Nettle juice in this recipe is a sweetened citrus syrup that is diluted with water. Nettle is used as food and in traditional herbal preparations, but this does not establish that this drink treats arthritis or prostate symptoms, or lowers blood pressure or blood sugar. The recipe contains 1.5 kg of added sugar; the diluted drink also contributes to sugar intake.
Ingredients
- 50 young nettle tops
- 2 pieces of lemon
- 3 pieces of orange
- 3 liters of water
- 1.5kg of sugar
- Food-grade kiwi flavouring — optional, using the label dose for the quantity of drink prepared
A yield of slightly less than 5 litres is an approximate figure from the original recipe. The actual volume depends on ingredient size and straining; measure the finished syrup for a reproducible result.
Preparation
Use nettles you can reliably identify and that are suitable for food preparation. The original recipe calls for 50 young tops with 5–6 leaves each and no seeds. Avoid busy roads and locations that may be polluted or treated with chemicals. Wear gloves when handling the plants. Distance from a settlement alone does not establish the quality of the material.
Wash the nettles and citrus fruit thoroughly under running water. If using citrus peel, check the label for any warning that it is not suitable for eating. Washing, including soaking in baking soda, does not guarantee removal of all pesticide residues. EPA guidance on washing and pesticide residues.
In the original recipe, 1.5 kg of sugar is dissolved in 3 litres of water, washed nettle tops and citrus slices about 1 cm thick are added, and the mixture is soaked for 24 hours. This procedure has not been validated as a microbiologically safe recipe. Keep the mixture covered in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature; refrigeration alone does not establish the safety of the whole process.
The next step in the original recipe is mashing and straining. Use washed hands and clean utensils. Food-grade kiwi flavouring is optional; follow the dose on the product label if adding it. Flavouring does not establish the quality or nutritional value of the drink. Do not substitute essential oils. Transfer the drink to clean bottles and refrigerate it. This procedure has no confirmed safe storage period. Sugar, citrus and refrigeration do not establish that the syrup is microbiologically safe or that heat treatment is unnecessary. FDA warns about untreated juice risks; this recipe should not be presented as a long-life pantry product.
The drink is a concentrate diluted with water. The original recipe specifies one part syrup to two parts water. The added sugar per glass depends on the proportion of syrup and serving size. Dilution reduces the sugar concentration in the glass but does not remove the sugar in the amount of syrup used.
