# White Birch Bark Tea



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Has anyone gone out and collected white birch bark and made tea for a wash for skin or to drink? I could buy it online but I'd prefer to find and make it myself. Has anyone had any negative side affects from using white birch bark tea? Is there a certain time of the year that it is more potent for use? 

I haven't had health insurance for 5+ years and now I do, thanks to the govt. But with a $3500.00 deductible (on top of the mo. premium) I will only use it for a dire emergency. So still got to do the best I can with staying healthy until Medicare, if that is still available when I'm eligible... I do plan to stay as healthy as possible after this time but the real crunch is the in between period. Thanks in advance for any advice.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I have lots of birch trees, I had forgotten about them being medicinal. I guess I need to harvest some.

I planted ginkgo, willow, witch hazel, and elderberry for that purpose though.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

About 10 years ago I heard that Mayo was doing a study on tea made from paper birch bark for the treatment of skin cancer. I haven't heard anything more about it since.

If you've got paper birch growing in your area I don't see why you couldn't go out an pick some of the loose bark off the trees. As long as you don't go below the white bark it shouldn't impact the tree at all.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I was actually hoping to cut a smaller tree down and use the wood for projects. We had our acreage timbered back in the '90's and where there were maples they off-shooted and now there are 6 or 7 coming from the stump left behind. I would have to buy the tree though because there are none on our property. 
Guess I will buy some small ones and plant for future owners.

With even the price of aspirin being steep, and you don't have a clue what country manufactured it I want to learn more about regional medicines and foods. 

I have collected elderberries and need some pointers on how to remove(easily) the berries without the stems (which are poisonous) I believe. It was amazing how long you can keep elderberry syrup in the refrigerator without an evidence of mold. Also cranberries that I have put in the compost pile in Nov. are still red and beautiful the next June. To me that is a miracle!


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Elderberries are very easy to process. Pick the entire umbel, pack them into a large jar, and freeze them. Later the frozen berries can easily be removed from the umbel stems. Then allow to thaw and juice them. Pour that through a strainer, and your done.

As for aspirin, think about it, any 'medicine' synthesized from coal can not be the right thing for our bodies. Willow grows in abundance and it's leaves and bark make tea very easily.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks for the tip about freezing the stems to remove the elderberries. We had such a terrible time trying to process them (green slime) a couple of years ago that we've not repeated the process. But I do like to have elderberry and grape syrup in the freezer and the fridge for oatmeal and the like. 

I use slippery elm for a tea for myself and the cats if there are bladder problems. It has been very helpful with our old cats when mixed with a little broth or tuna juice as an incentive. :thumb:


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

light rain said:


> Thanks for the tip about freezing the stems to remove the elderberries. We had such a terrible time trying to process them (green slime) a couple of years ago that we've not repeated the process. But I do like to have elderberry and grape syrup in the freezer and the fridge for oatmeal and the like.


Green slime?

Our elderberries are dark-red to nearly black.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

No our berries are purple black also. That green slime was from the little stems the berries are connected to. I skimmed that off, nasty stuff and I believe a bit poisonous. Must have sufficed, the skimming, still here 2 years later. :clap: It may have been 3 yrs. I wonder if the slime affects the memory....


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## mistletoad (Apr 17, 2003)

We've always combed the elderberries off with a fork. Of course this could just be because we didn't have a freezer when I was a child


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

We have not experienced any green slime.

When we have tried to handle the berries raw, they burst open, juices gets everywhere. There is much waste. The first year I tried that and I was not pleased with the results. So I asked online about how to harvest them.


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## PricklyThistle (Feb 6, 2014)

No reason you can't collect your own. White birch is a good mild analgesic. Works well on headaches that aren't due to inflammation (for inflammatory headaches ginger works much better). It can bother a sensitive belly in higher doses if you don't eat something first. It also thins the blood slightly, so if you tend to have low blood pressure or are taking something that lowers blood pressure, be aware.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks PricklyThistle for the info. Nope, no blood thinners for me or low blood pressure. And thanks for information about the ginger. A family member has inflammation due to running and weight lifting and I told her about the ginger being an anti-inflammatory but I was sort of guessing. I'll make a stirfry dish with lots of broccoli and fresh ginger and beef during her visit.


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## PricklyThistle (Feb 6, 2014)

YW  ginger is great for those headaches caused by sinus inflammation, I've found. I try to have some real brewed ginger-ale on hand for those occasions. It always clears them right up


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I have several sections of fresh white birch to make tea out of. Some of the internet articles say use the inner bark. Folks also say to use leave and twigs. I asked someone to go to the trouble to cut this for me so any more advice on which part of the tree trunk to harvest. They are about 2 1/2 ft. long x 6" in diameter. What isn't used as tea will be used in craft projects or fire wood. No waste.


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