A few years back my sister began to drink a nettle infusion everyday to get through the hot flashes of menopause. She was hooked. I tried it off and on, but the taste didn’t grab me, and I wasn’t good about drinking it everyday as a tonic. Some herbs, like Nettle, Urtica dioica, are meant to be used consistently over several months to see the greatest benefit.
This year in throws of my own hot flashes, just a fun way that your body tells you there is nutritional and thus hormonal imbalance, I started to make the tonic again. This time I ordered from Zack Woods Herb Farm. They are a certified organic grower of Nettle in New England. I re read my resources, Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed, Juliette de Bairacli Levy, and Margi Flint and arrived at an infusion that is delicious and effective. Now it is easy to make it everyday.
When my neighbor was exhausted and out of sorts I started her on Licorice Root and Nettle. Her energy returned. She felt vibrant and happier. She could tell her hormones had shifted. Now she simply drinks one quart of Nettle infusion everyday, like my sister, for her it is better than coffee. She has the motivation to exercise, her mood is stabilized, and she has lost the extra weight that was lingering after her last pregnancy.
Through the transformation, others in the neighborhood noticed. “How do we get some of that energy?” Simple, a concentrated infusion of Nettle, Urtica dioica. The key to Nettle is the strength of the infusion and the amount taken daily. People are use to drinking tea, but usually as a beverage. Steep a standard tea bag, a teaspoon of dried herb per tea bag, for 3-5 minutes and enjoy. Nettle tea (infusion) is a bit different.
A tonic of Nettle that will invigorate the energy, requires at least one tablespoon per cup of water, plus one extra scoop for the jar. It is always good to give a gift back to the source. This is a common recipe for making a medicinal tea. Herbalist, Susun Weed advocates for 1 ounce of dried herb per quart. Which I have tried, but it is too intense for me right now, and more expensive. Currently 16 oz of dried Nettle will last just over 1 month. At a cost of just under a $1.00 per day. Using it 1 ounce at a time is only 16 days and roughly $2.00, which is still less than buying 1 quart of an organic drink of choice anywhere. I believe the best recipe is individualized depending on what the body needs. Experiment.
The easiest way to make the infusion is to scoop 5 tablespoons of dried Nettle, Urtica dioica into a clean 1 quart Mason jar. Pour 1 quart of boiling water over the Nettle, cover with the lid and wait at least 8 hours. The longer the nettles steep the more emerald green the tea becomes. It is beautiful.
To make it even easier, make the infusion at night before bed then it will be ready to go the next morning. The goal is to drink one quart of freshly infused Nettle everyday for 30 days. You can drink it warm or cold, one ice in the summer is delightful. Add it to bubble water, or sweeten it. I love it with grated ginger. Make it your drink.
Try pouring off 1/2 c. through a strainer and then warming it with 1/2 c. boiling water. Add 1/2 c. to bubble water. If you need a little sweetener warm a cup of Nettle and add honey or Stevia, or just grate in a little fresh ginger root taste.
Don’t neglect Nettle in cooking. Think of it as spinach and add a cup of dried Nettle to soups, or make an infusion as above and add it as broth.
What do you do with the wet Nettle at the end of day? Compost it, or add it to a quiche, lasagna, or other recipe that calls for chopped spinach or kale.
As older sisters often do, mine opened a door to what is good for me in the world -Nettle.
