Materia Medica is a fancy way of telling a plant’s story and the herbal monograph documents it in an organized way. In this episode I share my own monograph on nettle. ??

You can find the full nettle profile HERE but here’s a quick episode recap:

* plant personalities and their stories
* considerations for growing nettle for medicine
* where to buy
* using fresh nettle in cooking
* herbal nettle preparations
* specific indications for nettle as medicines

Mentions:
Matthew Wood’s Books
Susan Weed | Wise Woman Way
7song | Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Sources:
Avena Botanicals
Local Herb Growers
Mountain Rose Herbs
Herbalist & Alchemist

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Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

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Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Big Hug To You!

Welcome to my backyard.. I’m talking nature awareness, plant people, growing and gathering nettle.
Pardon the contractor noise.

Outfit: gardening gloves, long sleeves, long pants
Favorite Garden Gloves

Steps:

• Pick planting space carefully
• Plant seeds sparingly
• Wear gloves when touching fresh nettles
• Offer gratitude and gift prior to picking nettles
• Cut top 4-5 leaves with small pruners
• Collect fresh nettles in a sturdy pot or bag
• Steam or dry quickly after gathering

Sources to buy nettle
Companion Plants
Strictly Medicinal Seeds
Seeds from Mountain Rose Herbs

Book review:
Deb Soule’s How to Move Like a Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants
Avena Botanicals

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
* Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
* You can also subscribe via Google Play Music
* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Nettle will never be the new kale unless we negotiate its sting. We delve deep into the why of nettle sting, how it feels, then diffuse it by turning fresh to dried.

Recipe:
Nette-infused hot cocoa ?
For one cup:
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (non-alkalinized, organic)
1 Tablespoon honey (raw, local)
8 ounces nettle tea (2 tsp to 8 ounce water)
1 ounce whole coconut milk
Prepare nettle tea. Combine with all other ingredients in saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking together until warm. Do not overheat.

For one quart:
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup honey
32 ounces nettle tea (2 1/2 tablespoons to 32 ounces water)
1/2 cup whole coconut milk

Bundling Herbs for Drying

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
* Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
* You can also subscribe via Google Play Music
* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

Wondering how to use stinging nettles without being stung? Today’s kitchen medicine making venture uses dried nettles – sting deactivated -infused into vinegar. The result: a vitamin and mineral packed ingredient for your herbal pantry. ?

Nettle Leaf (Urtica dioica)

Recipe for nettle-infused vinegar
* 1/2 cup dried nettle leaf, powdered if possible
* 1 cup apple cider vinegar or 1 cup Balsamic vinegar (organic preferred)
* 12 ounce jar with plastic lid or metal lid with double piece of wax paper
1. Powder dried nettle leaf in a spice or coffee grinder, pulse for a few seconds. (If no spice grinder is available, crumble leaves as much as you can)
2. Add nettles to a clean glass jar, pour in vinegar.
3. Secure lid and label with ingredients and dates that you made it and date it will be ready to strain.
4. Store in cool place out of direct sunlight.
5. Infuse for four weeks, shaking every few days.
6. Stain with small hand strainer lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much vinegar as possible. Make a tea or compost used nettles.

Nutrient benefits of Nettle Leaf ?:
Calcium | Magnesium | Iron | Silicon
Potassium | Fiber | Protein
Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin K
Chlorophyl | Flavonoids | Carotenoids

Mentions:
David Hoffman – medical herbalist, author
Zack Woods Herb Farm
Organoleptic Evaluation of Herbs: How to Evaluate the Quality of Dried Herbs in 3 Simple Steps

Sources for dried nettle leaf
Rosemary’s Garden
Mountain Rose Herbs
Avena Botanicals

Please SHARE this episode with someone who may also be fascinated by herbal medicine. Help me to spread my passion for kitchen medicine and make everyone’s home a place of herbal wisdom. ?

Ways to subscribe to An Herbal Diary
* Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcast (iTunes)
* Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
* You can also subscribe via Google Play Music
* You can also subscribe via Spotify

Original music composed by Dylan Rice — singer, songwriter, guitarist.

Please be in touch!

Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me a question. Leave a comment on this episode. I would absolutely love to know you better and learn about your own experiences with herbal medicine!

muffin close up

safe source

nettle tea infusing

fresh out of the oven

chocolate muffin

nettle chocolate muffin

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

The first herb I ever took medicinally, long before I began to study herbalism, was Urtica dioica powder in a capsule. I did not even know it was also called nettles. This was about two years after having three children in three years. I felt ok but had developed a chronic cough and sore throat and my father was worried about me. My health conscious, avid reader father explored alternatives for his own healthcare and had found a chiropractor/pharmacist who he thought I should see. He made the appointment for me and drove me there; waited three hours in the waiting room, and paid for the appointment including purchasing the supplements that were recommended, one of which was nettles. Looking back now I realize how lucky I was to have such a wonderful and concerned father, I also realize that the Urtica dioica was prescribed for restoration of my very depleted triple post pregnancy/childbirth and new mother state of health, as well as the cough. Nettle has long traditional use as a restorative, cleansing, and nutritive powerhouse herb. Also known for its ability to sting as a fresh plant, when dried or cooked the sting is completely deactivated.