Nettle tea has been used for centuries to assist with asthmatic and skin conditions, in addition to alleviate joint pains and arthritis. Even for anybody who is in excellent physical health, a cupful of nettle tea can manage your hormones, calming the mind, as well as provide a boost of all-important minerals and vitamins. What makes this great drink even better? You can easily make it from home!
Needless to say, the first step in making your own homemade mug of nettle tea is being capable of find a nettle bush. If you are unsure what a nettle plant looks like, an easy search on the internet offers you plenty of pictures. When Mother Nature is involved, make sure you understand just what you’re dealing with. Some plants look similar but one may be good for you while the other could be very toxic. When uncertain, ask someone with experience before drinking anything.
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Once you know what you’re looking for, any woods, thickets or perhaps the side of the highway are perfect locations to search for the nettle plant. It grows like a weed, since, well, it really is one! The number one rule of nettle plant harvesting is to use gloves and long sleeves as well as use scissors, minimizing your contact with the leaves as much as possible. Nettle leaves are protected with nearly undetectable hair-like stingers that leave an awful rash on your skin. Also, make sure to collect your nettle leaves from areas not treated with weed killer or are in contact with other chemicals (such as car exhaust right beside a busy road).
When picking your nettle leaves pick newer plants (around spring time) and trim off the bright green tips to collect (the leaves get bitterer with age). The nettle leaves ought to be washed to remove all dirt and insects and then they could either be left to dry for future pots of tea or used immediately fresh. To dry the nettle leaves, layer them over a paper towel and let them air dry. They might then be kept in an airtight jar for future use.
There are lots of recipes available on-line about how to make the best mug of nettle tea; even so, they are subjective as some people may choose to use different quantities of nettle leaves depending on how bitter they prefer their tea. A standard recipe can be to take a tablespoon of dried nettles and to steep it in boiling water for at least ten minutes. The leaves must be brewed for a full ten minutes in order to deactivate the stingers. Or else, you won’t die, however, you can get a slight stomach ache or ‘tingling’ sensation when drinking the tea (that you get anyway, for those who have a sensitive system but this should go away as your body forms a tolerance to the tea). The leaves can then be drained and the tea safely used.
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If you’re looking for more of a power punch from your nettle leaves, you can brew a nettle infusion, that is simply a nettle tea which has brewed for a longer period. A suggested recipe is to take one ounce of nettle leaves and one quart of boiling water and then to permit them to soak for, at minimum, a couple of hours, or overnight in the fridge. Be sure to still refrigerate the infusion so it will not go bad (and if it does, it can make a great fertilizer for the garden). The infusion could be reheated to have as an extra strong tea or poured over ice or put into fruit juice for a cold, tasty refreshment.
If you love the health benefits of a mug of nettle tea, but cannot get past the flavour, adding lemon, honey or simply sugar is likely to make your cup of tea much more pleasant for you. Additionally, other herbs and plant leaves are usually blended in with the nettle leaves to make your own custom super tea! A popular addition for people affected by indigestion is rosemary, which helps with the release of bile to aid process fats. Red raspberry leaves along with nettle leaves can create an incredible tonic for an expectant mother, as both help to alleviate excessive bleeding after childbirth. Check out some marvelous combos of your own!
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