Blackberry Harvest

It's the season to be think about picking blackberries for jam and also I'm 

going to make some blackberry wine this year

I made elderflower champagne in the spring and that was success, even 

though one of the bottles did explode!

The Blackberry bush is an amazing plant and has many uses apart from 

making jam and of course wine.

It's a common native shrub found throughout  Britain.

  Can climb up to 15ft- 5m,  the stems will root where they

 touch the ground.  There are  hundreds of micro species

  in the bramble family.

                     Flowers vary from white to cerise appearing from May to September. 

The fruit is a cluster of segments called dropelets and appear in the autumn months 

and may be seen at the same time as the flowers.

My Jam!
Apart from making jam and wine the plant has a few other uses as well.

Bramble leaves can be used with a healing spell for the treatment of burns: dip 

nine leaves in running water and lay them on the affected area, say to each leaf as you 

apply it ‘Three ladies came from the east, one with fire and two with frost, out with fire 

and in with frost’

Or alternatively bruise a handful of fresh leaves and apply to the burn. This can be used 

for piles, skin ulcers and eczema as well.

A decoction of the leaves can be used for sore throats and if you would like a natural

 mouth wash it can also be used for this.

The juice of the berries mixed with the juice of mulberries binds the stomach in cases 

of diarrhoea, helps sores and ulcers and is good for piles.

The leaves boiled in lye and used to wash the scalp relieves an itchy scalp and makes the

 hair black.

Bramble Leaf Tea

The shoots and young leaves are packed with vitamins and minerals and are ideal  for use in a tea, either fresh or dried can be used. Place three or four leaves in a teapot and pour on boiling water, leave to steep for about 15 minutes. Strain then drink. This can be taken as needed; if using to treat diarrhoea make the tea twice the strength and take one cup every hour.

Good for mouth ulcers and gum disease, also helpful if you have a cold.

Chewing the leaves will help headaches while crushed leaves can be used to treat 

small wounds and sores.