Krista's Herbarium
a collection of herbal remedies, recipes, and reveries
Nettles To The Rescue
Need an energy boost? Feeling dull due to the change in weather? Now is the perfect time to harvest these gorgeous plants!
Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica) are in their second growth right now. Catch them before their catkin-like flowers start to dangle. I harvest the top 10-15 cm of the plant and dry them in batches in my dehydrator. I absolutely love them fresh as well. During this change in season, and the stress of starting school again after a luxurious summer holiday, we make nettle tea each evening in order to have a strong brew ready in the morning. I fill our two large French presses 1/2 full of fresh nettles (or 1/3 full of dried), cover them with water that has just boiled and leave them overnight. In the morning, I press them and pour them into glass bottles to be drunk throughout the day. A great tonic, energizer, full of minerals and nutrients and an overall detoxifier!
3 Comments on “Nettles To The Rescue”
Leave a Reply
Krista's Herbarium 
Oh cuss! Mine were coming back just fine, but before I could get to them, another gardener cut them down with the weed whacker. By the time I found them, they were too shredded and trampled with other debris to salvage. Oh well, there should be enough in other spots to last.
LikeLike
Yeah, that happens here too…most recently with my favourite elderberry patch…and a precious spot with St John’s Wort…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I kill the Saint John’s wort myself! It is a serious weed. There is plenty out there when I need it. (I still do not know which species is the most desirable, so I just get what I can.)
LikeLike