To make spicebush tea, chop up some of the early flowers, twig tips, leaves, or bark. Where I forage in NE PA the berries have started to dry on the shrubs by mid-October. Spicebush is an understory plant, a deciduous shrub, and a native plant. I usually dry them in my dehydrator on a fruit-roll up tray, but I have air-dried them successfully as well. In order for the female spicebush to produce berries its flowers must be fertilized by the flowers of a male plant. Spicebush provides a year-round culinary source, since all of its aboveground material is useful, even down to the hardy winter twigs. It has a completely distinct scent, but you have to smell it to know it. The dried red berries can be used for both savory and sweet applications, although I think they shine more when added to ice creams and baked goods, and are certainly superior to the dried green berries. If you are wanting to collect flowers of spicebush in the spring, or fruits in summer and fall, I recommend collecting only limbs of male trees, which do not have visible flowerbuds developing. So if you think you’re going to get more into this whole food preservation thing, it’s probably worth buying a dehydrator. As long as the fruit is red, it’s good to harvest. Both produce attractive flowers and fall foliage, but only the females have edible berries. Accordingly, I tend to use more sweet dried spices or other aromatic ingredients when making a paste with fresh red spicebush. The base will taste like the finished ice cream. It is a four-season edible, and probably bears a lot of the responsibility for why I am an advocate of winter foraging. Let spicebush steep … Pick whichever is in season and we'll give you the best berry recipes to choose from! It should be abundant, if you wish to collect flowers or fruit (“spicebush berries or spiceberries”). I’ve heard people describe it as tasting like a mix of allspice and pepper, but to me, the flavor defies description. Thanks! The berries (drupes) are only produced on the female plants and are readily eaten by birds and other wildlife. I dry them indoors on a baking sheet (which I also do with elderberries), stirring them around a couple times a day to expose all sides to the air. […] via Spicebush : A Spice For All Seasons […], […] Spicebush is a versatile spice, whether dried or fresh. Peggy, I dry the entire berry and grind it all up for a spice. Because it grows so profusely along hiking trails in my area, I collect it at state and national parks (HEAVEN FORFEND) where the park rangers already clearly maintain a trail. I found a patch of Spice Bushes in the forest near me and transplanted about 20 of them to my yard this week, they are easy to spot now. If you don’t have a dehydrator, could you do this in the oven? Served warm, they are fragrant and soft, with a topping of sweet glaze. I make sassafras’s tea from the root and was wondering if I can use spicewood root the same way? I also collect twigs when I harvest whole branches of the plant, which I generally do if I am planning on using every part–leaves, twigs and berries. And sometimes you can get great deals on Craig’s List. This dark grayish tea is spicy and tasty. Its ripe berries can be used to make what is often called “Appalachian Allspice”. They’re picked red ripe from the understory of the forest before being carefully dried for later culinary explorations. It’s spicy, complex, dark, has a little heat, and there’s something floral in there, too. Fresh berries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week but I prefer to use mine dried. Sterilize the canning jars by immersing them in boiling water for 15 minutes. Not only does the spice bush benefit the native fauna, but tea can also be made from its twigs and leaves. 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