Blackberry Leaf Tea Part 2

Foraging. Part 2 of the three part series. Due to necessary footage and time I had to end up making this a three part series. This video is all about processing the leaves after harvesting. There may be better ways to do it but this is how I do it. Part 3 on making the tea is next.

Blackberry (Rubus). Leaves green or dried steeped in boiled water. Sweetened is better. Leaves do contain tannin. High doses of tannin are known to be carcinogenic. This applies to all tea leaves whether wild or commercial. However tannin can be blocked by adding milk with tea or by adding ice such as ice tea. So if I want to drink hot tea then I use it with milk. If I want cold tea then I use it with ice. Use in moderation as Blackberry leaf tea may cause constipation.

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The foraging I am doing in the videos is backwoods foraging as opposed to wilderness foraging or rural and urban foraging. Backwoods foraging is kind of in between wilderness and rural. There is a difference in plants found in different settings (areas) or even those in dry areas and wet areas. I cannot stress enough to always be sure of your ability to identify the plants correctly or else get help from someone you really trust. There are many sources of references and information but that is not enough. It takes experience. So your local county extension office, college or university botany office, or local experts would be good sources to get a plant's correct identity. Just take a sample in. There are even local wild plant societies. Having said all that even experts make mistakes but expert help reduces the risk of accidental plant poisoning.

If you do not know positively what a plant is, leave it alone. Weigh the risk of eating against not eating. Do you have water to digest food? Why take the risk of eating a possible harmful plant when you don't have to. A person can go three weeks without food.

There are some folks that use Field Edibility Testing. I don't, nor do I advise using it. Microscopic amounts of some plants can kill so that eliminates Field Edibility Testing right there. There are no shortcuts to learning plants.

Please be aware of the food chain. Collect wild edibles in areas that are not polluted.

Please also leave something behind to regenerate so that the resource can continue to be used and enjoyed.

So be careful and enjoy!

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