Gather 5-6 stems and tie together with kitchen string. To allow for good air circulation, do not tie too many stems together. Label your bundles and hang in a clean, dry and dark place – or on your dining room light fixture! Let them dry for 1-3 weeks, depending on size of bundles, humidity and maturity of the nettles.
How long does it take for nettles to dry?
Alternatively, place the nettles on a baking tray and place in the oven at the lowest temperature until dried. If you’ve plenty of time and space, you could lay the nettles out in a large baking tray, or even on clean tea towels or cooling racks. Leave in a warm space and leave to air-dry for 48 hours, or until dry.
Do you have to dry nettles for tea?
Make sure not to dry them to the point where they lose their green color and turn brown or black. You can also hang them to dry, use a dehydrator or be creative with your method. It’s just fine to use fresh plant material to make tea, I just prefer the taste of dried nettle.
Should you wash nettles before making tea?
Place nettles in a bucket, you don’t need to wash them if you are using them in the garden. Pour cold water over them. Let them steep, covered for 48 hours or even longer.
How long does dried nettle last?
18 months
Once dried, the nettle will retain it’s potency for up to 18 months so you don’t need to be in a rush to consume it.
How do you preserve fresh nettles?
How to Store Nettles
- Don’t. Don’t rinse before storing. Wear gloves when handling raw nettles as they can sting the skin.
- Seal. Seal leaves in a Glad® Food Storage Zipper Bag, squeezing out as much air as possible when closing.
- Refrigerate. Store the bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
Do nettles lose their sting when dried?
COOKING WITH STINGING NETTLE
And don’t worry – once the leaves have been cooked, crushed or dried they lose their sting. You can sauté stinging nettle, add it to smoothies, juice it, add it to pasta dishes like lasagna, puree it for pesto, add it soups, stews, in omelets, or include it in salads.
Can you eat dried stinging nettle?
Stinging nettle can be eaten on its own or as an ingredient in foods. Nettle leaves must first be cooked or steamed to destroy the hairs on them, which contain a number of irritating chemicals. Most medicinal uses of stinging nettle use more of the plant than you would typically eat.
How do you clean and prepare nettles?
How to Cook Stinging Nettles
- First, blanch them. Heat up a big pot of salted, boiling water. Then, without touching the nettles, dump them directly from the bag into the pot.
- Drain and cook. Drain the nettles in a colander and squeeze out all of the excess moisture. At this point, they are ready to handle.
How do you dry nettles at home?
Spread stems and leaves on the drying trays of a dehydrator. Set the temperature at its lowest setting (95°F or 35°C) and dry for 12 to 18 hours. The stems will take longer to dry than the leaves, so always test them instead of the leaves to determine if the drying is done.
Can you make nettle tea with fresh leaves?
The nettle leaves feature delicate spines that can cause skin irritation when touched, but the infusion in boiling water neutralizes the sting of the plant. The tea can be brewed using fresh nettle leaves or dried nettles leaves — the latter doesn’t have any stinging properties.
What can I do with fresh nettles?
Top 5 Ways to Use Stinging Nettles
- Top Your Pizza. Nettles are a great substitute for spinach or arugula for a pizza topping.
- Nettle Pesto. Swap basil for nettles in your favorite pesto recipe for a delicious and nutrient packed dish.
- Saute’ with Garlic.
- Add to Soup.
- Nettle Infusion.
Who should not drink nettle tea?
Pregnant people
Interactions. Pregnant people should not take nettle or drink nettle tea. Due to a lack of research, children under the age of 12 years should also avoid nettle. It is important that people with existing conditions and those who take certain medications speak with a healthcare professional before trying nettle.
Can you drink nettle tea everyday?
Drinking just one cup of nettle tea every day can improve your health!
What does stinging nettle do to the body?
Stinging nettle has been used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints, eczema, arthritis, gout, and anemia. Today, many people use it to treat urinary problems during the early stages of an enlarged prostate (called benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH).
How do you prepare stinging nettle for eating?
Nettles need to be thoroughly cleaned and de-stung before eating. To do this, the easiest method is blanching them in boiling water and rinsing them afterward, squeezing out the water before sautéing them or adding them into soups or stews.
How do you process nettles?
Separate Leaves From Stalks
Drop the leaves into a sink or bowl of warm water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This washing process by itself will remove much of the sting from the nettles. You’ll see that the soaking water becomes a rust-orange color; this is nothing to worry about.
How do you use dried nettle leaves?
The dried leaves and flowers can be steeped to make a delicious herbal tea, while its leaves, stem and roots can be cooked and added to soups, stews, smoothies and stir-frys. However, avoid eating fresh leaves, as their barbs can cause irritation. Currently, there is no recommended dosage for stinging nettle products.
Can you dehydrate nettles?
How do I dehydrate Stinging Nettle? You can dehydrate them using a dehydrator, or dry them in the oven. For the oven method, place your clean Nettle neatly on a cookie sheet and warm them slowly in the oven at 170- 180 °F for 1-2 hours. The temperature must be below 200, otherwise the plant will bake rather than dry.
How do you use dead nettles?
Use fresh dead nettle along with chickweed, dandelion greens, and other “weeds” to make a wild greens pesto. Purple deadnettle can also be added to soups, salads, or blended into smoothies. Basically any way that you would use any other green leafy vegetable or herb.
How can you tell if nettles are edible?
Look at the stems.
The stems are sharply angled (typically 4-angled), often with bristly-pubescent stinging hairs. Occasionally the stems may be smooth. Some stinging nettle subspecies may have green stems, whereas other subspecies may have purple stems.
Elvira Bowen is a food expert who has dedicated her life to understanding the science of cooking. She has worked in some of the world’s most prestigious kitchens, and has published several cookbooks that have become bestsellers. Elvira is known for her creative approach to cuisine, and her passion for teaching others about the culinary arts.