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