juice of the
blackberry has been used in the past
as a stimulate for the body and
heart, and is helpfull in overcoming
an illness. To make a cordial, press out the juice,
for every quart
of juice add, 1/2 ‑ 1 oz of
nutmeg and cloves and about 2 to 2 1/2
pounds of sugar (honey also works
well, about 2/3 cup of honey is
equivalent to on cup of sugar,
the amount of total liquid also needs
to be monitored, about 3
tablespoons less liquid per amount of honey
used) Heat and simmer this
mixture till it reaches the point of
becoming a syrup. This syrup can be mixed with brandy to
taste.
Note: Using honey does cut down
on the shelf life of this cordial and
it may cause it to ferment if not
kept cold.
Vinegars can be used to sooth the throat,
and be made into
compresses. Dip a cloth into the vinegar and wrap
around the throat,
then wrap with a couple of layers
of dry cloth and then an old sock.
(my mother use to do this for all
sore throats.. what the sock has to
do with it I have no idea.. but
it does work) To make Blackberry
vinegar, take the berries make
sure that they are cleaned of stems
branches etc. Place them in a
covered non‑aluminum container, poor
apple cider vinegar or malt over
them and let them sit for a min. of
3 days. Then strain the mixture through
cheescloth or a strainer do
not force it through. Let it drip on it's own. To each pint of
juice
measure about a pound of honey,
simmer, remove the scum that rises to
the top and bottle. Make sure
that your bottle is closed tightly with
a cork or lid.
A modification of the above is to use
glycerite in place of the
honey, approx 8 oz of glycerite is
the equivalent amount. Both of the
above I might add work can be
used as external compresses for
arthritic joints. Now the short cuts or when you don't
have fresh
berries or don't have time to
wait. Take blackberry jelly mix it
with
vinegar heat and use as in the
above.
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