Nettles

[Crewdawg445]

Morning everyone, as the title states... Nettles, yes stinging nettles. Harvested a good bunch yesterday! Does anyone enjoy them as much as me?

A nutritional powerhouse, nettles have been enjoyed for hundreds of years as food and a highly beneficial medicinal plant.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is drying for tea in camp and mincing up the dried stems to add to various stews. I don't usually take the roots as I like to prune them about 3" above smaller leaf growth to keep the plant growing healthy.

You can also pick and boil the leaves right away to use as tea, once boiled the plant looses all potential to sting, as it does when dried.

Excellent herb to have in a bag for a great tea over the fire, add honey and you have a delicious tea that's very healthy!

 

[Tallswife]

:thumbsup:

I haven't found any growing near me to harvest.
They are a very useful plant!

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

While eating nettles hasn't ever crossed my mind prior, I bet it would be pretty amazing diced up in a bowl of rice, ground maple sausage, butter, and seasoned with either lawrys or vegeta... :hmm:

 

[George]

A nettle soup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbTn_IjmUFc

Spence

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I have eaten a fair number of wild plants. Having had a couple of excruciating episodes with stinging nettles, I suppose eating them would be a sort of justice. However, i'll stay content to chop, kill and burn the stuff on sight.

 

[Crewdawg445]

It's rather tasteful! Certainly not a plant that comes to mind as being nutritious and tasty.

They do indeed bring pain and discomfort if you are unlucky enough to meander into their presence!

 

[Black Hand]

The sting is easily neutralized by dropping the leaves in boiling water. The leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach. The stems contain fibers that can be used to make cordage.

 

[necchi]

I've eaten the nettle, I like'm about as much as Dandelion.
Very useful plant and important to know how it's useful in many ways.
But I don't go running out to harvest on a regular basis

 

[Crewdawg445]

The sting is easily neutralized by dropping the leaves in boiling water.

Or dried. :wink:

 

[omarick1948]

Some folks are highly allergic to Nettles when eaten!

 

[KingofDerby]

Yeh, picked a bunch while I was out getting wild garlic...put a pouch of it, dried, in my snapsac this weekend for a 17th century do...makes a slightly sweet tea, just on it's own.