It is spring, and to many of us that means time to watch for the nettle. Long ago, our ancestors also watchedfor the first greens of spring after ahard winterwithnutritional foods in short supply. As soon as they were able, they harvested nettle andincorporated its revitalizing nutrition into their diets.
Nutritionally, nettleis one of nature’s powerhouses. Nettles arevery high in calcium, chromium, magnesium, and zinc, and high in cobalt, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, protein, riboflavin, selenium, silicon, thiamine, vitaminA, and vitamin C (Pederson, 1998).
Many an herbalist claims nettle is one of their favorites, and here we’ll share some of our favorite nettle recipes!
Gathering Nettle Leaves
It’s not called “stinging” nettle withoutreason. The leaves and the stalk are covered with fine hair-like daggers containing several chemicals including formic acid, which, when touched, causes a sting.
Reactions to the sting vary. Some people accept the sting and thank the plant. Others feel the tingle the rest of the day. In others the burn can last twenty-four hours. (Japan has a nettle whose sting, they claim, lasts a year!) It appears if you work with nettle a lot, the sting isn’t as harsh.
The leaves are best harvested in the spring when the nettle is less than 18 inches tall. Taking only the top six inches is recommended. Try to harvest only stems with unblemished leaves.
If you’re new to harvesting nettle, you should wear gloves and take a large paper grocery bag or basket for placing the nettle in.
If you are harvesting for teas for later in the year, dry the nettle, either by hanging, or my favorite method: Placing the nettle loosely in brown paper bags, marking the bag, putting it in your backseat, and parking in the sun. Depending on the temperature, it usually takes only one day (more on harvesting here).
Once the nettle is dried or cooked, it loses its sting.
If you are looking for a place to buy dried nettle, we recommend Mountain Rose Herbs.
Stinging Nettle Recipes for your Cookbook
Nettle Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
½ cup uncooked rice (wild rice is great but any rice will do)
Several large handfuls stinging nettle tops
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
8 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Mixed vegetables, or corn or whatever veggie you like that day
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Potatoes and/or leeks can also be added
Directions
- Carefully pick nettles – gloves are recommended. Take only the top 4-6 inches of new unblemished spring plants that are less than 18 inches tall. Remove the leaves. You may need to rinse and pat them dry.
- Start cooking your rice.
- In a separate large soup pan melt the butter, add the onion and garlic and simmer until translucent.
- Add the chicken broth and onion and garlic mixture and nettles leaves in the soup pan and bring to a full boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. At this point we use an immersion blender and blend until smooth.
- Add the vegetables, rice and salt and pepper (and any other herbs you like) and simmer a few more minutes.
Nettle Pasta
You can use any of your favorite pasta recipes and incorporate the nettle.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
2 or 3 large handfuls of fresh nettle tops (harvested from plants no more than 18” tall and only taking the top 6”)
2-3 eggs
Directions
- Bring nettle and water to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain nettles, retaining the water – you’ll use that water to boil your pasta in later.
- Puree nettles and the eggs using immersion blender.
- Make a well out of the flour in a mixing bowl and add the nettles and eggs mixture. Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth dough ball. (You may need to add extra flour if the mixture is wet or the retained nettle water if the mixture is dry.)
- Put the ball of dough in a bowl and let it stand for 15 minutes.
- Roll out about 1/3 of the dough at a time into a ball.
- Cover the ball of dough with damp towel and let set aside for 10-15 minutes.
- Roll 1/3 of the dough at a time on a floured surface as thin as you would like – can be very thin or thicker if you like thick noodles.
- Cut into any length strip – as long or short as you want, or in squares if you want to make ravioli. Hang them, if possible, for about 10 minutes. We have a pasta hanger, but you can use a clean plastic hanger.
- Bring the savednettle water to a boil again and place your green noodles into the boiling water. Cook for 3 – 8 minutes depending on the thickness. Check them for doneness.
(To sacrificehealth benefits but maximize delight, we drizzle with melted butter, garlic, and parmesan cheese.)
Nettle Broth
Adapted from Traditional Scottish Cooking by Margaret Fairlie
Ingredients
2 cups chopped young fresh nettle (dried nettle can be used off season)
1 quart chicken broth
½ cup barley
1 cup diced potatoes
Salt and pepper as needed
Directions
- Wash and pat dry the nettle. Remove the stems and discard.Finely chop the leaves.
- Bring the chicken stock and barley to a boil and simmer in a saucepan for about an hour.
- Add the nettles and diced potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about twenty to thirty minutes.
- Serve hot. Serves 4.
Nettle Oatcakes
Adapted fromPrehistoric Cooking by Jacqui Wood
Ingredients
bowl of nettles
2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
approximately 1 cup oatmeal (until it binds)
Directions
- Wash a large bowl of nettles and pat dry. Place them in a pan with two tablespoons of butter and simmer over low heat stirring occasionally.
- Strain.
- Add salt and an egg and beat until smooth.
- Add oatmeal until it binds together. Let sit one hour.
- Press into about two inch patties, and fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Serve warm with bacon, cheese, or with maple syrup.
Nettle Leaf Shortbread
Adapted from Je Cusine Les Plantes by Amandine Geers Ingredients
5½ ounces of butter at room temperature
10½ounces of plain flour
2½ ounces sugar (powdered sugar will make them less sweet)
3 tablespoons nettle leaf finely chopped (powdered)
½ teaspoons baking powder
1 or 2 egg yolks
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Cut butter into the small pieces.
- Mix the dry ingredients (flour, nettle powder, baking powder and sugar).
