Nettle tea.
Every ones heard of it, but do you know how to actually make it? if not, read on!
Early spring or late winter produces the sweetest flavour, but when ever you find nettles growing and there are plentiful young plants about you can utilise them.
First off, find a nettle patch that has new growth. You are looking for growth no higher than 6 inches. Reason is that the taller they get, the more bitter they will taste, so short is sweet wins here.
Find your plants and de-leaf them. The way i do it is to wear a glove, start at the base and forefinger and thumb upwards taking off all of the leaves. You want a good fist sized ball of leaves per person for your brew if your making a large pot, so don't be stingy!
Right, then get your make shift tea bag (a sock, tight, woven mesh bag) and place your leaves in it. Bring your water to a nice rolling boil and for 15 minutes just let the leaves roll about. The water will start to go green, and the deeper the green, the 'fuller' the flavour will be. i like mine so green its almost black
but each to their own, and I suggest you start off with a lighter shade.
So remove the 'tea bag' but DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY.
Now, add a slice of any available sweetener be it apple or black berry or even a handful of rose hip skins. Enjoy your brew.
Why didn't we throw away the leaves? because when we were out walking we collected a good sac full of lime leaves too. Its salad time.
Mix the nettle leaves in with your cool lime leaves, add a seasoning of your choice and enjoy your salad. They actually taste rather nice in a perfect blend of sweet lime tree leaves and slightly earthy nettle leaf, very much like a boiled spinnach.