Nettles, Anyone?

Hi there! I have posted before on how to get rid of stinging nettles in my yard in the forest, but now I would love to hear your experiences with harvesting this ubiquitous species for food, medicine, or whatever else. I have been harvesting mine for about three years but have never kept it long-term. I tried sending some leaves to my sister for her arthritis but they were all moldy by the time they go to her (about a week away.)

One thing that is really working now is that I use it as a salve straight from the plant on my husband and my sore muscles. That works really well and I don't actually mind touching it and getting a bit of a sting by putting it on. I find the fresh "juice" only lasts for about two days at the most, and then it wilts. I have also put in my some dishes as an extra green and that works well, too. In that case, I just also pick it straight from the freshly plucked plant. I would love to learn to leverage this plant to help others, too.

I would love to hear any of your experience. I have researched it online and watched a lot of videos but I just love hearing from people "live!" Do you do anything with it long-term, like drying it? Do you use it medicinally in some other way? Please share! Thank you!

My suggestion would be to dry the leaves really well before trying to send them to someone.

Fresh herbs are best though I see a value in dried herbs.

Nettles grew where we used to live though the only patch of nettles I have found here at this place is in my rock meadow which I tend to stay away from.

There are some really great threads about the benefits of nettles for arthritis and sinus problems.

It would be interesting to find out if anyone cooks with them, other than tea.

I'll second everything Anne said, but I have also added the (purchased, because I still don't have any growing, here) dried leaves to soups. It's incredibly nourishing, so I'm especially inclined to add it to soup, when we're sick, though it's an important ingredient in my daily teas and tinctures, too.

Anne Miller wrote:My suggestion would be to dry the leaves really well before trying to send them to someone.

Fresh herbs are best though I see a value in dried herbs.

Nettles grew where we used to live though the only patch of nettles I have found here at this place is in my rock meadow which I tend to stay away from.

There are some really great threads about the benefits of nettles for arthritis and sinus problems.

It would be interesting to find out if anyone cooks with them, other than tea.

Anne, I have cooked them in a homemade pasta sauce (I eat without the pasta, and serve to my husband with the pasta) and stew, and find them delicious. I know there's a thread on here about different recipes, too. I didn't know about the sinus problems, either.

I think it would be worth it to dry a batch of them and then try sending them to my sister that way.

Carla Burke wrote:I'll second everything Anne said, but I have also added the (purchased, because I still don't have any growing, here) dried leaves to soups. It's incredibly nourishing, so I'm especially inclined to add it to soup, when we're sick, though it's an important ingredient in my daily teas and tinctures, too.

Carla, so interesting. So, this is something you use regularly? I bought some ingredients for tinctures and salves and want to try to make some for friends and families. Neat to know that you tend to use it when you're feeling sick. Do you know if it has vitamin C in it?

Stinging nettle contains calcium, iron, protein, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C. Diabetics, heart sufferers, and people with high blood pressure can all benefit from it

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9253158/

I could find the thread I was looking for about nettles and sinuses though I did find some interesting ones:

https://permies.com/t/145642/Nettles-hayfever

https://permies.com/t/46723/Stinging-Nettles-Recipe

Nettles are great in pancakes!!
I would chop or crush them small to get an even texture.

Shari Clark wrote:

Carla Burke wrote:I'll second everything Anne said, but I have also added the (purchased, because I still don't have any growing, here) dried leaves to soups. It's incredibly nourishing, so I'm especially inclined to add it to soup, when we're sick, though it's an important ingredient in my daily teas and tinctures, too.

Carla, so interesting. So, this is something you use regularly? I bought some ingredients for tinctures and salves and want to try to make some for friends and families. Neat to know that you tend to use it when you're feeling sick. Do you know if it has vitamin C in it?

Hi, Shari! Yup! I have nettle in tea &/or tincture form, every single day. As Anne mentioned the nutritional content, I won't worry about that. But, it digests easily, and adds a nice body & flavor to soups. I wouldn't advise jumping into the deep end of nettle consumption, on your first try, though. It *can* cause diarrhea, if you have to much. I built it up in my diet rather slowly.

Kaarina Kreus wrote:Nettles are great in pancakes!!
I would chop or crush them small to get an even texture.

Kaarina, very cool!

As it happens, I was drying a batch of nettles today. The top leaves are best. So I cut the tops and let the plant to grow new leaves. It is nice to be able to preserve some harvest during the summer whenever you have a spre hour.