Wildcrafting Persimmon Leaves!

  So, it is that time of year again when I start scouring the woods for herbs.  Some will be used as is but most will be dried for later use.  I am a firm believer that a lot of remedies can be created from what is given us to take.  One point here...never take all.  It is a wildcrafting "rule" that you always leave some behind to replenish the stock.  Treat the earth with respect and it will do the same.

  Today's major collection was persimmon leaves from the wild persimmon grove on the east side of the Little Bayou House.  Down near the marsh edge there are ever so many young persimmon trees that my foraging does no harm.  After gathering bundles of twigs with soft leaves, I headed back to the house to wash then dry the leaves.  After they are fully dried, the leaves will be crushed and stored in airtight Mason jars for this winter.  Nary a leaf will be found on the trees after the cold sets in for the season.  My grandmother's old clothes drying rack will be busy for the next week!

  While picking the branches, I noticed that the trees were setting blooms!  It appears that there will be a good crop of wild persimmons if I can beat the possums, coons and squirrels to the ripe ones.  The critters like them as much as I do!

You call it "tea". I call it "tisane".

  Meandering about the hillside, I have been known to snatch a snack or two from wild berries or fruit trees.  Blackberries, huckleberries and wild persimmons can be found along the pathways and make for the perfect, healthy snack.  It is, also, not uncommon for me to pick a few leaves from these hikes and then add to my "bouquet" from the garden.  The leaves are used to make tisanes which are my preferred drinks.  There is nothing like a fresh brewed tisane to brighten the day!  

  When I tell folks that my gathered leaves are to make a drink, I often get some pretty odd looks.  Then, if I mention the word "tisane", the looks are even funnier.  Folks are perplexed by the term.  "What is a tisane?" often spills out of their mouths.  Well, a tisane is a decoction made with herbs, spices or leaves.  "Oh, you meant to say "tea". they proudly announce.  Nope.  There is no "tea" in my tisane so technically, it is not "tea".  Well, about this time, folks get really flustered at me and ask for coffee.  I am good with that as I like coffee, too!

  The other day, I had to linger under the wild persimmon tree as I waited on the old dog to catch up with me.  As I stood there looking at those fine leaves, I just had to pluck a handful.  Then, as I passed through the garden gate, I added some rosemary and pineapple sage to my bouquet.  Ummm!  Those smelled so fine that I could hardly wait to get inside to brew my concoction!  Fresh herbs and leaves make the finest drink!  

  So, folks, it is ok by me if you prefer to call your drink by the name of "herbal tea".  I shall call mine a "tisane".  Either way, the drinks are healthy and tasty!  The name matters not!

A cup of soothing tea.....

A while back, I wrote about picking persimmon leaves. This was in an attempt to make my own herbal tea since I had read about all of the wonderful attributes of persimmon leaf tea. I had picked and washed the leaves but had not idea how I was going to dry them. I needed a drying rack of some sort and a hot, well-ventilated place. I pondered the fact for a bit and decided that stringing the leaves on some metal skewers would be the first step. After filling all eighteen skewers with the leaves, I still needed some type of rack. That is when a brilliant idea hit me! The folding clothes rack would be perfect! My dad had gotten me this rack years and years ago before I had a dryer. I pulled out the folding rack and set it up in the spare bedroom. It was definitely hot in there! I opened all of the windows and let the Bay breeze waft through the room. The skewered leaves were laid across the top of the rack and left to dry. I checked every day and on the third day..they were quite crunchy! I pulled all of the skewers back into the kitchen and proceeded to strip the leaf off of the stems, dropping the pieces into a flat cake pan. Oh, my goodness! These leaves smelled so delightfully fresh when I was working with them! After the stems were all removed, I still had to crush the leaves. I was a tad worried just how I was to "grind" them but this was needless! I merely started "crunching" them with my hands and the result was beyond expectations! With just the use of my hands, the leaves were pulverized to the perfect size! I could hardly wait to try my first cup of persimmon leaf tea!

