Stinging nettle
After collecting your fresh young stinging nettle heads lay them on a sheet or muslim cloth to dry in a sunny place in the house. Turn them every day for 3 to 4 days. When they are dry they will make a crisp sound when you rub them together. Ideally you break them into small pieces by rubbing them between your hands. They won’t sting by the way once dried. Alternatively you can keep them as whole leaves.
Once dried put them into an airtight jar with a lid. It is best not to put them into a plastic bag.
Making a nettle tea brew
Add three heads of nettle into a cup and add boiling water ! Mint or aniseed stars can also be added if you want a richer flavour. Other combinations are possible of course and the wonderful thing about collecting your own herbs is you can make teas to your own taste!
Create your own dried herbs throughout the year for making blended herb tea mixtures
Spring time : bramble soft young leaves, Silver Birch young leaves, Raspberry young leaves,
Summer time : from May / June ; Elderblossom, Lime winged seeds, Mint, Camomile, and other herbs from a kitchen garden like Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, St John’s Wort.
I will be posting more detail a little later on so look out for Summer herbs.
All need to be dried and then at the end of the year in the Winter you put them all together in whatever combinations you want. The bath is a good mixing vessel!
Silver Birch leaves
