Bouche Stinging Nettle Tea
In early spring months the after the first flush of green, when the plant is tender, the foliage is vibrant and full of glorious goodness. This is when I harvest our stinging nettles.
This is our second year of harvesting for the home apothecary. I was pleasantly surprised at how different it was from the tea I bought at the local health food store. Normally what I got at the store it was dark green, however ours even after infused, the chlorophyll was so bright you can practically feel its vitality.
We harvest the top 6-8” of the plant; I found that the further down you cut, the woodier, drier and pricklier it gets. You don’t need the stalk; you only need the leaves, and the top of the plant is where they seem to thrive.
Stinging nettles is one of the one of the top nutrient dense native plants in our region. It is amazing and when spiked with fennel, and one of my favorites! When do you drink it? My suggestion, when you crave it!
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4-quart stock pot
Fill to about 1.5” from the top with water.
Bring the water to a boil.
9-10 Tbs of generously heaped and broken tea leaves.
Turn the burner off.
Remove from the burner, cover and let it set for 5 hours or overnight.
Strain tea to remove leaves.
Store in 2-quart mason jars.
You could add fennel when you add the nettles. However, I like to add mine later so the flavor is a bit more subtle.
Refrigerate and drink when cold!
