Stinging nettle infusions are highly nutritive tonics that nourish your body with trace minerals and vitamin K as well as many antioxidants and other plant compounds. They also help support cardiovascular health, blood sugar regulation and general wellness. Herbalists often use them as an adrenal and reproductive tonic and to ease seasonal allergies. They’re also easy to make at home, and have a pleasantly mild flavor.
Jump to Recipe | What is it? | Infusion vs. Tea | Benefits | Dosage
What is nettle infusion?
A stinging nettle infusion is an herbal tonic that you make by steeping dried nettles in hot water for several hours. After steeping, you strain the liquid and drink it. Nettle infusions tend to be a good source of many micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, as well as various medicinal plant compounds.
Nettle infusions taste faintly tea-like, inky with a soft herbal sweetness. Their flavor is rich and green.
Benefits of Stinging Nettle Infusions
Stinging nettle infusion is potent medicine, particularly for women whose bodies crave the plant’s rich minerals like chromium, magnesium and calcium[mfn]Weed, S. (2008) Healing Wise. Ash Tree Publishing[/mfn]. And nettles are highly anti-inflammatory and rich in phytonutrients like rutin, which is also found in buckwheat. and astragalin which you can also find in the adaptogenic herb astragalus [mfn]Fleming, T., et al. (ed) (2000) The Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine. Medical Economics Company.[/mfn].
Traditionally, herbalists use nettle infusions to support general wellness, to ease growing pains in children and as a reproductive tonic for both men and women[mfn]Gladstar, R. (2008) Herbal recipes for vibrant health. Story Publishing.[/mfn]. Many herbalists also use nettle as an adrenal tonic, too.
Other benefits of nettle infusions:
- Nettles support blood sugar balance and regulation[mfn]Bouchentouf, S. et al (2018) Identification of phenolic compounds from nettle as new candidate inhibitors of main enzymes responsible on type-II diabetes. Current Drug Discovery Technologies.[/mfn]
- Stinging nettles also support cardiovascular health[mfn]Vajic, U. et al (2018) Urtica dioica L. leaf extract modulates blood pressure and oxidative stress in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Phytomedicine.[/mfn]
- It also acts as an anti-inflammatory[mfn]Roscheck, B., et al. (2009) Nettle extract (Urtica dioica) affects key receptors and enzymes associated with allergic rhinitis. Physotherapy Research[/mfn], which can be helpful during allergy season[mfn]Mittman, P. (1990) Randomized, double-blind study of freeze-dried Urtica dioica in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Planta Medica.[/mfn]
- Nettles are high in chlorophyll, antioxidants and other plant compounds that can gently support detoxification.
- As a source of trace minerals like iron, chromium and magnesium, they can also help remineralize the body.
- They’re a good source of vitamin K which supports blood clotting, healing wounds as well as cardiovascular and bone health[mfn]Vitamin K Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health.[/mfn]
Where to find stinging nettles: Stinging nettles grow wild throughout Europe and North America. You can also grow them yourself from seed. Or you can purchase organic nettle from Mountain Rose Herbs here.
Nettle Infusion vs. Nettle Tea
While teas and infusions may seem indistinct, there’s a few key differences. Herbal teas use smaller amounts of herbs and they steep for a shorter period of time – about 5 minutes. By contrast, herbal infusions use a higher volume of herbs and often steep for several hours. Therefore, they’re more nutrient-dense[mfn]Gladstar, R. (2008) Herbal recipes for vibrant health. Story Publishing.[/mfn]
So when making a nettle infusion, you’ll use about one ounce of herbs for every quart of water and steep it at least 4 and up to 12 hours. As a result, nettle infusions have a deeper flavor and a much higher micronutrient content than nettle teas.
How much should you drink?
Nettle infusions are, ultimately, nutritive foods. While they have many benefits, it’s wise to drink the amount that feels right to you. Even as little as a cup of nettle infusion every few days still conveys many nutritive benefits.
Some sources recommends up to two liters a day[mfn]Fleming, T., et al. (ed) (2000) The Physician’s Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine. Medical Economics Company.[/mfn], which is an awful lot to swallow. But a cup or two is likely sufficient and a little easier to manage.
Stinging Nettle Infusion Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried stinging nettle leaf
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Bring two quarts of filtered water to a boil.
- Toss nettles into a mason jar, and then fill it with boiling water. Allow the herbs to steep in water for at least 4 and up to 12 hours, then strain them from the infusion using a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer.
- Drink right away, or store the strained infusion in the fridge up to 3 days.
