The stinging nettle doesn't care if you spell it with two 'N' or three 'N'. On the other hand, she resents incorrect drying. Then their taste, shelf life and appearance can suffer. Find out now what is important when drying the nettle!

Nettles are best dried upside down

The right harvest time

A good drying is preceded by a correct harvest at the right time. Harvest the leaves of the plant between May and September! The seeds are ripe between late September and October. The flowers are rarely collected. They bloom between July and September.

How do you harvest nettles?

The easiest way to harvest nettles is with scissors and a pair of gloves. Put on gardening gloves or old winter gloves to protect against burning hair! Cut the stinging nettles by the stalks just above ground level.

The leaves, seeds and roots dry

Now it's time to dry the plant parts:

  • Hang up shoots in bundles and upside down, e.g. B. in the attic
  • dry in a shaded and airy place
  • alternatively dry on sieves or cloths
  • never dry in the sun (fade, burn, lose active ingredients)

It is better not to hang up the roots to dry, but place them on a sieve in a dehydrator. Beforehand, they are cut into pieces of about 3 to 5 cm to speed up the drying process.

Recognizing a completed drying and storage options

If the parts of the plant are really dry (leaves rustle and crumble when crushed; roots have deep furrows), they can be stored safely, for example in a tin, bag or jar with a screw cap. The storage place should be dark and dry. The right place to store it later determines its shelf life.

What can dried nettle be used for?

The leaves, seeds, roots and flowers are dry? What can you do with them now? The parts of the plant that are known to have healing powers can be used, among other things, for:

  • tea
  • herbal sauces
  • smoothie
  • soups
  • liquid manure
  • infusions
  • tinctures
  • as a feed additive for pets

tips

Without the stalk, the nettle will dry much faster! If the whole thing takes too long for you, you still have the alternative of freezing the nettle.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Herbs