Nettles, My Favorite Wild Green
This blog would not be complete without an ode to the most wondrous of wild edible and medicinal plants Urtica dioica or more commonly known as stinging nettles. Spring is here and the nettles will soon be sprouting from the ground and reaching for the sky. If you live in a temperate climate that gets lots of moisture you probably have nettles growing everywhere and you may not like them very much. Here in Northern Utah we are in the high desert so nettles are harder to come by. Last year however, I found a patch of them in a near by canyon and I was over the moon!
My very first experience with wild nettles was in the south of France. While living there for a couple of months I had begun to study how to forage for wild edibles. This seemed to me like on of the easiest ones to find. The pointed leaves with their saw tooth edges and vibrant green foliage seemed like a very easy thing to spot. There are also fine spines on the stems and stems which contain formic acid ( among many others) that gives you that horrible stinging feeling.
While on a hike I happed upon a huge patch of them mixed in with some extremely fragrant lemon balm, two for one! I picked the lemon balm first as that was a most obvious wild edible. Then I decided I would touch what I thought was nettles with just my pinky finger, if it stung it would be the wonder plant I was looking for. I brush my outer pinky against a leaf and immediately I felt the sting. Oh dear me, what had I done? It stung for over an hour. I was not deterred however. I went home after that and came back with scissors and gloves and harvested enough for a meal for my family.
After hearing my first encounter with nettles you might wonder what the heck was I thinking? Well, I was thinking of how incredibly nutrious nettles are. They are full of vitamins and minerals much like spinach and kale.
Five Reasons Nettles are Awesome
Nettles are really high in nutrients. Think calcium, potassium, fiber, protein, iron, magnesium
Help to build blood, bones, and skin.
Great for allergies, lowering inflammation, increasing nutrient levels in the body, balancing anemia, strengthening weak hair teeth and bones and much more.
Are a safe wild edible for all ages and pregnant women (just make sure to dry or cook them to get rid of the sting).
They make awesome teas. Nettles have a grassy flavor so pair with lemon balm, mint or raspberry leaf.
Properties
Edible Parts: young leaves, roots, and seeds
Energetics: Cooling and drying, nourishing
Family: Urticaceae
Identification: Square stem, tapered leaves with strong toothed edges, small hairs on leaves that are actually stinging spines, flowers are small and green-yellow fall in strings from the top new growth of the plant
Habitat: Watery areas, like streams, rivers banks, riparian areas in canyons and backyards.
What do you think of nettles? Love them, hate them? Let me know in the comments below.
