Wild Canyon Grapes - Blogparty

I'm just resurfacing from co-teaching an incredible and moving four day workshop on Earth Path Shamanism. I don't think any of us could have predicted the power and profound shifts that occurred for nearly everyone present, and I'm still a bit overwhelmed by my gratitude to describe it fully. I will hopefully do a post about it before too long though.

I was so happy to see that Rebecca's decided to wait until tomorrow to post the blogparty, since now I actually have time to do at least a small post on berries.

My berry of choice at the moment is our Wild Canyon Grapes that are just now ripening, the picture above shows fully ripened and ready to eat Grapes, yum!

We also eat Grape leaves year round, both fresh and also preserved in a brine during the Winter season. Grape leaves are wonderful medicinally for taking down all kinds of swellings when used externally (fresh leaf poultice) and as an amazing fertility tonic when used as a dry plant infusion (especially combined in a regimen with Ambrosia root/leaf tincture). You can chop up the leaves and throw them in nearly any stirfry, stew, sandwich or other savory dish. When brined they provide a mineral packed green tang to as well. I think they're especially good with wild salmon or a hearty Elk stew.

The berries make AMAZING syrup, jam, wine and tincture.... While I don't really care for domesticated grapes at all, I love the complex wild flavor of our Canyon Grapes, they taste a bit like Oregon Grape berries and a bit like Elderberries: sour, sweet, refreshing and incredibly nutritive. I use Wild Grape tincture as a bioflavanoid rich blood tonic for those recovering from general debility, digestive trouble, anemia and other systemic weakness. Small doses of the wine made with raw honey or evaporated cane juice can also be used in the same way. If alcohol doesn't agree with you, another method is a syrup made with Wild Grapes and Blackstrap Molasses, add a smidge of Rosehips and Elderberries and you'll have an all around nourishing tonic.

I'll try to post at least one Wild Grape medicine recipe in the next month as I try out some ideas during this harvest season. Yum!