Stinging Nettle: Plant of a Thousand Uses

One of the first wild plants to thrive early in the year is the nettle. They’re pretty easy to find and, believe me, you will know if you accidentally run into a wild patch of stinging nettles (which I found in my raspberry patch). When you brush against them with bare skin, the delicate, needle-like hairs that cover their stems and leaves break off and inject you with irritating chemicals that feel like a host of wasp stings. But if you do suffer such an encounter, count your lucky stars. Guard the spot carefully.  

Also, don’t worry: cooking the plant will dispel its sting.

 
Photo credit: Stinging nettle in raspbery patch by Margaret Bolyes

Nutritious Nettles

Young nettles rank among the yummiest, most nutritious of green vegetables. And don’t worry! Even the lightest cooking eliminates the stinging hair during the process.

A rich source of calcium, iron, magnesium, and other minerals and of high levels of vitamins C and A, they also contain more protein than other green vegetables (dried leaves are 25 percent protein!). What’s more, many of these nutrients act as antioxidants inside your body, defending your cells against damage from free radicals. This is linked to aging, cancer and other harmful diseases.

Natural Remedies with Nettles

Herbalist use nettle to lower blood pressure and there is a long history of nettles being used by traditional cultures as medicine to treat a variety of ills, such as an overactive bladder.

• Stinging nettle tea has been help for those who have allergies. See natural remedies for allergies.
• Dried nettle leaves and roots make both delicious tea and a nourishing hair rinse. See old-fashioned hair treatments.
• An infusion of stinging nettles is also known to help treat sunburns. 
• Gardeners have long used fermentations of nettle leaves to fertilize and protect crops. See how to make your own organic garden fertlizer.
• Dairy farmers use nettles as a flavoring ingredient (or wrapper) for gourmet cheeses.
• Some hearty souls enjoy tipping a pint of nettle beer, perhaps with a savory dish of nettle pasta.
• Another innovation you may find soon at your local trendy clothing boutique: clothing made from nettle fibers.

Harvesting Nettles

Pick the young leaves or whole shoots from February to June. Avoid older plants; they’ll have a tough taste. 

And bring your gloves! To harvest stinging nettles without getting stung, wear rubber or leather gardening gloves and long sleeves. You can not touch any part of the nettle as the mild sting lasts for hours.

For the best eating, pick the top three sets of leaves while the plants are just a few inches tall.  Use a scissors or garden clippers to cut the top bracts of leaves, leaving the rest of the plant to regenerate and benefit wildlife. Set a pot or bag alongside the plant and clip directly into the container.

Rinse the plants well in a colander, remove any debris, and wear kitchen gloves if you plan to chop them.

Read more about eating stinging nettle and other wild edibles.

Photo: Stinging Nettle Pesto recipe. Credit: Nikolay Donetsk/Getty Images

Eating Nettles

Nettles have a mineral taste like a strong spinach. You can enjoy them as a side dish with a bit of butter melted on top; turn them into delicious pesto; or add them to soups, stews, and quiches. You can freeze or dry them in the same way that you would spinach or parsley. Again, nettle need to be lightly cooked to remove the string.

Nettle Tea

For tea, add one cup of nettle leaves and two cups of water to a pot. Heat to near boil and simmer for a couple minutes. Then strain and drink!  Add sugar if desired.

Nettle Soup

1. While wearing your gloves, cut off the tough stalks of your nettle leaves and wash the leaves. You’ll need 2 cups of leaves for this recipe (or cut it in half). Massage in olive oil until the leaves become soft.
2. In a pot, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil and a chopped onion and 3 chopped cloves of garlic and cook until translucent.
3. Now add 2 cups of diced potato (about 2 potatoes). Add 2 tsp stock/bouillon and 2 cups of water.
4. Cover the pan with a lid, and let it simmer for 10 minutes or when potato is soft.
5. Add nettle leaves. Cook for one minute or when leaves are wilted. 
6. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Then blend the soup until smooth. Season to taste.

Be Nice to Nettles Week

At one time, there was even a Be Nice to Nettles Week coordinated by a group in the UK, but you don’t need an official event to recognize this multipurpose  superplant.

If you have a bit of moist, rich soil lying fallow and find a patch of nettles going to seed, perhaps you’d like to create your own backyard nettle patch.