Now that I once again rise with the sun (as opposed to life back in Indiana, when I went to bed as the sun was coming up), I’m reconnecting with my herbal studies. Honestly, I’m completely immersing myself in it, especially with what may be going on with my health.  I got a new order in from Mountain Rose Herbs and now I can try again with my Nettle infusion.

Susun Weed, who I’m doing my correspondence course through, drinks a Nettle infusion daily.  Now, if you don’t know about Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), let me give you a quick rundown.

That blasted stinging nettle!

This pesky weed that grows everywhere is absolutely chocked full of vitamins and nutrients, including iron, calcium, and Vitamins A & K. It has been used for centuries to treat joint pain, muscles aches, high blood pressure, urinary tract infections, and even has been used as a diuretic.  In short, this annoying weed is actually a super food!

I’ve made quart of it before but couldn’t drink it because nettle is unpalatable to me on its own.(Blech!!) While I have peppermint on hand, I have always been a spearmint girl, so I’m now using my tea ball to brew several cups a day of nettle/spearmint tea.  It’s fabulous!

Nettle-Spearmint tea

I made a Nettle-Spearmint infusion last night. To do this:

1. Take one cup of dried organic nettle (1 oz by weight) and add it to a clean quart jar. Add in spearmint or peppermint for flavoring. I used 1/3 cup Spearmint and, at Susun Weed’s advice, threw in a pinch of salt.
2. Put on a kettle of tea and bring it to boiling.
3. Add it to the jar, stir it up (careful, it’s hot!), and let it sit overnight.

Nettle infusion – still hot!

4.  Strain it and have over ice.  Drink the entire thing within 24-36 hours to preserve freshness. I also added in a tablespoon of pure cane sugar because I do like my iced tea a tiny bit sweet. Enjoy!

Refreshing Nettle-Spearmint tea

Next time, I’m going to add a splash of lemon juice, too.

The important thing is that I want to make sure I’m utilizing herbs in my daily life, and there’s no easier way to do that than through tea!