Apologies for my potentially dumb-ass question, but what color should the dried nettle be and what color should the tea be? I *think* you are using a filter for your video so that’s why your tea looks so blue/green?
Not a dumb question at all! I love it, you’ve got a good eye and you’re really looking at your herbs.
You’re right that there’s a filter on the video, what you’re seeing is also a mix of nettle and gunpowder green tea. I blended the two for that batch to get a slightly deeper flavor (All my videos for that week use nettle infusion so you can see the hue with no other ingredients added.). So if your cup looks different than this video, that’s normal.
Yes, this is specifically stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. If you’ve got half an acre count yourself lucky. Most people have to order by the pound. 😄Just make sure it’s growing in clean soil, away from roads, spraying, or runoff, since nettle absorbs whatever’s in the ground.
That’s amazing! For fresh herbs, the rule is to use about three times as much as dried. So for 1 tablespoon of dried herb for a pot of tea, it would roughly be 3 tablespoons of fresh leaves instead. The water content in fresh herbs means it need a bit more to get the same depth and strength. The rule isn't exact for every herb or preparation, but it’s a solid baseline
Just be extra mindful of where and what you’re harvesting.
Using gloves and leaving some leaves on the plant so it can grow back. Avoiding spots near roads, trails with heavy dog traffic, or areas that might’ve been sprayed with pesticides or runoff. Nettles are amazing, but they pull everything from the soil, good and bad.
Thanks! Hmmm. This is growing on a small island where the river occasionally floods and many dogs pass by. Maybe not the best spot! I'll do more hunting.
This looks like my kitchen but I also have gallon glass jars of herbs in my food storage room too. I’ve lost count of how many herbs I have. It’s my medicine cabinet. 💜
Love that! Apothecary in the kitchen, full-on herb library in the back. I’m right there with you. Once you start building your stash, it just… multiplies
It really does. Everything I plant is nongmo heritage seeds and if we don’t eat it when it’s ready I try dehydrate it. I want a version of it somewhere. I’m a little obsessed. lol
I actually have one sitting in my drafts, it's been waiting for final touches for about a month now. I'd love to know, though, what have you already tried? Sometimes it’s not just about the herb itself, but when you use it, how you prepare it, or even why your body is having trouble resting in the first place. Sleep struggles can be so layered. If you’re open to sharing a bit more, I might be able to point you toward something new, or help tweak what you’re already doing.
I’ve tried valerian (it stinks and cats love it😸)—I did grow it myself years ago. Chamomile of course. Passionflower. I think I mostly tried capsules of herbs rather than preparing them myself. Mostly I’ve tried nonherbal remedies: magnesium, L- theanine (which is maybe derived from chamomile?).
This is so helpful, thank you for sharing! That valerian-cat moment made me laugh.
I just posted the mini deep dive on herbs and sleep, especially for people who’ve already tried the most known support herbs and are still wide awake. It covers the different forms of magnesium, herbs less known to help and capsules vs tea.
It’s not medical advice, of course but it might give you a few new angles to work with. Let me know what parts feel familiar, or if anything feels worth a revisit. I’m happy to chat more if you’re still sorting through it.
This is so helpful! (And so well written!) I suspected that maybe the capsule approach might not be best for the reasons you give. I am the 3 AM wake-up insomniac—no problem getting to sleep. Also have issues with anxiety and rumination, which have gotten—ahem—worse, for reasons you might imagine… I am also currently emerging from a serious health crisis (which you can read about in my Substack if you’re so inclined—but of course no pressure!) and I think I need a new approach to my health. and your suggestions make a lot of sense if I am to make some important changes. It needs to be something more than a cup of tea or some capsules, as you so articulately state.
Apologies for my potentially dumb-ass question, but what color should the dried nettle be and what color should the tea be? I *think* you are using a filter for your video so that’s why your tea looks so blue/green?
Not a dumb question at all! I love it, you’ve got a good eye and you’re really looking at your herbs.
