Nettle Beer
There are a lot of nettles in the wood and we spend a fair bit of time trashing them and the brambles in the spring and autumn. This year with the demijohns lying fallow I thought I'd put them to good use and have a go at making nettle beer. Its proved eminently drinkable, more cider flavoured than beer and very refreshing when served chilled in the sun. It was backbreaking work picking the nettles but it was a rare sunny day so good to be outside. We filled a big sack; about 3 kgs. The little one and my wife were staying on in Devon so I had to cart the nettles on the train back to London and then across town on the tube. I felt a bit of a wally and the weird cabbagey smell of the nettles emanating from my sack became more obvious in the concreted world of London. Back at home I filled every saucepan with water and, lacking marigolds, had to use sandwich bags to lift the nettles into the pans. The smell did not improve as the nettles cooked down. Unlike cider they need som