Most of us consider nettle to be a weed and avoid contact with it in any way we can. The reason for this is mostly the leaves of the plant, which sting painfully.
Do not neglect nettle - this is a very useful plant, as it is widely used for medicinal, culinary purposes, as well as for vitamin nutrition for pets.
In this article we will talk about how to properly pick and dry nettles at home.
Nettle picking should begin in early spring - May, and end in mid-July. The most useful for culinary and medicinal purposes are the sprouts and leaves collected in May.
The picking should be done in dry and sunny weather. To protect the body from painful nettle burns, clothing should be chosen from a thick material. Long sleeves and gloves will make its picking much easier.
To dry nettles, you can pick individual leaves or cut the green part along with the stem. Nettles picked in May are dried with the twigs, since the sprout of such nettle is still very tender.
Methods for drying nettles
1. Air
This method has two options:
- Nettle leaves or twigs can be arranged in a single layer on a piece of cloth. They are placed under a well-ventilated place in the shade. Periodically the plant rises and it is turned.
- Nettle twigs are collected in small bundles and tied with the leaves. You can dry the nettles in bundles, by hanging them on the ceiling. The main thing is that the place is well ventilated and dark.
The drying time of the herb naturally depends on the weather conditions. On average it takes 2-3 weeks.
2. In the oven
If there is no suitable nettle drying area, you can use the oven. The drying temperature should be no more than 45 degrees. This condition is necessary because large amounts of essential oils and nutrients decompose at elevated temperatures.
If you have nettle leaves, we recommend trying these nettle recipes:
- nettle soup;
- nettle pie;
- nettle tea;
