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Nettle Tea – How to Make a Natural Spring Tonic

Nettles are the first gift of spring, offering a natural tonic to restore and revitalize our bodies as we emerge from winter…

By Greg Seaman Posted Mar 8, 2010

tea-1 Nettle tea is springtime’s natural elixir. One of the earliest green plants to emerge each spring, nettles can be easily brewed into a tea which has healthful, restorative benefits which boost the immune system and awaken the body to spring.

The benefits of nettles have been documented for centuries, with claims both anecdotal and scientific, that nettles treat a wide range of maladies. Nettle tea is used to improve heart action, for headaches and for any internal bleeding. Nettle is said to be extremely beneficial for the kidneys, being useful in expelling gravel from the bladder and dissolving kidney stones. It is a powerful blood purifier that drives out toxins and metabolic wastes by stimulating the kidneys to excrete more water. Nettle tea is said to clean out the entire intestinal tract while activating the body’s natural defense mechanisms. It is used as an overall health tonic and to treat high blood pressure, anemia, skin inflammations and more.

Nettle tea is relatively safe for children and adults, although it is always recommended that you consult a medical doctor before taking any new herb. Never take nettle tea when on prescription drugs without first consulting a doctor, as serious reactions could occur.

How to find and identify nettles

I first learned about nettles the hard way. While clearing a fence line. I smelled mint among the nearby plants. Looking to harvest the mint for tea, I plucked a handful of leaves from the closest plant and put it to my nose to get a deep whiff of the lovely mint smell. But instead I got what felt like a dose of pepper spray in my face. I had to run off and stick my face in a bucket of water for relief.

nettle-plant

Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a perennial flowering plant, native to most of the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Nettles usually appear in bunches or groves in the same places year after year. Look for them in rich soil, disturbed habitats, moist woodlands, thickets, along rivers, fence lines, and along partially shaded trails. Considered a weed by many farmers and gardeners, no one will complain if you harvest a few nettles.

Nettles are easy to identify. The dark green, opposite leaves are a few inches long, with a rough, papery texture, and very coarse teeth. The leaf tip is pointed, and its base is heart-shaped. In springtime, the nettle shoots will be close to the ground with only a few rows of leaves. The plant grows rapidly to a mature height of about 2 meters (6.5 feet) in summer. In fall the plant dies back, but re-emerges in the same location the following spring. Once you find a patch of nettles, you can harvest year after year in the same spot.

How to harvest nettles

‘Stinging’ nettles are given this name for good reason. If you touch any part of the plant, you will be stung. The sting is mildly painful and can last for hours. Wear gloves, long-sleeved shirt and long pants when hunting for nettles. Use a scissors or garden clippers to cut the top two bracts of leaves, leaving the rest of the plant to regenerate. Set a pot or bag alongside the plant and clip directly into the container. About a cup of fresh leaves is sufficient to brew a cup or two of tea.

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How to brew nettle tea

Simply add water to your collected nettle leaves and heat to a near boil. Use about two cups of water for a cup of leaves; there’s no need to measure. You can make the tea stronger by steeping longer, or weaker by adding more water. Once the water is near boiling, reduce heat and simmer for a couple minutes. Pour through a small strainer and the tea is ready to drink. Some people prefer a small bit of sugar added to the tea, but I find the taste is just fine without any additives.

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The cooked leaves can also be eaten with a bit of butter melted over top, or they can be added to soups and stews. If you are going to eat the leaves, taste a small bit first to be sure the sting has left.

A word of caution

Any new substance should be introduced gradually to your body. A cup or two of nettle tea per day is sufficient to enjoy the benefits which nettles offer. Those new to nettles should start out with small amounts.

If you will be bringing children along while harvesting nettles, which is a good learning experience for them, be sure to take adequate precautions to keep them from being stung by the leaves. Long clothing and gloves should be worn at all times when handling nettles. Once they are cooked or brewed into tea, they lose their sting.

So if you’re looking to shake the winter blahs and reinvigorate yourself for spring, a simple restorative elixir may be as close as a nearby weed patch. And since nettles grow in the same area year after year, it only takes one discovery to bring you a ready supply of nature’s miracle tonic for spring.

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Posted in Food and Health Tags Juice, Spring, tea

Comments

Posted by Michelle B

Mar 9, 2010 2:05 pm

For stinging nettle burns/stings, place sticky tape on afflicted areas and pull off (the tiny spines will be mostly removed), follow with a dabbing (not rubbing) of hydrogen peroxide (it bubbles the remaining spines up and away), rinse and pat dry. This works very well for me though I am extremely sensitive to nettles. I got significant relief in minutes instead of the days I had to wait until the stinging stopped.

Of course, if care is taken as in wearing thick, leather gloves when handling nettles, the treatment above is not required. However, it helps me psychologically knowing how to handle nettle stings when harvesting them. They are also used as infusions to strengthen garden plants and are cooked as greens, tasting a bit like spinach.

Posted by Greg Seaman

Mar 9, 2010 7:10 pm

Thanks Michelle. I'll have to try the sticky tape solution next time I get stung by nettles (a fairly common occurrence in the untamed areas of my garden).

Posted by Don

Mar 12, 2010 2:28 am

Thanks for the post, a reminder of something I used to enjoy in years past. Nettle tea is good for a host of ailments, especially for joint pains. Since the tea acts as a diuretic, it is recommended to follow up with a glass of water.

Posted by best fake tan

Mar 17, 2010 5:16 pm

I tried some nettle tea when I was in china once, it had a suprisingly nice taste considering (although the person I was with added sugar to it) but like you say, if your going to do this for yourself you need to make sure your wearing thick gloves, nettle stings are extremely irritating as we all know!

Posted by josi

Mar 28, 2010 1:21 am

I really enjoyed read your article, very interesting, Regards

Posted by designer

Mar 31, 2010 9:13 pm

Awsome and interesting…As i am interested in such things..i will surely try it at my home…

thanks

Posted by Napa

Apr 13, 2010 12:07 pm

interesting article but how does it taste – sweet or bitter or like the ordinary tea?

Posted by Greg Seaman

Apr 13, 2010 3:52 pm

Nettle tea tastes pretty much like ordinary tea, with a slight earthy taste. You can drink it straight, but I add a half teaspoon of sugar. It is not bitter at all.
We're brewing some nettle tea right now….

Posted by Greg Seaman

May 1, 2010 10:51 pm

Good comment billybud. Dock is a remedy for nettle stings and we use it for wasp stings as well. Dock also grows close to nettles, which makes it easy to find. I roll a couple leaves and chew them lightly before applying directly to the sting.
I still advise wearing gloves and long sleeves. A good nettle sting can last for hours, and dock will bring relief but not immediately, and not necessarily completely.