Drying nettles.

Date: Wed, 6 Sep 1995 20:44:54 -0100
Sender: HERB.TREARNPC.EGE.EDU.TR
From: Henriette Kress <HeK.HETTA.PP.FI>
Subject: Re: stinging nettle tea

>Can I stock up on stinging nettle now, to have a supply over the winter? If so, how would I dry it? Do I just hang it, or can I use my food dehydrator? Does drying it out decrease its potency in any way?

You can dry stinging nettle in two ways:
1) dry it as is, or
2) boil it for a short while (until ALL the stems are yellow).

Both are then dried in a bunch, or in a dehydrator, or whatever way you like - version 2) has to be dried fast, so a dehydrator is OK, it's prone to mold.

If you dry it asis at least the taste suffers, I don't know about other potencies. I dry only when I know my freezer will be full with other stuff; normally I just cut the preboiled stuff into very small pieces and freeze that.

After it's dry crush it into powder and use. I put mine into stews, mainly.

You can also dry the seeds. Get them from a stand with no creepy-crawlies, dry any way you want to, unboiled.

From: christopher hedley <christopher.GN.APC.ORG>

>Can anyone tell me if there is a difference between nettles and stinging nettles? I've been in search of stinging nettles for sinus problems and have found nothing that includes the words "stinging." Thanks in advance!

Its easy..
stinging nettles are the ones that sting !

Seriously, you are probably talking about the same thing but it is always best to make sure, as the recent Boneset & Comfrey corespondance showed.

Always check with a local expert, or look the plant up in a couple of picture books, remembering to make a note of the 'latin' botanical name as well.

Stinging nettles are Urtica dioica or Urtica annua, they sting and have small green flowers in little bunches.
Some people quite enjoy the sting, most people try to avoid it and a few have a severe reaction and should stay away from it.