What can you do with bayberry leaves?
In large amounts, bayberry is used to cause vomiting. Some people also use it to stimulate the circulatory system. Bayberry is sometimes used as a gargle for sore throat, as a douche for vaginal discharge, and as an ointment for skin ulcers and wounds.
Can you use bayberry leaves?
Today bayberry leaf is commonly used as an herb, enjoyed in much the same way as bay leaf, its more popular cousin. Look for long oval leaves and small blue-gray fruit that are covered with a waxy white coating. (Both the fruit and some of the leaves remain on the plant through the winter.)
How do you preserve bayberry leaves?
Store in a well-sealed glass jar at room temperature. Lasts at least one year. Some Northern Bayberry still clinging on in a coastal location in January.
Are bayberry leaves the same as bay leaves?
If you want to buy a tree for seasoning, you want the plant called bay laurel, Laurus nobilis. Leaves can be used as an herb when fresh, but most people say the leaves have a better flavor when dried. I’ve used bay laurel both ways.
Can you use bayberry leaves in cooking?
Superficially, bayberry shares some characteristics with the true bay: it is a small tree or shrub with aromatic, leathery leaves. Some published references indicate that the leaves can be dried and used as a seasoning in soups and stews.
How do you make bayberry tea?
Steep one teaspoon of roasted bayberry leaves per cup of tea, in the water after it has boiled and been poured out (no need to boil the bayberry). Steep for 5 – 7 minutes the first time, then adjust as you like. The tea will turn a nice green, somewhat like green tea.
Can bayberry leaves be used in cooking?
Can you make candle wax from plants?
Wax-bearing plants: The wax is obtained by boiling the plant (usually only the fruit, which tends to have the greatest quantity of wax), allowing the liquid to cool and then removing the wax as it solidifies. The wax can then be re-heated and formed into candles. The remaining liquid can be used as a blue dye.
Is Myrtle bay leaf?
The leaves of Umbellularia californica are sometimes used as a bay leaf substitute but they have much stronger flavor. The Oregon Myrtle (U. californica) is also NOT the myrtle mentioned in the Bible and used in some Jewish rituals, that myrtle is Myrtus communis or Common Myrtle (in Myrtaceae).
Is northern bayberry toxic?
Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic. The plant materials strong aroma made it attractive for use in the production of sealing wax and soaps (MBG, 2017).