Sting Into Spring

🌿 Workshop Overview

Sunday, March 22nd

The session is a blend of botanical education and practical alchemy. Participants will move from the field to the jar, learning how to safely interact with a plant that literally fights back.

🍴 Edible Properties: The "Wild Superfood"

• Nutritional Profile: Learn why nettles are considered a multivitamin in leaf form—packed with iron, calcium, magnesium, and Vitamins A and K.
• Culinary Preparation: Discover how to "neutralize the sting" through blanching, drying, or pureeing.
• Flavors: Explore its earthy, spinach-like taste in soups, pestos, and teas.

💊 Medicinal Properties: The "Spring Tonic"

• Anti-Inflammatory: Traditional uses for treating seasonal allergies (hay fever) and joint pain.
• Detoxification: How its diuretic properties help "flush" the system and support kidney function after a sedentary winter.
• Blood Building: Its high iron content makes it a historical go-to for anemia and fatigue.

🧪 The "Spring Cleansing Tonic" Project

The highlight of the event is crafting a Nettle Infusion. Unlike a quick cup of tea, this tonic involves:

1. Sustainable Harvesting: Learning to pick only the top four leaves before the plant flowers.
2. Long Maceration: Steeping the leaves for 4–8 hours to extract the maximum mineral content.
3. Customization: Adding complementary spring herbs like Dandelion or Cleavers for a total system reset.

Co-Facilitators

Support and guidance will be offered by:

- Laura Holly, Founder and maker of SugarLoaf Botanics

- Dr Sinead O’Connor, Head of Social Therapeutic Horticulture and Sustainability Services, Festina Lente Victorian Walled Gardens