This nettle tincture recipe makes it simple to enjoy the wide variety of nutrients in stinging nettle. Using only two ingredients, this herbal remedy a no brainer to make and have on hand.
Where we live, nettle is viewed as an invasive weed. Which is crazy because wild nettles are jam packed with vitamins A, C, D, and K and are high in iron and calcium. So high in calcium and iron that my midwife recommended I drink nettle tea while pregnant and in the immediate postpartum period. I made tons of NORA tea while pregnant with my last baby!
Benefits of Nettle Tincture
Nettles are useful for a range of ailments such as:
- The calcium content in nettles is helpful in easing muscle cramps, including leg cramps and after birth pain.
- The anti-inflammatory properties in nettles are helpful in combatting allergies such as hay-fever.
- The herb’s anti-inflammatory properties are also helpful in easing eczema and arthritis.
- The iron levels in nettles can help with anaemia.
FAQ
Nettles are most effective if taken consistently, over a long period of time. For example, consuming nettles in tea or as a tincture once a day over at least a month will allow the herb to work most effectively.
I take 1-3 droppers full or about a teaspoon once a day. I consume the tincture straight, but you can dilute it in water, juice, or another beverage of your choice.
Drying fresh nettle leaves and using them as tea is a wonderful way to preserve the herb and enjoy it’s nutrients year round. I personally love the flavour of nettle (which is quite earthy) and it is straightforward to make – I boil enough water for a quart jar water and let 2-3 tablespoons steep for 10 minutes.
Making nettle tincture is another way to preserve the herb. The alcohol in the tincture draws the nutrients out of the herb and into the alcohol, leaving you with a nutrient-dense liquid.
The advantage of nettle tincture over nettle tea is that it saves you time. You don’t need to wait for tea to steep to consume nettle’s beneficial nutrients. You can simply take a dropper-full of the tincture.
Because both are so simple to make, I like to have both dried nettle and nettle tincture on hand.
Yes. Unlike oil or vinegar infusions, it is fine to use fresh plant material in alcohol-based tinctures. Using fresh herbs or flowers in oil or vinegar infusions isn’t recommended because water content makes the oil or vinegar go rancid more quickly. But alcohol that is 90 proof or above prevents this from happening.
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Tools
Glass Pint Jar & Lid
Small Strainer
Medium Bowl
Dark Amber Storage Bottle
Ingredients
Vodka – at least 90 proof
Organic Nettles (fresh or dried) – enough to fill half of the pint jar
For complete measurements, see the printable recipe card below.
Tips
Nettles are able to remove heavy metals from soil. While this is helpful in cleaning up contaminated soil, you should be mindful of where you forage or source your nettles. If buying dried nettles, try to find an organic source. If foraging wild nettles, aim to source them from a wild area, as opposed to alongside a roadway or area with heavy foot traffic. These area are more likely to have been sprayed with pesticides and to have been exposed to other pollution.
Instructions
Fill a clean glass pint jar halfway full with nettles.
Pour vodka overtop, until the nettles are completely submerged.
Place the lid on the jar and set in a cool, dark place for about a month. Try to gently shake the jar every day to make sure everything is submerged.
After a month, strain off the liquid into an amber glass bottle. Compose the plant materials. Amber bottles are the best because they protect against UV light which helps the beneficial compounds in the tincture to last longer.
This nettle tincture should last about 2 years if stored in a cool, dark place.
Other Simple Herbal Remedies
How To Make Lavender Infused Honey
How To Make Echinacea Tincture
How To Make Elderberry Tincture
Elderflower Tincture – Simple Homemade Recipe
How To Make Lemon Balm Tincture
If you make this how-to and enjoy it, please consider giving it 5 stars. Find me on Instagram @documentingsimpleliving and show me what you’ve made!
Simple Nettle Tincture Recipe
This nettle tincture recipe makes it simple to enjoy the wide variety of nutrients in stinging nettle. Using only two ingredients, this herbal remedy a no brainer to make and have on hand.
Materials
- Vodka – at least 90 proof & enough to cover the nettles completely
- Organic Nettles (fresh or dried) – enough to fill half of the pint jar
Tools
- Glass Pint Jar & Lid
- Small Strainer
- Medium Bowl
- Dark Amber Storage Bottle
Instructions
- Fill a clean glass pint jar halfway full with nettles.
- Pour vodka overtop, until the nettles are completely submerged.
- Place the lid on the jar and set in a cool, dark place for about a month. Try to gently shake the jar every day to make sure everything is submerged.
- After a month, strain off the liquid into an amber glass bottle. Compose the plant materials. Amber bottles are the best because they protect against UV light which helps the beneficial compounds in the tincture to last longer.
Notes
This nettle tincture should last about 2 years if stored in a cool, dark place.
Nettles are able to remove heavy metals from soil. While this is helpful in cleaning up contaminated soil, you should be mindful of where you forage or source your nettles. If buying dried nettles, try to find an organic source. If foraging wild nettles, aim to source them from a wild area, as opposed to alongside a roadway or area with heavy foot traffic. These area are more likely to have been sprayed with pesticides and to have been exposed to other pollution.
I’m not a medical professional and do not intend to offer medical advice in any content I create. As always, do your own research and speak to your doctor or paediatricians.
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