Content
- Freezing the nettle - how does it work?
- How best to freeze stinging nettles
- Clean and chop after harvest
- Pack in containers and freeze
- Uses for frozen nettles
- Dry stinging nettles better
- Tips
Stinging nettles should be crushed before freezing
Freezing the nettle - how does it work?
The stinging nettle has its growing season between April and October. In winter it is found only in exceptional cases in warmer periods. You can freeze it so that you do not have to do without this herb known as a medicinal plant in winter.
How best to freeze stinging nettles
Previously, the right and timely crop is crucial. Stinging nettles should best be harvested between April and June. Then the plants are strongest and their leaves least rich in fibers. From July, the flowering period begins and the leaves lose energy.
Clean and chop after harvest
If you are afraid of the stinging nettles, you should say that after freezing and thawing, the effect of the stinging hair is gone. At the latest during the cooking process, you can no longer 'burn yourself' of them.
First, the stinging nettles should be cleaned. Then they are roughly crushed. If you plan to make spinach or smoothies later, you can leave the stems. Otherwise, it is advisable to pluck the leaves from the stems and freeze only the leaves.
Pack in containers and freeze
After crushing it goes off into a pases container. Not only traditional freezer bags are suitable for freezing. Even lockable plastic cans or ice cube trays are a suitable choice. If you decide to use ice cube trays, first fill in the shredded stinging nettles and then water. In ice cube containers, the stinging nettles can be better portioned later.
Uses for frozen nettles
Thawing the frozen stinging nettles and then eating them is certainly not so much a flavor explosion. In addition, the consistency and the appearance of the leaves have suffered from the freezing process. Nevertheless, there are some uses:
Dry stinging nettles better
Frozen nettles make it difficult to make tea. Even as herbal powder they are not suitable in this condition. If you have such things, you should dry the nettles instead of freezing them. For this purpose, the bundles are hung in a shady place or placed on a grid.
Tips
Do not wait long after harvesting to freeze the nettles! Flavors disappear and the loss of vitamin C increases rapidly.