Tagged: Drying herbs

Nettle root

At work in the Herbalist’s kitchen

This weekend I was determined to get a heap of stuff done in the garden. Did it pan out that way? Did it heck!

However, what I did manage to do was pull up the pesky nettle which insists on joining my culinary herb garden. Whilst not entirely misplaced, it makes a fine risotto ingredient, I know it’ll just take over and that’s exactly what I don’t want it to do!

The benefit of allowing it to grow during the summer season before pulling it up (knowing that it’ll come back next year for sure) is that I get a good chunk of root.

Nettle root and secateurs
Once it has dried a little, the root ‘skin’ looks a lot less yellowy than it does fresh.

Working with nettle root

After pulling it up, it needs a good scrub in water to get rid of the soil. Once it is scrubbed, allow the water to dry and then chop it up. This is harder than it sounds and needs secateurs to get through it as it has a rubberiness to its woody fibres which prevent knives getting through.

Once chopped, leave it to dry somewhere warm-ish and with good air flow. Once completely dried, store it in a clean, labelled jar with a well fitting lid and keep out of the light.

Nettle root as a medicine. I talk about using the root as medicine here