How to use stinging nettle powder: 6 easy ways

Stinging nettle is a wild plant whose leaves sting when fresh. Once the leaves are dried and ground, the sting is gone. The powder is dark green, smells of cut grass and tastes earthy and a little like spinach or green tea. It blends easily into savoury dishes.

How much to use

Use 1 teaspoon for a pot of soup or stew that feeds four, or 2 teaspoons for a cup of tea steeped from the powder. Add it near the end of cooking, so the colour stays green.

Ways to use it

1. Soups. Stir 1 teaspoon into pumpkin, potato or bean soup near the end. It adds green colour and an earthy taste.
2. Sukuma wiki and other greens. Mix half a teaspoon into cooked greens, like an extra handful of leaves.
3. Chapati and bread. Add 1 teaspoon to 2 cups of flour for green flecks and a mild flavour.
4. Eggs and omelettes. Whisk half a teaspoon into the eggs with salt and cook as usual.
5. Githeri and beans. Stir in 1 teaspoon at the end of cooking to deepen the flavour.
6. Nettle tea. Steep 1 teaspoon in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine cloth or tea strainer. Add honey and lemon.

Keeping it fresh

Keep it in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry cupboard, away from sunlight. Light fades the green. Use a dry spoon, and finish the pack within about a year.

Which pack to choose

It comes in a 100g pack. At a teaspoon a day, one pack lasts several weeks for one person.

Good to know

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or take any medicine, ask your doctor before using it.

Next step: Add it to your order in the shop, or ask Glow on WhatsApp which pack suits you.