blackberry leaves

by Vickey
(Southern California)

sea gull bird bath

sea gull bird bath

We have wild blackberries, just out of town. They just grow everywhere along different country roads in our coastal town. Today we spotted some new growth and grapped about a dozen little leafs. We are wondering if we should let they lay around and dry or dry them in the micro wave, and are they safe to eat if we just boil them in the little aluminum tea leaft ball thing. I have lots of allergies, but eat the wild blackberries without a problem. I am a retired nurse and writer. Please answer if, and when you can. Thanks so much. I'm a great grandmother, almost 70 and have ten great grandchildren, with 2 more due in July. I took the photo I sent down at our harbor today, of the seagulls having a bath in some left over rain.

Vickey Stamps

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Aug 06, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		Herbal Tea & Fresh Leaves
by: Grandma

Hello,

Yes, of course you can use the fresh leaves. Drying the leaves is to make sure your leaves won't get moldy while storing them. Just be sure they were never sprayed with insecticide.

Grandma
Aug 04, 2013
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starstarstarstarstar 		tea
by: Anonymous

do i have to dry the leaves before making the tea? can't i just boil the leaves?
Mar 17, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Herbal Tea from Blackberry Leaves
by: Grandma

Hello Vickey,

I'm always so excited to meet another Grandma and a Great Grandma to boot! My goodness you live in such a beautiful area of our world. Thank you so much for sharing the photo you took, it adds so much class to my website.

It's wonderful to have such an abundance of fresh blackberries and plants in your area. But I have to say I'm a little concerned that they are along an old country road. I'm concerned that they may have been sprayed with insecticides. I don't know if they do that in your area but I know many counties through the U.S. spray to keep down the weed control and insect population. If you know they are safe from being sprayed then by all means wild blackberry leaves would make a wonderful herbal tea.

I would never dry them in the microwave. I have blackberry, red raspberry and blueberry plants growning in my garden, I prune my plants in late spring and early fall I take the branches full of leaves and hang them upside down in a brown paper bag to dry. This allows the oils and nutrients to flow down into the leaves as they are drying. Once dried I use my fingers to crush them and store them in a tight container (I prefer glass), then just fill up the little stainless steel ball with my herbal tea mix and pour boiling water over and let it steep for at least 10 minutes.

It's so nice to meet you Vickey and I hope you'll stop by often,

Grandma

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