Notes
Other Ways to Use Nettles
In addition to nettle infusions, you can also use nettles fresh as a culinary green. It’s excellent in omelets and in soups or made as a nettle pesto. It’s also a fantastic herb for women throughout pregnancy, and you can grab the recipe for our pregnancy tea below.
Maria says
Hi Diane,
I have been making infusions with fresh nettles. Am I losing out by not using dried leaves?
Francoise Auvray says
Hi, I was wondering if it’s best to drink the infusion warm though, so once it has infused and cooled, would you warm it up or top up with a litle hot water?
best
francoise
Brie says
Hello! I stumbled upon nettle tea infusion recipe for low iron/ferritin, however I am wondering about dried nettle leaf powder. Would it be better to consume it in that form, for example, make a tea out of the dried nettle leaf powder as you would Matcha tea? As far as the concentration of trace minerals, etc.…? Thank you so much!
Jenny says
Hi Brie, I would add powdered nettle leaf to other foods, but wouldn’t make an infusion out of them as it might turn sludgy and unpalatable.
Dawn says
I am now making this nettle infusion but I really really don’t like the taste.. did not like it with salt and lemon did. not help much any other suggestions?
Jenny says
Hi Dawn,
If you don’t like the way a food tastes, I’d recommend just not eating/drinking it. There’s many nourishing foods and drinks from which to choose.
Greta says
I mix the nettle infusion with homemade bubbly water (SodaStream). It’s better in every way than any commercial soda. Delicious and nutritious! And so refreshing. Highly recommended.
Diane says
I was wondering…are there any subtle properties that can be lost using boiled water??
Jenny says
Hi Diane,
Not much, to be honest. The hot water often allows for better extraction of micronutrients. So while heat may damage some B vitamins as well as vitamin C, as long as you’re getting those nutrients from other sources (and you should be), you’ll get better overall nutrition from a hot water infusion. More info here: https://theherbalacademy.com/water-temperature-nutritional-content-of-herbs/. You can always look into a cold water infusion, too.
Beth says
So, I made this and it came out really nice. Light, but definitely nettle flavor (kinda like spinach and tea?). It was really easy, too.
Dawn says
Susun Weed recommends dried herbs for herbal infusions.
http://www.susunweed.com/How_to_make_Infusions.htm
“Since the minerals and other phytochemicals in nourishing herbs are made more accessible by drying, dried herbs are considered best for infusions.”
Lolly says
Clover flower
Paris says
Perhaps this is a silly question, but do you mean the flowers or the leaves of the clover? I blend weeds into my smoothie every morning and clover leaves often make an appearance, but they have a grassier flavor then, say, plantain or dandelions, so I doubt they’d taste very nice in an infusion. And I make wines and sodas from the flowers in spring, so I KNOW those are delicious, but are, I suspect, lacking in the deep green nutrients of the leaves. Just wondering 🙂
sammy says
Nettles have the antidote inside them…..so you can chew them 🙂 I know, cringe…right? But true and hard to watch someone do. So if you get burned by the nettle, squish the stem and rub the juice on the area.
hannah says
Hello,
Thank you so much for this post. My red blood cell count has been low and my Doc said anemia is the culprit. So I learned about stinging nettle and just bought a bunch. Thanks for teaching me how to brew it the right way.
Hannah
Kate Paine says
Here in Hawaii, we have a plant called “mamake” which is in the nettles family, but hairs do not sting. I have a plant in my garden and dry the leaves and give to friends. Maybe one can order plants from Hawaii, or maybe seeds from University of Hawaii. I make a refreshing summer cooler with mint and thinly sliced cucumber. Yum!
Rita Ladany says
Nice to see I`m not the only one that loves nettles and mint. I start every morning with fresh picked nettles and mint from my garden adding greens which I pick different everyday. It may be Turnip, radish, collard, kale, dandelion ……. add it to my blender along with 1/2 a banana, bunch of frozen blueberries, kefir, flax seed, chia seed and some bee pollen. I don`t add any sweeteners. But you can add local raw honey. Yum! OH I do add a couple leaves of gotu kola.
Great topic!
Holly says
I have had run ins for years with stinging nettle while hiking, gardening and just working outdoors constantly cursing their invasion upon my hands. Oh and for future nettle stings I recommend glue on the area, let it dry, then apply duct tape and rippppppp! Out come the little hairs and kids really live this! I am glad to find a use for these plants. Wondering if there are any possible side effects? I work with children and would love to show them a way they can connect with the plant that we are always digging out of the school greenhouse.
Many thanks!