Stinging Nettle

I have a large patch of stinging nettle that I hear is really potent medicine.  I hear the best time to get it is early and to not wait for it to flower.

But Ann, can you tell me how to prepare it?

All the Best,

Paul & Joan
Seattle

Keen to learn more about this too, I have friends with extreme hayfever allergy that harvest and eat raw nettle when in seed..

This site has info on harvesting the root and its uses at any time
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/nettle/harvesting-nettle-root.htm

So, a great question as nettle (Urtica dioica) is abundant! I think of nettle as a food and medicine - and the leaf is best before flowering - rich in minerals so a powerhouse of benefit like many other green veg for circulation and immune system. There are indeed many herbal actions, but primarily diuretic and anti-inflammatory, which are very useful in arthritis and skin complaints. Harvest with gloves, pick off dirt or insects rather than wash, and make sure you process it same day or it will begin to deteriorate and spoil very quickly! The young nettle is incredibly edible, cook the leafy stems like spinach, adding a little water - this puree could be frozen if you have masses to harvest. Fresh leaf can be used to make tea, lightly crush, infuse 10-15 min in hot water, a small handful to a mug. But my preference is to dry the leafy herb for use as tea year round. Roughly chop and lay out in a single layer in cool airy conditions, when dry and crumbly, label and store in paper or glass. A good teaspoon of dried nettle is sufficient for a mug. This tea blends well with other herbs and my favourite at the moment is to mix with dried rose petals. In my book I outline other ways to preserve herbs such as in tincture and in vinegar.

Oh this is great.  Thank you.  I just picked a bushel or two and will try what you suggest.

Best,

Paul

I had always read that for internal use the nettles should be picked before they flower. Older nettles apparently accumulate calcium crystals that can irritate the digestion.

Later in the season the green seeds can be added to yogurt, smoothies, etc.

Nettles are a great addition to sunny or partly shaded areas in a forest garden.

I have found 3 separate patches of stinging nettle on our property and for the past month or so, have been harvesting the tops to eat. A light steam with just a little water is enough to wilt them and make the sting go away. I have been working these patches about 6-7 times now and getting several grocery bags full of tops each time. I always cut them right above a leaf joint, maybe 4-6 inches down from the top and that's where they split into two leaders the next time I go back and inspect them.
Ones that I have not been harvesting are flowering (which are past their eating stage) but these guys are still putting out new foilage.
Also, the wildlife leaves them alone so I don't have to do anything to protect them. There is however a bug of some sort that chews holes in certain areas on the leaves but not enough to worry about.

I wish it wasn't such a tough sell with the family as I'm happy to eat it several ways. A friend makes nettle soup very simply with broth, nettle, and an egg. I've made nettle pesto also. I've also just pan-fried it with garlic and a bit of oil. And I found a recipe for Nettle Cake which even a couple of my "fussy friends" agreed tasted just fine!
It's great that it comes out early when there isn't a lot of other stuff to forage!

Jay Angler wrote:I wish it wasn't such a tough sell with the family as I'm happy to eat it several ways. A friend makes nettle soup very simply with broth, nettle, and an egg. I've made nettle pesto also. I've also just pan-fried it with garlic and a bit of oil. And I found a recipe for Nettle Cake which even a couple of my "fussy friends" agreed tasted just fine!
It's great that it comes out early when there isn't a lot of other stuff to forage!

Jay, when you pan-fry it, do you boil/steam it a little first to de-sting it or is it safe to just pop it straight into the frying pan?

I'm a big fan of quick and simple pan-fries. We had one last week with turnip greens fresh from the garden, fried with the very last of last year's garlic and some chopped up bacon, and served over potatoes mashed with the turnip roots and it was divine. And if I can cut out the boiling/steaming step for the nettles to do similar meals that would be great. I have always boiled or steamed first, and used the nettles in stir fries, over pasta, pesto, and soup. Sometimes I use the boiled nettle greens for one recipe and the nettle broth as a soup stock. I also dry a lot of nettles for adding to soup or smoothies or to sprinkle over stir-fries in the winter. Fortunately my family is willing to eat it (and sometimes they have no idea they are eating it, mwahaha).

Sounds tasty!  And I like the covert psy-op!  Lol!

Andrea Locke wrote:

Jay, when you pan-fry it, do you boil/steam it a little first to de-sting it or is it safe to just pop it straight into the frying pan?

I stick it on a greased pan and let it sit till it starts to blacken a bit on the bottom before stirring it around a bit and that's enough to "de-sting" it. The leaves are so thin, it really doesn't take much heat to do the job.