Quick Herb Lesson: Stinging Nettles
Nettles are more than an herb (or weed) that grow in wastelands, gardens, and hillsides….. they are rich source of nutrients and healing capabilities. Whenever I see myself retaining water (especially while pregnant) I drink some tea with Nettle in it and I notice how my swelling decreases! Pregnant or not though, I drink it mixed with Red Raspberry and a few other herbs most everyday. It is such a versatile herb, there is even a recipe for Nettle Soup!
Stinging Nettle Facts:
- Grow 1-2 meters tall.
- Stalks are fully of hairy stingers. Ouch!
- Cooking, crushing, or drying disables the stingers.
- It is a diuretic. So, don’t drink right before bed!
- Historically, has been used for inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis.
- Nettle is FULL of vitamin K (vitamin K helps helps stop profuse blood flow)
- Is full of important minerals, vitamins AND protein!…. So, you can throw the nettle leaves in a soup and have a free ingredient! I’ve heard you just replace Greens (like spinach) in soups and it turns out great.
When harvesting Nettle try these steps:
- Harvest in early/mid spring when Nettles are young- use gloves!
- Gently snap off in mid to low part of the plant.
- Place in a collecting bag.
- Take home to dry or cook (the stinging properties will cease with drying, crushing, or cooking)
Here is a recipe I found for Stinging Nettle Soup:
GNOCCHI WITH PESTO D’ORTICA (Gnocchi with stinging Nettle pesto)
Kristen’s note: I’m not sure how to measure these ingredients, but I would use to scale.
150g Fresh, boiled nettle leaves (to make Pesto d’ortica)
600g Potatoes
4 Sun-dried tomatoes
50g pistachio nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
200g Wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt.
Boil potatoes, cut into pieces and pass them through a vegetable filter. Paste in the flour until well mixed, then separate the mixture into thumb-size lumps, or “gnocchi”, cover them in sieved flour and leave them to sit for an hour or so.
In the meantime blend the tomatoes with the cooked nettle leaves, pistachio’s and oil until creamy.
Drop the gnocchi into boiling, salted water and when they rise to the surface they are cooked.
Add the mixture to the gnocchi, decorate with a few pistachio nuts and enjoy!
April 12th, 2009 at 1:03 am
This recipe sounds wonderful!
We had plenty of stinging nettle in the woods where I lived in Washington state. I learned at a wildlife park there that the “slime” from a slug will numb the pain if you are “stung” by nettle. Not the most enjoyable event, or solution, but if you’re out hiking in an area like that and get stung, grab the next slug you can find and rub ‘em on the painful area(s).
April 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I have never heard of slug slime helping stings- HAH! I wonder if it has ammonia in the slime or something?
I imagine Plantain would also work and it is a handy plant too (grows most everywhere). Plantain is an astrigent (which means it PULLS poisons, stings, ouchies, etc OUT of the skin). Just chew it up and splat it on.
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