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I've had some nettle tea recently and found it quite nice and am aware of various health benefits so was wondering if it is possible to dry the leaves and make a tea that will last? Also, for tea, can I pick more than just the very top leaves? Made a soup but only getting the top leaves takes ages!

Thanks in advance.

Drying nettle leaves is dead easy - just spread them out somewhere warmish and dry and they'll do the rest.

I can't see why you couldn't use the bigger leaves - I don't think they'd taste any different. You don't use them for cooking/eating because they get really tough and stringy. That wouldn't matter for a cup of tea, would it?

I've just been converted to the benefits of nettle tea too. I just hung up a complete nettle and it dried in about a day. Then just crumble the leaves. I think you can use any leaves, even the stalks, for tea.

Zoe

Thanks very much. Will give it a go and probably use the tops of the plant. Is the sting still active when they're dry?

Hi,

I have a tutorial for this on my blog:

http://serendipitychild.blogspot.com/20 ... e-tea.html

Cheers, i'll have a look at that.

Spooky I asked the same question on wild food section!!!

Does heating to dry them not get rid of all their goodness?

Thanks

I don't heat them, just leave them somewhere warm. But gentle heating won't hurt - that's how dehydrators work isn't it?