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.
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At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food cultures of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season.
