Where (I’m in Portland too, and pregnant, and interested) do you buy your nettle? Are there different kinds or is it pretty straightforward?

I’ve never tried that but it sounds really interesting.. and beneficial.

Sounds delightful! I will definitely have to try it!

I have never been able to get past my “nettles = STING!!” reactions to try consuming them in any form LOL. Maybe I will finally give it a try.

Where do you get nettle? Is it something you can grow yourself? It sounds like a good addition to a home garden to keep you healthy!

Thanks so much. You are really an inspiration. Your posts are so practical, yet your philosophy is crystal clear.

My dad used to make a really delicious nettle soup, too – I’ll see if I can get an approximate recipe from him and pass it on, because it was so tasty and healthy and perfect for lunch on a sunny day…

O.o you can drink that!? I’ve always avoided that plant…

My fav gree drink (and I don’t mean green as eco-frindly, although I suppose it is) is a licuado* (licuado means blended and is referred to fruit blended with water to make a fresh drink) made from nopal**-pineapple-celery-orange “water”…

Take a nopal pad and clean it (that is remove the spines), then skin and roughly dice a pineapple, and squeeze a cup or two of orange juice.

Just trow in your blender everything, the nopal, the pineapple, a celery stick and the orange juice (an a bit of water)… this drink is best without any added sugar, since the fruit will provided, but add a bit more if you like, just be aware that this is not meant to be overly sweet!

As with any “licuado” made with fruit, add a small pinch of salt (it will boos the flavor of the fruit and it’s sweetness), blend and enjoy cold. yummy!

sorry for all the weird terms and ingredients, but for all you not initiated in the mexican culinary ways:

*Licuado http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/licuado
**Nopal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nopal

It is said that this licuado is really good for digestion and for weight loss, I don’t know about that but it is great tasting, and that’s enough for me, and it packs a hell of a lot of nutrients too (including iron) so it’s good for you.

Sayward: next time do red-drinks, so I can tell you about my all-time favorite, “the vampire” a licuado made with beet, celery and carrot juice ;)

sigh… I just read the wikipedia article about licuados and it states that all licuados are made with milk, and while some of them are, that is not true… don’t believe everything you read, (or don’t trust on wikipedia for explaining your own culture) I guess…

That looks intersting. Right now my green drink of choice is Naked’s Green Machine. I have some every day with my lunch. It is so awesome. I’ll have to keep an eye out for nettles to try that sometime. Probably around the time I start my own kombucha. :)

Kate,

I JUST discovered your wonderful page today! What a lucky find! :)

About nettles, I heard they are good for allergies… And as a fellow vegan, I love anything green… Can’t get enough! Thanks for sharing!

@tishushu

Funny how things start popping up all at once.

I recently came across:

http://ahandmadelife.blogspot.com/

Where Heather is crazy for nettles. Then I was at a restaurant the other day and had a puffed pastry filled with fiddle-heads and nettles with a white wine butter sauce (amazing). And now you! Maybe I will give them a try!

It’s a little past peak season here, but I pick these by the bushel-full at my parents (they have a farm out in the boonies that’s surrounded by wooded area). I threw them in the crockpot with some other stuff last (my idea of “steaming” ha) but I’ve never tried tea. I will have to give that a shot. Although I’m busy growing my SCOBY right now(!!) It will be two weeks this Sunday but I peeked yesterday and it doesn’t look like much has happened – it got cold here right after I started it. Think I should just go another week? Anyways great post as usual – on the to-do list!!

@ Janine – Hey fellow Portlander! I get my nettles at Limbos on SE 39th just past Holgate (next to the Trader Joe’s). Limbo is amazing and they have literally hundreds of bulk teas/herbs/spices etc, not to mention great produce! Check them out!

@ Eric Normand – Nettle would be a great thing to grow! It’s the same as stinging nettle which grows wild all over the US if you’re familiar with that. Big purple flowers!

I buy mine from a local herb shop but I’ve heard great things about this online source.

@ Katie – I’d love that recipe! I buy the dried form but now I’m dying to work with real fresh nettle.

@ Ero San – Ooh, I love nopales! That sounds great, I wish I could get my hands on some nopales around here. All I can get is canned and obviously, it’s just not the same.

@ Christa – It’s meant to be! =D

@ sarah – I’m brewing my first batch of kombucha with my new SCOBY, and it will be done this Sunday too . . . eeek, wish me luck! (Luck to you too!)

Hi Sayward! Love your site so much!
I’d like to try this recipe, but when I go to order them, I’m given choices for Nettle leaf, leaf powder, root or root powder. Which would you suggest?
thanks!

Thank you for the link Sayward! I was looking at WF’s earlier and they only had the dried stuff, and it looked like it might have been sitting there since before I was born, so I just bought some Alvita brand tea bags full of nettles… I guess it’s better than nothing!

@ dwk – You’ll want to get nettle leaf. =) Luck!

@ SJ – I’ve used the bagged stuff too. Not ideal, but still great!

Ah yes, the wondrous stinging nettle. I used it a bit back in the US for allergies, but I became a real fan once I moved to France. It’s commonly used in a variety of dishes here, you can even buy it at the farmer’s market though most people just pick it from their garden or wherever it grows wild. I remember one of my French aunts made me a delicious green soup that she wanted me to guess the ingredients of. Of course I couldn’t, because at the time I had no idea that you could even eat nettles, nor did I know the name in French. They are a bit of pain to deal with fresh, given the whole stinging thing (it’s all about the gloves!), but I’ve rediscovered the dried plant as a good solution for anemia during pregnancy.

I like you recipe for 24-hour nettle, just had a big glass of it myself (though I used agave syrup to sweeten since maple syrup is super expensive here!). Yum!

@ Diana – I’m so eager to get my hands on some fresh ones so I can try cooking with them!

I’m curious how you came up with 2 tbps/qt. I poked around a bit online and most recommendations are for 1cup/1oz of leaves. I’m sure the difference is just a stronger tea/infusion. Either way I started my brew this evening so I’ll be trying it out tomorrow!

@ Theresa – Yup, I just guestimated and it’s just a matter of strength. I’ve actually been brewing it much stronger these days – maybe I’ll ammens the article. Thanks!

HI Sayward! I’ve been a loyal BA fan for awhile now, and returned today to search for your opinion on nettle tea. (it’s true, you’ve become my go-to adviser on all things earth-mama related!) I’ve started drinking it and love it. Quick question: tea bag vs. loose leaf – your preference? Cheers!

@ Jessica – I definitely prefer loose leaf, because I like to use a lot and brew it overnight. I feel like tea bags usually use lower quality hers and are designed for a normal steeping time. But, that’s just my opinion and of course either way is great!