Foods for free. Anything you want to post about wild foods or foraging, hunting and fishing. Please note, this section includes pictures of hunting.
Sorry to say that Selfsufficientish or anyone who posts on here is liable to make a mistake when it comes to identification so we can't be liable for getting it wrong.
From what I can glean from my herbal books, its the flowering tops you need for bp, rather than the berries as they have more effect on the heart. The leaves and flowers are balancing to bp, raising it when low and lowering it when high. The simplest way would be to make an infusion when needed. Take 2-3g (1tsp) of dried, or 4-6g (2 tsp) of fresh herb and add 1 cup of nearly boiling water. Infuse for 5-10 minutes. This is one dose, you can take around 3 a day.
For a decoction, take 20g of dried or 40g of fresh flowering tops and add to 750ml of cold water, simmer til redused til 500ml. This will make 3-4 doses, which will last a day.
For a tincture take 200g dried or 300g fresh, chop into small pieces and add to 1 litre of vodka of 35-40% alcohol. Place in a large sterilised jar, ensuring that the herb is completely covered. Close and label, shake well for 2 minutes and store in a cool dark place for about a fortnight, shaking every other day. Strain and filter into sterilised and labelled dark glass bottles (use a wine press or similar to squeeze out every last drop) and store in a cool dark place, it'll keep for 2 years like this. Take 5 ml (1 tsp) 2-3 times a day in 25 ml of water or fruit juice. If using alcohol is a problem you can replace it with vinegar.
However, (I have to say this for legal reasons) you should never stop using medication given to you by your doctor without discussing it with him or her first. Also, you should seek the advice of a fully qualified and reputable herbalist before using any herb for a serious or chronic medical condition.