Nettles - make a beer!

Now this humble plant may put alot of people off, me included as all you think about is the nasty sting you get from them but after recently harvesting some wild garlic in the woods I've been looking at the nettle in a different light this year.

Being a gardener they drive me crackers when clearing them but having said that they grow in abundance elsewhere and are a very versatile and edible plant so it would be too good an opportunity to pass up for free wild food.

Although this plant is called a weed by many, the Greeks and Romans used it as a medicinal herb to treat many ailments. Nettles are a great source of protein, as well as containing high amounts of vitamins A, B and C as well as potassium, zinc, iron and calcium. Nettles also contain serotonin and histamine which means they have additional health benefits. They are a diuretic so are used in detox and cleansing diets. As with anything if you are on medication then please check with your GP and research the internet before adding any wild foods or herbs to your diet in case they react with what you have been prescribed.

Cooking, steaming or drying removes the stinging properties of the leaves but in the meantime wear thick rubber gloves to gather the young leaves from the top few centimetres of the plant, as the lower leaves are too tough to use. I have a plan to hold the tops with tongs then snip off the stalks and place in a bag ready to tip into the stock pot :)

Apparently they wilt just like spinach so can be steamed or boiled to remove the sting and then added as an ingredient for a meal. I quite like risotto so I am looking forward to adding them to that but maybe a more popular way of transforming this amazing plant would be as a nettle beer which I have heard is very good! After some research this seems to be the simplest method.

Nettle Beer Recipe

1 carrier bag full of young nettle tops ( roughly 1lb)

1lb 5oz sugar

1 lemon

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

1 sachet of yeast

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

7 pints / 4 litres of water

Put the nettles in a large pan along with the juice and rind of the lemon, the ground ginger and water. Simmer for about 30minutes then cool a little before straining.

Add the sugar and cream of tartar and heat gently until all of the sugar has dissolved.

When it has cooled slightly pour into a brew bin and top up with cold water to make the gallon / 4.5 litres. Leave until it has cooled further to about 20c then add the yeast.

Place the brew bin in a warm place for 3-4 days then skim off any froth before pouring it into sterilised bottles. Leave for at least 7 days and be careful to check the pressure build up. chill and drink

Very quick brewing and it sounds delicious and very tempted to try it if I can get hold of a gallon brew bin and bottles :)

There are no end of nettle recipes to try or you may have fun adapting your own recipes by substituting the nettles. I for one will be looking at different ways of making the most of this free resource.

If you would like to learn more about my exploits foraging for free wild food and the recipes I have cooked with my herbs and grow your own then please have a look at some of my other posts :)

The Humble Nettle