Drying nettle - how to do it right

The right harvest time

A correct harvest at the right time precedes good drying. Harvest the plant's leaves between May and September! The seeds are ripe between late September and October. The flowers are collected less frequently. They bloom between July and September.

How do you harvest the nettles?

The easiest way to harvest nettles is with scissors and a pair of gloves. Put on garden gloves or old winter gloves as protection from burning hair! Cut the nettles on the stems just above the ground.

Dry the leaves, seeds and roots

Now it's time to dry the plant parts:

Hang up shoots in bundles, e.g. B. in the attic
dry in a shady and airy place
alternatively dry on sieves or cloths
never dry in the sun (bleach, burn, lose active ingredients)

It is better not to hang up the roots to dry, but to place them on a sieve in an automatic dehydrator. Before doing this, cut them into pieces about 3 to 5 cm in size to speed up the drying process.

Recognition of complete drying and storage options

If the parts of the plant are really dry (leaves rustle and crumble when rubbed; roots have deep furrows), they can be safely stored, for example in a can, a bag or a glass with a screw cap. The storage location should be dark and dry. The right place to store it later determines the shelf life.