written by Ally Hurčíková on May 26, 2010Hello Transition-ers! I’ve decided to use this space to share some thoughts of mine about how to re-use or simply make use of a wide range of things.
Simply, I’d like to start us talking about ‘how to’ do a variety of useful, wonderful or delicious things. I’m sure there’s a lot we can share. Hopefully this will be the first how to of many on our blog.
Today we’re looking at… “What to do with all those pesky stinging nettles?”
This weather seems to be accompanied by the potential for a veritable stinging circus, but the good news is that nettles are actually
- highly medicinal
- tasty!
Most relevant to this time of year, when prepared properly nettles can be used as a safe, non toxic and natural antihistamine that relieves hayfever symptoms. Drunk in a tea, or tincture, they are also highly nourishing for the digestion, as well as for cleansing the blood. Seems like those garden weeds could actually be little treasures. Now we just need to know how to prepare them:
How to make a nettle infusion
In plain English that just means tea. (Apparently the English like it).
So…
- Get your gloves on!
- Gather as many nettles as you’d like to, preferably before they’ve flowered. You’ll need the ‘aerial parts’ – that’s the stalks and leaves.
- Take them home and give them a wash.
- Tear them into small-ish pieces. You’ll need about one handful per teapot. Anything left over can either be dried, cooked, frozen or made into a tincture. (Dry your nettles by hanging them upside down or putting them in an oven at a low temperature.)
- Stick your handful in the teapot, add boiling water, and wait for a good 5 minutes.
- Drink your nettle infusion with a smile.
To make a nettle tincture
(nettle extraction preserved in alcohol)
Tinctures are useful as more concentrated and longer lasting plant extractions. They are also cheap and really easy to make, but sound very professional, which suits me just fine.
- Collect your nettles as before. You can either use dried, powdered or fresh nettles for this.
- Simply put however many nettles you like in a glass jar and cover with alcohol (vodka is just fine) till the herbs are covered. Add a few more inches of alcohol for good measure
- Seal the jar tightly and leave in dark place.
- Shake it every day
- When its ready (after about two weeks), pour it through a muslin cloth into another jar. Squeeze the saturated herbs until no more liquid can be extracted.
- Transfer into a dropper bottle if you have one. If not don’t worry.
Photo by Auntie P - Be very proud of yourself.
- Give a few drops to a friend whenever they sneeze, or yourself when your in need of a cleansing tonic. Remember to tell everyone you made it yourself!
There are plenty of other recipes and remedies – like Nettle Beer, Nettle Soup, Nettle Wine, Nettle Risotto, but I won’t include them here in case I send you Nettle Crazy.
Just something to think about next time you get stung…
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