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How to Harvest Nettles to Make Fresh Nettle Tea

stinging nettle plantHarvesting nettles is a bit of a pain, sometimes literally if you’re clumsy, but the fresh nettle tea that results makes it well-worth the effort.

Nettles are best harvested in spring, after flowering but before the plant seeds. After seeding, the chemical composition of the plant is changed, so make sure you time it just right.

Finding A Nettle Patch

You can harvest wild nettle plants if you don’t have them in your garden. Look for nettles growing in moist, partially-shaded woodland areas. The nettle plant thrives in most areas of the United States in roadsides, ditches, forests and fields. Consult a good herb field guide to help with identification.

Only harvest plants in an area that you are 100 percent sure hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides. Nettles growing near roadsides and highways may have leached some of the passing exhaust and chemicals. Also avoid harvesting nettles on other people’s property without their permission.

Remember not to ever take all of a nettle patch, but only what you can use. If you only find one plant, leave it be and find a larger patch. Don’t obliterate your local population of nettle in your pursuit of fresh nettle tea.

Preparing for the Harvest

Once you’ve found a nice patch of nettle plants to harvest, put on a pair of thick leather gloves to protect your skin. Although my grandmother could harvest nettles with her bare hands, I can’t bring myself to try it without gloves after a painful nettle sting as a child.

You’ll also need a few more things in order to properly harvest nettles without hurting yourself. Remember that nettle leaves are covered with tiny hairs that can stick in your skin and sting you. However, you’ll only be stung if you move against the hairs, going down the plant. And if you do brush the plant by accident, don’t worry. Your fresh nettle tea will make it feel much better!

In addition to gloves, take along these items on harvest day:

  • Sharp, strong scissors or small pruning shears
  • Basket or cloth bag for collection
  • Basket or bowl for catching the stalks as they fall

How to Harvest Nettles

Use the scissors or pruning shears to cut the stalks of the nettle plant, holding a basket or bowl below to catch them. Transfer each stalk to the cloth bag if you’re using one, or transport them home in the basket.

Always wear your gloves while handling the fresh nettle leaves. The sting will go away once the leaves have dried or after they’re washed. You can dry your newly harvested nettles, or you can boil them and make fresh nettle tea right away. Make sure you don’t wash them if you plan on drying, but brush them gently to remove any dirt.

Drying Fresh Nettles for Making Nettle Tea Later

Once you’ve harvested your nettles, you can easily dry them for later use. While still wearing the gloves, wrap the stalks into bundles using thick twine to secure at the bottom. Hang the bundles in a cool, dry and well-ventilated place until thoroughly dry, which could take up to a week. Don’t make the bundles too thick, or they’ll take too long to dry.

Untie the bundles once the leaves are dry and store in an airtight, glass container in a cool, dry place until ready to make nettle tea.

How to Make Fresh Nettle Tea

If you want to make fresh nettle tea immediately after harvesting the leaves, check out this video post to learn how.

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