Adapted from http://foragedfoods.co.uk
Nettle beer tastes a little like ginger beer, and is a nice refreshing drink—especially when served cold.
1 gallon young nettles 2 pounds malt 1⁄4 ounce root ginger 1 gallon water 12 ounces sugar 1 ounce dried hops 1 lemon 1 tablespoon yeast, activatedGather the nettles and put them in a saucepan (both leaves and stalks) along with the water, root ginger, malt and hops. Boil these ingredients together for about 15 minutes.
Next, strain the liquid into a bucket. Add the sugar and then the juice of the lemon. Stir all of these until the sugar has dis- solved into the mixture. Wait until the liquid cools to about 70° F and then add the tablespoon of activated yeast.
Cover the mixture and leave it in a warm place for about three days to ferment. Remove any of the froth that rises to the surface of the mixture. This is best done by skimming with a clean instrument.
Gather some strong bottles, which will be used to contain the beer. Strain the mixture into the bottles and store in an upright position in a cool place—like a garden shed, garage or basement. Leave it to ferment for an extra week or so before drinking. Nettle beer tastes best after just over a week of fermenting and doesn’t need additional time to improve the flavor.
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food cultures of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season.