You’re right that there’s a filter on the video, what you’re seeing is also a mix of nettle and gunpowder green tea. I blended the two for that batch to get a slightly deeper flavor (All my videos for that week use nettle infusion so you can see the hue with no other ingredients added.). So if your cup looks different than this video, that’s normal.
This may be listed somewhere but this specifically stinging nettle? I have like half an acre of it
Yes, this is specifically stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. If you’ve got half an acre count yourself lucky. Most people have to order by the pound. 😄Just make sure it’s growing in clean soil, away from roads, spraying, or runoff, since nettle absorbs whatever’s in the ground.
I've been seeing nettlecon my hikes. How much would I use fresh for a jar like this?
That’s amazing! For fresh herbs, the rule is to use about three times as much as dried. So for 1 tablespoon of dried herb for a pot of tea, it would roughly be 3 tablespoons of fresh leaves instead. The water content in fresh herbs means it need a bit more to get the same depth and strength. The rule isn't exact for every herb or preparation, but it’s a solid baseline
Just be extra mindful of where and what you’re harvesting.
Using gloves and leaving some leaves on the plant so it can grow back. Avoiding spots near roads, trails with heavy dog traffic, or areas that might’ve been sprayed with pesticides or runoff. Nettles are amazing, but they pull everything from the soil, good and bad.
Thanks! Hmmm. This is growing on a small island where the river occasionally floods and many dogs pass by. Maybe not the best spot! I'll do more hunting.
If there’s flooding and dogs, it’s best to hold off. But in the meantime dried nettle is a great option!
This looks like my kitchen but I also have gallon glass jars of herbs in my food storage room too. I’ve lost count of how many herbs I have. It’s my medicine cabinet. 💜
Love that! Apothecary in the kitchen, full-on herb library in the back. I’m right there with you. Once you start building your stash, it just… multiplies
It really does. Everything I plant is nongmo heritage seeds and if we don’t eat it when it’s ready I try dehydrate it. I want a version of it somewhere. I’m a little obsessed. lol
I was talking to a guy the other day who make pasta with nettles. But I so seldom see any growing.
Wow, I never thought about nettle pasta, but it makes perfect sense. Nourishing, and actually satisfying in that deep, real-food kind of way.
Do you have an article on herbs and sleep? I struggle so much. But I’ve probably tried everything anyway☹️
I actually have one sitting in my drafts, it's been waiting for final touches for about a month now. I'd love to know, though, what have you already tried? Sometimes it’s not just about the herb itself, but when you use it, how you prepare it, or even why your body is having trouble resting in the first place. Sleep struggles can be so layered. If you’re open to sharing a bit more, I might be able to point you toward something new, or help tweak what you’re already doing.
I’ve tried valerian (it stinks and cats love it😸)—I did grow it myself years ago. Chamomile of course. Passionflower. I think I mostly tried capsules of herbs rather than preparing them myself. Mostly I’ve tried nonherbal remedies: magnesium, L- theanine (which is maybe derived from chamomile?).
This is so helpful, thank you for sharing! That valerian-cat moment made me laugh.
I just posted the mini deep dive on herbs and sleep, especially for people who’ve already tried the most known support herbs and are still wide awake. It covers the different forms of magnesium, herbs less known to help and capsules vs tea.
Here’s the link: https://open.substack.com/pub/theminimalistherbalist/p/cant-sleep-why-that-tea-didnt-work?r=2ptslw&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
It’s not medical advice, of course but it might give you a few new angles to work with. Let me know what parts feel familiar, or if anything feels worth a revisit. I’m happy to chat more if you’re still sorting through it.
This is so helpful! (And so well written!) I suspected that maybe the capsule approach might not be best for the reasons you give. I am the 3 AM wake-up insomniac—no problem getting to sleep. Also have issues with anxiety and rumination, which have gotten—ahem—worse, for reasons you might imagine… I am also currently emerging from a serious health crisis (which you can read about in my Substack if you’re so inclined—but of course no pressure!) and I think I need a new approach to my health. and your suggestions make a lot of sense if I am to make some important changes. It needs to be something more than a cup of tea or some capsules, as you so articulately state.