Nettle tea has been used for millennia to assist with respiratory and skin problems, not to mention alleviate joint pains and arthritis. Even when you are in tip-top physical health, a glass of nettle tea can manage your hormones, relaxing your mind, and even provide a boost of essential vitamins and minerals. And the best part of all? You can easily produce it in your home!
Needless to say, the first step in making your own homemade mug of nettle tea is being able to find a nettle bush. If you are unsure what a nettle plant looks like, an easy internet search will give you loads of pictures. When Mother Nature is involved, always be certain you understand precisely what you happen to be handling. Many plants look very similar but one might be good for you while the other can be extremely poisonous. When in doubt, ask a professional before ingesting anything.
More info on stinging nettle tea
Once you know what you’re searching for, any woods, thickets and even the side of the highway are ideal locations to find the nettle plant. It grows similar to a weed, because, well, it really is one! The number one rule of nettle plant picking is to make sure you put on gloves and long sleeves as well as use scissors, minimizing your exposure to the leaves as far as possible. Nettle foliage is covered with nearly undetectable hair-like stingers that leave an awful rash on your skin. Also, be sure to collect your nettle leaves from areas not sprayed with herbicides or are exposed to other chemicals (for example car exhaust right alongside a busy street).
When picking your nettle leaves pick younger plants (around spring time) and cut off the bright green tips to take home (the leaves get bitterer as they age). The nettle leaves ought to be washed to remove all dirt and insects and then they might either be left to dry for future pots of tea or used straight away fresh. To dry the nettle leaves, layer them on a paper towel and let them air dry. They may then be kept in an airtight jar for future use.
There are various recipes available on-line regarding making the perfect mug of nettle tea; even so, they’re subjective as people could use more or less nettle leaves according to how bitter they like their own tea. A traditional recipe would be to have a tablespoon of dried nettles and to brew it in very hot water for about ten minutes. This step must be taken for the full ten minutes to be able to deactivate the stingers. Otherwise, you won’t die, however, you may get a mild stomach ache or ‘tingling’ feeling when drinking the tea (that you get anyway, in case you have a sensitive system but this will go away as your body accumulates a tolerance to the tea). The leaves may then be drained and the tea safely taken.
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Should you be looking for more of a power punch from your nettle leaves, you can brew a nettle infusion, that is essentially a nettle tea which has steeped for a longer period. A suggested recipe is to take one ounce of nettle leaves and one quart of boiling water and just permit them to soak for, at the minimum, several hours, or overnight while in the fridge. Be certain to still refrigerate the infusion in order that it won’t spoil (if it does, it can make a wonderful fertilizer in your garden). The infusion may be reheated to enjoy as an extra strong tea or served over ice or put into juice for a cool, delicious refreshment.
If you want the benefits of a mug of nettle tea, but don’t like the flavour, adding lemon, honey or just sugar will make your cup of tea that much better for you. Additionally, other herbs and plant leaves can be blended in with the nettle leaves to make your own personal custom super tea! A popular addition for those being affected by indigestion is rosemary, which helps with the release of bile to assist process fats. Red raspberry leaves joined with nettle leaves can create an incredible tonic for an expectant mother, as both help to alleviate excessive bleeding after childbirth. Try out some marvelous combos of ones own!
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