To make the tea, I simply put two teaspoons of the crushed leaves in a tea ball, heated a cup of water, dropped the tea ball in and let it steep until it was cool enough to drink. I did add one teaspoon of honey as a sweetener but only because I love honey! (For those who do not drink tea..a tea ball is a small round strainer that is used as an infuser. It allows the flavor of the leaves to mix with the water while keeping all of the leaves themselves contained.) Now the time was set for me to try my homemade, herbal, persimmon leaf tea! I took a sip not knowing what to expect. Would this taste like the "store-bought" persimmon leaf tea or would it be something that I should fling out the back door?! I sipped again..this is good..quite the delightful tea! Success!

Since then, I have picked three more times and now have close to a half-gallon of herbal tea leaves! The drying rack seems to work extremely well so it has encouraged me to try creating other "teas". I did pick some of the blackberry leaves and they dried well, too. There is just one problem with that, though, those leaves have thorns! Picking them was bad enough..but never try to crush them by hand! Owwww! Son had the brilliant idea of running them through our antique castiron meat grinder and that solved the situation. Tomorrow, I will don some gloves and head to the berry patch again, picking enough for at least one full rack. After several base types of leaves are processed, I plan on experimenting with blends! Maybe adding a few spices to each or some dried, ground fruit! Perhaps stirring it with a cinnamon stick! Yum!

Persimmon Madness!

I am elated! I have discovered a new use for my much-loved persimmon tree! This little tree has been producing persimmons for the past few years, through hurricanes, freezes and droughts. Since it is a wild persimmon, it makes the tiny, one-inch in diameter fruits but oh, my goodness, are they delicious! Each year, I eye the fruit from the time the tree blooms in April until it ripens in October. I always cringe when I see the 'possums and coons traipsing up my tree to get their supper. They always eat so many more of the fruits than I ever get to taste!

But now..a new use! One that perhaps will not be impeded by the critters! It was brought to my attention quite by accident that the leaves of the persimmon tree are edible! Well..perhaps not edible but maybe "drinkable"! Darling Daughter was telling me about some farms and produce and sent me a website to view. Well, one thing led to another (as things have a way of doing!) and I wound up looking at an entirely different type of farm! This farm grew persimmon leaves! Yes, persimmon leaves! Oh, I am quite sure they grew the fruit, too, but the leaves are what were harvested! Wild persimmon leaves are used in making an herbal tea! I had no idea!

According to all that I have found, the leaves are remarkably healthy for you and in herbal medicine have many, many uses! These leaves are reputed to lower blood pressure, increase circulation and help prevent arteriosclerosis (fragile capillaries). The tea is said to cure pollen allergies, fight the flu and cure digestive disorders! It also strengthens the immune system and is touted to prevent melanoma. Now after reading all of that..I feel that this must be one amazing leaf! My little persimmon tree seems to be quite the cure-all!

So out I trotted to the Bayou edge where the little tree grows. I picked one basket of the leaves from the lower limbs. These I will dry and crush for teas. The flavor is supposed to be similar to sassafras tea when dried leaves are used. As soon as these dry, I will try my tea. Tomorrow, I will head down to harvest another basketful. I am pondering how to create a drying rack to use outside. With the temperatures hitting near 100 each day and with the lack of moisture due to the drought, the leaves should dry fairly quick. I will need to keep them shaded and well ventilated until the leaves are dried. Perhaps stringing them on lines or some such method! I will definitely experiment! Running the dehydrator just tends to heat up the house way too much!

It takes just about a teaspoon of the dried, crushed leaves to make each cup of tea. Heat the water until boiling, add the leaves and then steep for at least fifteen minutes. The tea leaves should sink to the bottom of the cup as the tea is steeped. The tea can be served warm with honey or iced as a cooling treat. (The warm, honeyed tea is also a great soother for sore throats!) Any leftover tea can be refrigerated for later use. The iced tea sounds delightful with the intense heat of this summer!