Nettle tea has been utilized for centuries to remedy breathing and skin ailments, in addition to alleviate joint problems and arthritis. Even when you are in tip-top physical health, a cupful of nettle tea can control your hormones, soothing your brain, as well as give you a boost of important vitamins and minerals. And the best part of all? You can easily make it at home!
Obviously, the initial step in brewing your very own homemade pot of nettle tea is being in the position to find a nettle bush. If you are unsure know what a nettle plant looks like, an easy google search will offer you plenty of pictures. When working with Mother Nature, ensure you understand just what you’re dealing with. Many plants look very similar but one may be great for you while the other can be extremely toxic. When in doubt, ask a professional before ingesting anything.
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Once you know what you’re trying to find, any woods, thickets and even the side of the road are perfect places to locate the nettle plant. It grows just like a weed, because, well, it is one! The most critical rule of nettle plant collection is to always use gloves and a shirt with long sleeves and to use scissors, reducing your contact with the leaves as much as possible. Nettle leaves are coated with nearly undetectable hair-like stingers that leave an awful rash on the skin. Also, be sure to harvest your nettle leaves from areas not sprayed with weed killer or are in contact with other chemicals (for instance car exhaust right alongside a busy street).
When picking your nettle leaves pick younger plants (around spring time) and trim off the bright green tips to take home (the leaves get bitterer with age). The nettle leaves must be washed to get rid of all dirt and insects and then they could either be left to dry for future pots of tea or used right away fresh. To dry the nettle leaves, layer them on a paper towel and let them air dry. They could then be placed in an airtight jar for future use.
There are various recipes out there on-line regarding making the perfect pot of nettle tea; nevertheless, these are subjective as some people may want to use different amounts of nettle leaves dependent on how bitter they prefer their own tea. A traditional recipe is to take a tablespoon of dried nettles and to steep it in very hot water for at least ten minutes. The leaves must be brewed for the full ten minutes so the water can deactivate the stingers. Otherwise, you won’t die, but you can get a mild stomach ache or ‘tingling’ feeling when drinking the tea (which you might get anyway, should you have a sensitive system but this should disappear because your body gathers a tolerance to the tea). The leaves may then be drained and the tea safely enjoyed.
Further reading on nettle tea
If you’re searching for more of a power punch out of your nettle leaves, you could make a nettle infusion, that is basically a nettle tea that has steeped longer. A recommended recipe is to take one ounce of nettle leaves then one quart of boiling water and just let them soak for, at the minimum, a couple of hours, or overnight in the fridge. Be certain to still refrigerate the infusion so it doesn’t go bad (and if it does, it can make a superb fertilizer for use on your garden). The infusion may be reheated to savor as an extra strong tea or poured over ice or put into juice for a cool, tasty drink.
If you love the health rewards of a pot of nettle tea, but cannot get past the taste, adding lemon, honey or simply sugar can make your cup of tea a lot more pleasant for you. Additionally, other herbs and plant leaves could be blended along with the nettle leaves to form your own personal custom super tea! A popular addition for anyone being affected by indigestion is rosemary, which helps with the discharge of bile to help you process fats. Red raspberry leaves coupled with nettle leaves can create a fantastic tonic for an pregnant woman, as both help to alleviate excessive bleeding after childbirth. Check out some marvelous combos of ones own!
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