Nettle, Raspberry Leaf & Oatstraw Daily Vitamin Tea
This is recipe for a highly nutritive tea that is great to drink during pregnancy, postpartum and a perfect everyday tea for everyone (my kids like it too!). The taste is green, slightly fruity and a little sweet. I started drinking this tea when I was pregnant with my daughter almost ten years ago and it continues to be a daily staple for me. Emerald green nettles are high in many vitamins and minerals including iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, D and K. Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) is high in B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals including potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron.
It is also known as a tonic to help tone the uterus in preparation for childbirth. Oat straw (Avena sativa) is the green stem and leaf of the oat plant who milky tops are harvested to give us oats. Oat straw is naturally high in silicon and calcium, which makes it very beneficial for bones, nails, skin and hair. It is also high in zinc, B vitamins, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, protein, and adds sweetness to the blend. Add this super powered tea to your daily routine for a delicious infusion of vitamins and minerals all year round.
One of my earliest memories is of my grandmother Milka at my aunt Andjela’s farm harvesting stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). Milka always used to tell me how nutritious nettles (in Serbo-Croatian kopriva) were for you and would process them into tea and soup like her mother had taught her. I always was afraid of the fact that they stung, but soon learned from her that when you cook them they lose their characteristic sting. When I harvest them in the spring myself now I feel connected to Milka and my ancestors who revered and respected nettles. If you harvest them yourself, be careful to always wear gloves unless you want to get stung!
Instructions
Yield: Varied
INGREDIENTS
2 parts dried nettle leaf
2 parts dried red raspberry leaf
1 part oat straw
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix herbs together and store in glass jar with lid. I like to make this in large batches to last me for several months. If kept out of direct sunlight, will stay fresh for up to one year.
TO USE
Add 1 heaping tbsp to 16oz of boiling water and let steep for 10 minutes or longer. Strain and drink. Add sweetener if desired. Drink as often as desired, I highly recommend it as a daily tea.
