Fermented Nettle Tea: An Iron Booster

I made passing mention of this tea idea in my long since shelved e-book on iron rich foods. Nettle tea is a traditional remedy for low iron levels but it is interesting that nettle is also fairly high in tannins which bind iron. My thought was that if we could ferment the nettle tea we might have the gold standard in plant-based iron boosters. It took my own iron levels to take a little dip to inspire me to try the concoction.

I dragged my father and son to an area creek to harvest nettles and discovered that someone else in the area is into nettle tea as well. I managed a small bundle of nettle leaf and brought them to boil in about a gallon of water. I let them steep until the next morning.

In the meanwhile, I was making my other water kefir concoctions and just saved a couple of cups of the inoculated sugar water to add to the nettle tea. I let the tea ferment on the counter top, covered in a dishtowel for a couple of days. After those couple of days, I put the jar in the refrigerator to stop the fermentation. (It could get very sour if allowed to sit out but it’s all a matter of taste.) Although nettle tea is a very boring drink, I found myself wanting more and more of this tea. I felt a bit of an energy boost. If you ferment drinks, give this a try and post here about your experience. In the meantime, I realize that I need to go harvest some more nettles.

The Water Kefir Specifics

To inoculate your water with kefir in the first place, you will need to acquire water kefir grains, essentially a starter for your fermentation. On the side, dissolve a few tablespoons of sugar in hot water and allow the water to cool. After the water has cooled, add your kefir grains, cover with a towel, and let the water ferment for a day or more. After it has fermented, remove the grains and save them for another campaign. Pour the fermented water into your cooled nettle tea and let that sit until it is a suitable taste. (See this post about water kefir drinks for more information. Instead of adding fruit juice as in that link, I add the nettle tea.)

All of these proportions and processes are extremely forgiving. Play around with it until you have a level of sweetness that works for you. If you struggle with iron deficiency or even fatigue in general, this is a great food to try.