People can be quite funny about wild food. They are happy to eat a mushroom you have foraged and cooked, but mention nettles and they become a bit wary. You can almost see them trying to work out how to say no without being rude.
This cordial is my way of changing their minds. When I first made a batch, I didn’t warn anyone about the ingredients. I just handed out glasses and waited for their reactions. Most people said the same thing: it tastes like gooseberry. It is bright, a bit tart, and really clean-tasting, with no hints of anything green or medicinal.
Nettles are plentiful in April and May. They grow in big clumps along hedgerows and field edges. It’s no wonder people see them as a nuisance, given that they sting. But once you know how to use them, they become really useful.
If you are trying to win over hesitant friends or family, a cordial is a great place to start. There is no green colour or strong smell to give away that it’s wild food. So, people often try it without a second thought. That’s the idea.
Nettle Cordial Recipe Ingredients
- 200g freshly picked nettle tops
- 1kg granulated sugar
- 40g citric acid (32 tbsp lemon juice).
- 500ml water
- Sterile glass bottles with tops, either screw or cork
Nettle Cordial Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Collect, wash and spin dry in a salad spinner 200g of nettle tops.
Step 2
Weigh out 1kg of granulated sugar
Step 3
Measure out 40g of citric acid. Citric acid can often be found in health shops or home brewing shops.
Step 4
Add the granulated sugar, citric acid and water to a large saucepan, and heat the mixture until it reaches 60 degrees C, then remove from the heat.
Step 5
Now add the Nettle leaves, and stir well so that they get covered with the liquid, then cover and leave for a week. Make sure that you stir your Nettle Cordial mixture daily.
Step 6
After a week is up, sterilise your bottles, then strain the liquid through a sieve or colander and bottle.
My batch lasted about 4 weeks. After opening a bottle, make sure that you refrigerate your Nettle Cordial.
Further reading: Traditional and Modern Use of Stinging Nettle