Question by Ruby: How best dry blackberry leaves preserving the medicinal value?
Do wild blackberry leaves keep their medicinal value when dried in a dehydrator, or is it best to dry naturally?

I’m having some severe health problems right now and finding that the wild blackberry leaf tea is working wonders so have picked a huge batch to dry now.

Also, if you know, I read that the leaves are most potent if picked before or when the plants are blooming. Is there any merit to that?

Thanks very much in advance.

Best answer:

Answer by Set
I’ve done a little research on this and discovered a few bits of information that might be useful. One suggestion came from the following site:

http://www.natural-healing-guide.com/Therapeutic-Teas/Blackberry-Leaf-Tea.htm

You might find the paragraph that states the following helpful,

”Fermenting the blackberry leaves enhances their flavor and therapeutic effect. To ferment, crush slightly wilted blackberry leaves with a rolling pin. Wrap the leaves in a damp cloth and hang them in a warm place. After two or three days, the leaves will exude a rose like scent. At this point, remove the leaves from the cloth; let them dry before using”

This website supports what you appear to have already discovered:

http://www.pickyourown.org/DHbasilmint.htm

One sentence in the article states:
“The best time to cut herbs for drying is just before they flower. This is when the leaves have the most oil, which is what gives herbs aroma and flavor.” I recall from my distant past that marijuana growers and users find the flower tops to be the most potent part of this plant so this could very possibly be true of other plants like blueberry.

Hope this helps and that you’re feeling better soon.

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