Nettles are best when very tender, so pick them in the spring when the nettles are just coming up or later in the season when they’re growing well, but before they are flowering. Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don’t get stung. Pick the young leaves from the tips.
When should you not eat nettles?
It is not wise to eat nettles when flowering between June and October as they have a laxative effect and the plant will then contain cystolith crystals that can upset the urinary tract. The fresh growth from nettles that grow after being cut back is fine though.
Can I harvest stinging nettle on the fall?
Young nettles emerging. You may harvest nettles from the time the new leaves emerge from the ground until late fall after the flowers have gone to seed but before the rains begin to rot the stems (while they still maintain their green color and have leaves attached).
Can you eat mature nettles?
Nettles that have begun to make seeds are getting mature, you can still eat them, but I like to use a scissors to clip off only the tender new growth. After a few months of growing the stems get tough and fibrous. Of course you can always pick the leaves off, but the tender stem is half the fun.
How long do fresh nettles last?
To store your dried stinging nettle, keep the leaves and stems in big pieces to retain as much flavor and essential oils as possible. Store in paper bags or glass jars (avoid plastic bags as they may lead to condensation). Store in a cool, dark, dry place where temperatures are consistent. Use within 6-12 months.
What happens if you eat nettles raw?
Nettles add a lovely mild flavour to any dish. Don’t worry, they won’t sting your mouth – they lose all their punch once they’ve been blended or juiced. Even just leaving them out for a day or two means they lose their sting.
Can you harvest nettles in summer?
Stinging nettle grows from early spring through the summer. The best time to harvest them is while they’re still a small, no more than a foot tall, because that’s when the leaves are the most tender. The leaves are best harvested while they’re still young and before the plant starts flowering.
How do you use dead nettles?
Use fresh dead nettle along with chickweed, dandelion greens, and other “weeds” to make a wild greens pesto. Purple deadnettle can also be added to soups, salads, or blended into smoothies. Basically any way that you would use any other green leafy vegetable or herb.
What to do with fresh stinging nettles?
Top 5 Ways to Use Stinging Nettles
- Top Your Pizza. Nettles are a great substitute for spinach or arugula for a pizza topping.
- Nettle Pesto. Swap basil for nettles in your favorite pesto recipe for a delicious and nutrient packed dish.
- Saute’ with Garlic.
- Add to Soup.
- Nettle Infusion.
Can you eat stinging nettle raw?
It’s the simplest way of getting nettle into your body, but you can also cook it into larger dishes or even apply it topically if you have a skin irritation. Because the stings have to remain firm to cause the irritation, cooking the leaf instantly makes them safe – don’t try to eat the leaf raw in a salad or anything.
What’s the difference between stinging nettle and nettle?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
Why does nettle tea turn black?
8. After steeping for many hours, the infusion will turn a very dark green color that is so dark it looks black in the jar and you won’t be able to see through it. 9. Next you need to strain the liquid out of the nettle leaves.
Are nettles poisonous?
Stinging nettle
If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash. Thankfully the symptoms usually do not persist longer than 24 hours. Interestingly, the cooked plant is safe to eat and is popular is some places as a vegetable.
How do you pick nettles without getting stung?
Nettle-Picking Tips
Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don’t get stung. Once picked, lay the nettles out on a tray to wilt. Once wilted they can no longer sting you.
How do you clean and prepare nettles?
Separate Leaves From Stalks
Make sure that all of the leaves are separated from the stalks. Drop the leaves into a sink or bowl of warm water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This washing process by itself will remove much of the sting from the nettles.
What time of year do stinging nettles grow?
Burning nettle seeds germinate from late fall through early spring. Plants may produce viable seeds within five weeks of germination. Flowers generally bloom from January to April, but blooms can be seen year-round in milder climates such as along the California coast. As an annual plant, it dies within one year.
Can you make nettle tea with fresh leaves?
The nettle leaves feature delicate spines that can cause skin irritation when touched, but the infusion in boiling water neutralizes the sting of the plant. The tea can be brewed using fresh nettle leaves or dried nettles leaves — the latter doesn’t have any stinging properties.
Are all nettles edible?
Edible Parts
Leaves, stems and roots are edible. Young leaves are preferable however, no matter how far into the growing season be sure to remember that until dried or cooked, stinging nettle leaves will have those stinging hairs – never eat them raw!
What do you do with dried dead nettles?
Once you have dried nettle leaves, you can use them in a tea ball or bag and steep them as you would with traditional tea. Straight deadnettle tea has a grassy, earthy flavor. You can quickly improve on this by adding other dried leaves from the mint family, chamomile flowers, or your favorite herbs.
What is the difference between purple dead nettle and stinging nettle?
Purple dead nettle is a bit of a mixed-up plant. It earned its name, dead nettle, because the leaves are similar to stinging nettle. However, because there are no stings on the leaves, it’s considered ‘dead’. To top it all off, it’s not even a true nettle – it’s a mint.
What part of stinging nettle is edible?
leaves
The leaves are edible at any stage of the plants’ growth. Cooking or drying them denatures the sting. They are nice and tender earlier in the season when they’re young. If they have already grown flowers and seeds, they’re still perfectly edible – just pick the smaller leaves near the top.
Lorraine Wade is all about natural food. She loves to cook and bake, and she’s always experimenting with new recipes. Her friends and family are the lucky beneficiaries of her culinary skills! Lorraine also enjoys hiking and exploring nature. She’s a friendly person who loves to chat with others, and she’s always looking for ways to help out in her community.