It's so very exciting to discover a plant/herb/fruit that has been on your radar as you walk by it daily without wondering, until well, you do, whether it may be edible, medicinal, magical?

Every day I walk in my neighbourhood to circumnavigate our beautiful local lake and take in the fresh air, sunshine, bird calls and puppy play. My morning exercise is always fragranced with the seasonal aromatic botanicals that grow along the pathways and the off-road urban trails.

There is one particular plant that has caught my eye in the early Winter to Spring season and only recently have I learned of its treasures and gifts. The bright purple berries of the Callicarpa, or Beauty Berry, are exquisite, almost otherworldly, and have multiple uses beyond their Pitta-satisfying eye-candy. And they are edible! I was actually surprised to learn this, as the almost-luminous purple colour has one believe for some reason that they must be toxic, off-limits, for eyes only.

This berry, most certainly the variety called Callicarpa Americana, are not only edible, they  have multiple medicinal and household uses. Berries fruit in late Summer, all the way to early Spring.

Raw off the stem they aren't exactly the most delicious eating berries, as they are mild and quite bitter and astringent, each with a hard little seed inside, but rather they make a delicate tasting  jam that apparently tastes like a gorgeous Muscadine grape and apple jam mix (I have yet to make and try this but oh trust me, I will!) I have also researched uses as a wine or tea or syrup. 

The large serrated leaves have multiple uses. They act as an insect repellent by breaking or ripping the leaf and rubbing it against the skin when needed. A less rustic way to do this as a preventative for mosquito bites would be an alcohol infusion as per recipe below.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the plant is used for the treatment of inflammation and bleeding disorders. Research suggests they may have antiviral and antibacterial benefits. They’re also being studied in cancer and memory enhancement. I have not found any studies from an Ayurvedic perspective but Ayurveda looks at qualities and as an astringent this is a blood tonic and anti-inflammatory.




HOW TO MAKE THE JAM! 

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 cups of Beauty Berries

  • 8 cups water

  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (I like fresh-squeezed)

  • 4 cups unprocessed cane sugar 

  • 1 package low-sugar pectin

  • OPTIONAL: 1 drop Lavender essential oil


METHOD


Rinse berries and pick out any leaves twigs, or hideaway bugs.

Add 4 cups of berries into a big pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. Berries will be mostly floating on top at this point.

Mash berries against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon and then boil for another 20 minutes. The berries should be mostly under the surface of the water now.

Using a fine sieve or cheesecloth strain out all the skin and seeds.

Return the juice to the pot and let boil until you have 4 cups of liquid. 

Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. 

Mix in a separate bowl, 1 package of low-sugar pectin with 4 cups of sugar. Add into the berry juice pot and let it return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. 

Take off  heat - If you are adding the lavender EO, add it now and stir in -  cool.
Notice it thicken more as it cools.

Once completely cooled, add to a mason jar and refrigerate. Keeps up to 4 weeks in fridge.

Use on toast, (yummy with ghee on toast and a generous spread of the jam) add as a sweet topping on oatmeal or add to sweeten a salad dressing, or with a charcuterie spread or to balance a spicy savoury dish.



BEAUTY BERRY AS A BUG REPELLENT:

HOW?

Pick the fresh green leaves, stuff full into a large glass mason jar. Really stuff the leaves in there to fill jar.

Pour rubbing alcohol over to cover leaves.

Leave for 4-6 days until all the oil is drawn out of the leaves.

Strain though a coffee filter or fine mesh strainer into a clean dry mason jar.

Pour carefully into a spray bottle. Spray onto bare skin areas you want to protect when out hiking during mosquito season. (The colour is an intense green, you may want to dilute with a bit more alcohol which evaporates and leaves the leaf oil on your skin to ward off those buggies).

From what I've heard this stuff really works!

Next time you go on a walk, see if you notice any of these amazing berry bushes on your path. Always a good plan to travel with ziplock baggies or lunch-paper bags - there are always treasures to find if you know what to look for.

Enjoy this transition in the season from Winter to Spring and I hope you can join us for our annual Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse!

Fragrant Blessings,
Glynnis