Making your own nettle leaf powder with fresh herbs is very simple. The key is to locate healthy, unpolluted nettles, which grow in deeper, rich soil. To create your own herb garden, select nettle bushes that grow further away from urban agricultural lands and busy streets with heavy vehicle traffic representing a good source of pesticide drift and pollution. You will also need some common sense, a sharp knife and a sterile knife to separate the stems from the leaves.
The most significant herb growing plant you will need for your herb garden is the anise root or Urtica dioica. It is a perennial herb whose leaves grow in dense clumps on the undersides of trees. These leaves are covered with a sweet-smelling resin called uric acid, which protects it from harmful insects. In addition to this resin the plant possesses other fragrant compounds which may be the source of your nettle leaf powder scent. Some of the most important nettle growing and medicinal herbs include the anise root, cascara sagrada, rue, and stinging nettle.
All the herbs we have mentioned can be found in a few sunny places, like the western states of North America. The most important part of growing these herbs is choosing the right location. The anise root or Urtica dioica is very easy to grow in sunny fields and windowsills but will wilt if kept in a shady area. Other herbs suitable for growing in full sun include the stinging nettle, stinging chives, celandine, and shepherd’s purse. Most herbs do well in a variety of environments and will tolerate most outdoor conditions.
One of the best ways to use the nettle leaf powder as a cooking ingredient is in the preparation of soups, stews, and sauces. Because it adds flavor to the food and helps to thicken sauces, adding a small amount to soups or stews before cooking will add a unique flavor to your dish. Nettles have also been used in the creation of a herb bread called nuggets. You can freeze the dry nettle leaves for this purpose and wrap them in wax paper, tie the top off with a piece of string, and then fry in a pan over medium heat.
Another way to make use of the herbal and edible leaves of this perennial is by making a delicious ice cream mixture. For this you only need three cups of cold water, two cups of evaporated milk, one tablespoon of ground flaxseed oil, and one tablespoon of ground cinnamon powder. Mix all these ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer for about ten minutes until the cream begins to thicken. Add one tablespoon of the nettle leaf powder into the mixture before serving.
You can use the dried nettle leaves as a spice or herb in your favorite recipes as well. There are many recipes on the Internet that call for the dried leaves of this perennial herb. You can experiment and find your own combinations that are tasty and nutritious. Some people even enjoy eating the powdered cooked leaves while others like to eat the whole herb.
Dried herbs have always been associated with magic, fortune, and romance. When you look back through history, the magic of the herb was used by powerful people in order to accomplish their goals. For example, Queen Elizabeth I of England would use the herb to calm down her temper and to keep bad moods away. It is also said that Queen Victoria adopted the use of nettle leaves as medicine and would sprinkle the leaves on her clothes to keep her looking fresh and young. Back in ancient Greece, the physicians knew the healing abilities of this herb and recommended it to the soldiers, who used it as a tonic to prevent blood loss during battle.
While there are many uses for the herb, it has been considered a weed by most people. They associate the herb with stinging, which is true, but only during the growing or brewing process when the nettles are in their mature state. Many of us grow the plants, harvest the leaves, and store the dried stinging parts for use in our cooking. So, whether you’re interested in using the leaves in soups, sauces, salads, or teas, it is one of those rare herbs whose benefits can’t be ignored.