Are there any herbalists on board?

[Robin Hood]

I've been online all morning and now would rather just have someone tell me about cultivating red raspberries. I have lots and lots of them. I am interested in making tea and storing the items for year round use. Do I use just the leaves or are the bark and roots included also? If all 3 items are safe to ingest, are the tea items made separately or do I mix them up? Is it better to dry them first or use them fresh? Or either way? Do the leaves, bark and roots all have different properties? What is each effective for, is so? Is it safe for children to drink? TIA

[Mama Lynx]

I've been online all morning and now would rather just have someone tell me about cultivating red raspberries. I have lots and lots of them. I am interested in making tea and storing the items for year round use. Do I use just the leaves or are the bark and roots included also? If all 3 items are safe to ingest, are the tea items made separately or do I mix them up? Is it better to dry them first or use them fresh? Or either way? Do the leaves, bark and roots all have different properties? What is each effective for, is so? Is it safe for children to drink? TIA

I've only ever used the leaves and the fruit. With the leaves, you can either use them fresh, or dry them and have tea year-round. If you dry the berries, you can pop them in with the dried leaves, too.

I don't think I've ever heard of using the root or the bark.

RRL tea is a mild, safe, nourishing tea. In large amounts it can cause uterine cramping.

[Doran]

I've been online all morning and now would rather just have someone tell me about cultivating red raspberries. I have lots and lots of them. I am interested in making tea and storing the items for year round use. Do I use just the leaves or are the bark and roots included also? If all 3 items are safe to ingest, are the tea items made separately or do I mix them up? Is it better to dry them first or use them fresh? Or either way? Do the leaves, bark and roots all have different properties? What is each effective for, is so? Is it safe for children to drink? TIA


I am not familiar with uses for raspberry root or bark, only for the fruit (which we know) and the leaves. I know the other two are used, I just don't know how. This site (http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_raspberry.htm)describes in good detail the medicinal uses for raspberry leaf tea (infusion), but it does not discuss how to dry the leaves yourself. Here's a blog site (http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/05/18/use-raspberry-leaves-to-make-your-own-herbal-tea/) that describes how one woman chose to dry her own leaves and how she used them for tea.

Like I said, I'm not much help, but hopefully this will bump your question up to put it in view of someone who has first hand knowledge for you. :001_smile:

[Faithseed]

Although I've never heard of anyone using the root, I checked a couple of my books. One claims that the root (the tannins) is used as a possible cancer cure. Nothing on the bark was mentioned in any of them.

Traditionally, only the leaves and fruit are used. I drink a lot of RR teas, as does my whole family, including the children. I would be concerned with using the root. The roots generally have different properties, or a much stronger property than the leaves would. In the case of RR, I really don't want anything stronger, as mentioned above by the uterine cramps.

Drying is easy. You can even hang the canes upside down in your garage or attic in the summer. I use the dehydrator, or hang them if the dehydrator is full. Inside hanging would be ok too, you just need to watch for mold, and good air flow.

[Robin Hood]

Drying is easy. You can even hang the canes upside down in your garage or attic in the summer. I use the dehydrator, or hang them if the dehydrator is full. Inside hanging would be ok too, you just need to watch for mold, and good air flow.

Our garage is very hot. Would that be an ok drying place? I've always "heard" a cool, dark place when drying.

[Faithseed]

I had always heard the "cool, dark place" as well....

But if you think about it, the dehydrator is 125 degrees- not very cool :001_smile: I've been using the attic and garage for almost 10 years, with great results. If I really shouldn't, then don't tell my plants :tongue_smilie:

Seriously, it won't get hot enough to kill off the good nutrients. The only real danger is rain/mold. So make sure you have dry heat, not moist heat.

Either way, don't stress it. It is easier than you think, and real hard to mess up!

[Robin Hood]

Thank you ladies for your encouraging knowledge about berries......and now I have another question....
As I was picking berries for more jam today, I noticed that there were no berries on new canes. Which leaves are better...new or old, and do I pick leaves or cut canes, new or old, for the best benefit? Or does it matter? tia