Raspberry - Rubus spp.

Ethnobotanical Uses

(from The Telegraph Garden Shop)

Food:

"This colorful, delicious fruit is popular fresh from the branch or added to pies, cakes, puddings, cobblers, jams, jellies, juices and wines. --- flowers can make pretty addigtion to salads." (Kershaw 71)

"The berries contain enough pectin to set up nicely as a preserve or jelly, and when pureed can be boiled with honey or sorghum for a delicious pancake syrup." (Moore 138)

"Berries, leaves and roots are edible. Berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Leaves can be used fresh or dried as tea.

Recipe 1: Old Fashioned Raspberry Pie

Preheat oven to 405 degrees F.

Filling:

Measure proper amount of raspberries by filling your empty pie dish to overflowing. Transfer berries to large bowl. Add 3/4 cup unbleached cane sugar, grated rind of 1/4 lemon, and 4 tablespoons tapioca pearls. Stir gently to combine; set aside.

Crust:

Using a food processor with the metal blade, pulse to combine ingredients.

Prepare chilled water by filling a bowl with water and placing a few ice cubes in the bowl. Set aside.

Combine 2 cups white pastry flour and 1 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 1/2 cup organic canola oil until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-size pieces. Sprinkle in 2-4 tablespoons chilled water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to combine. If needed add 2-4 additional tablespoons of the chilled water and combine. Dough should be workable, not too wet and not too dry. Don't overmix.

Shape dough into two even balls. Roll out one ball at a time, one for the top crust and one for the bottom crust. Roll dough on a slightly floured work surface into circles 2" wider than the pie plate. Transfer one section to pie plate, and gently press along the bottom.

Fill unbaked pie crust with the raspberry mixture. Add a few slices of butter to the top of the heap if desired. Place the top crust on top of the berries; fold and pinch edges to secure top crust to bottom crust. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the top crust. Place pie in preheated 405 degree F oven. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until juice is actively bubbling out of the crust and the crust is just beginning to brown.

NOTE: Place a cookie sheet under the pie plate to catch any juice overflow.

Recipe 2: Hot cereal and Fresh Raspberries

An excellent addition to oatmeal or cream of wheat. Great while camping. Prepare hot cereal according to instructions for that cereal. Add a few fresh-picked wild raspberries. Top with a spoonful of crushed almonds or walnuts and local honey." (Morgan 217-8)

Medicine:

"Leaves are said to be useful for the female reproductive tract, uterine health, and alleviating menstrual cramps."(Morgan 218)

"Raspberry-leaf tea has traditionally been given to women before, during and after childbirth to prevent miscarriage, reduce labor pains and increase milk flow. --- Raspberry leaf tea and raspberry juice boiled with sugar have been gargled to treat mouth and throat inflammations." (Kershaw 71)

"The roots and leaves can be mildly sedative for some people and the root and fruit are slightly laxative and diuretic. --- The syrup can also be used straight to lessen feverishness or diarrhea in children." (Moore 138)


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