- Add butter and mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add one egg yolk and form a ball (if one egg yolk isn’t enough, add another and then add milk (about three tablespoons) to dry ingredients until it forms a dough.
- Roll dough on parchment paper to about 1/3 inch. Cut into squares.
- Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Easy Nettle Tea
Nettle tea is nutritious at any time of year. I use about 1 teaspoon of dried nettle and 1 cup of water and let it brew, covered, for about 20 minutes. It can be drying in the winter, so watch for this.
I hope you have access to fresh nettle this month so you are able to try some of the above recipes. And don’t forget to dry some nettle for use during the winter!
More Nettle Recipes to Enjoy:
Nettle Vinegar
Spring Nettles with Garlic-Lemon White Beans
Nettle Spring Side SaladbyHunter Gather Cook
Stinging Nettle Chips by Learning and Yearning
Stinging Nettle Frittata by This Original Organic Life
Stinging Nettle and Sharp Cheddar Omelet by Nourished Kitchen
REFERENCES
Pedersen, Mark. (1998). Nutritional Herbology.
FAQs
Tricky to handle because of their prickly leaves and capacity to cause urticaria rash, stinging nettles are actually a super flavorful green. When cooked properly, their spinach-like flavor is wonderful in soups, pesto sauces, beverages, and many dishes in which you'd otherwise use leafy greens.
What flavors go well with nettle? ›
Earthy Nettles Pair With
Cheeses like Asiago, Jack, Parmesan and Sharp Cheddars; many mushrooms; alliums like leeks and garlic; herbs such as — thyme, marjoram, dill, and parsley; and the spices are black pepper, chilies, nutmeg, and ginger.
What can I mix with stinging nettle? ›
Studies in people suggest that stinging nettle, in combination with other herbs (especially saw palmetto), may be effective at relieving symptoms such as reduced urinary flow, incomplete emptying of the bladder, post urination dripping, and the constant urge to urinate.
Is stinging nettle a super food? ›
Nettles can be found almost anywhere, but are mostly avoided because of their prickly stems which sting if touched. But nettles are truly a super food, highly nutritious and abundant in supply. Spring greens are so nutritious and good for our bodies!
When should you not eat stinging nettles? ›
Nettles should not be eaten once they have flowered but can be cut back to produce young flowerless nettles in no time. A very abundant and under used superfood that is very easy to identify if a little painful to collect without gloves.
Is it safe to 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 nettle and stinging nettle? ›
The only “difference” is that the leaf is merely a part of the whole plant. Stinging nettle can be divided into six subspecies, and five of them have stinging hairs called trichomes, which will inject chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact.
Who should not drink nettle? ›
Avoid if you're pregnant or breastfeeding because there isn't enough information on its safety. Use with caution if you're elderly because of the potential of causing low blood pressure. And use stinging nettle with caution if you have diabetes because of the potential that it may lower or raise blood sugar levels.
What does cooked stinging nettle taste like? ›
What Does Nettle Taste Like? Nettle tastes like spinach, but a bit punchier. "It's a distinctive taste, characteristic of edible wild plants in general: a bright green note that makes you sit up and pay attention, with a peppery zing.
Is stinging nettle safe for kidneys? ›
Nettle tea benefits the kidneys by increasing urine output and uric acid removal. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it improves kidney function and urinary flow. Nettle tea is a natural diuretic that promotes proper fluid flow in the kidneys and bladder, preventing kidney stones from forming.
Packed with a variety of polyphenolic compounds and pigments, nettle leaf detox drinks reduce liver inflammation. A regular cleanse with nettle leaf detox drinks can help lower blood pressure and improve the heart's antioxidant defenses.
What are the side effects of nettle tea? ›
When taken by mouth: Stinging nettle is possibly safe when used for up to 1 year. It might cause diarrhea, constipation, and upset stomach in some people.
What does nettle do for a woman? ›
The chemical compounds in stinging nettle have a variety of health benefits for women. Because of its astringent characteristics, it can relieve unpleasant premenstrual symptoms including cramping and bloating, as well as reduce blood flow during menstruation.
Is stinging nettle bad for your liver? ›
Despite widespread use, there have been no published reports of serum enzyme elevations or clinically apparent liver injury attributable to stinging nettle root or leaf extracts. Likelihood score: E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
Are nettles better for you than spinach? ›
Nettles are often called a “superfood.” Spinach is considered the most nutritious green in grocery stores but it pales in comparison to nettles, which are 29 times higher in calcium, 8 times higher in magnesium, 3 times higher in potassium, and almost double in their potassium content!
How does stinging nettle taste like? ›
Stinging nettle tastes like mild spinach without the strong iron flavor. It's green and grassy-tasting, not unlike other dark leafy plants, with a bit of a peppery bite, like arugula.
How do you use stinging nettles in the garden? ›
There are two main ways to apply nettle fertiliser.
- With a watering can. Dilute the mixture to about 20% if you plan to use as a watering tonic. ...
- With a spray bottle. Alternatively, you can dilute the nettle fertiliser to 10% and spray it directly on leaves to deter mites and aphids.
Nettles are more than edible, they're delicious. As you can guess, they must be cooked, but it doesn't take much to neutralize the stinging. This is not one of those quasi-edible plants that must be boiled for an hour in three changes of water.
Do nettles have more iron than spinach? ›
Nettles also contain more iron and potassium compared to spinach. However, spinach typically contains higher levels of vitamin A and folate. It is also known for its higher concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for eye health.
