Nettles is also known as stinging nettle and has been use in the kitchen and medicine since old times. My mom used to put it in almost any food in the spring. We used to run in garden and get sting by it, when we were playing hide and seek. I remember all the adults saying that nettles are very good for your arthritis, even we didn’t have one – we were just kids.
Last summer I taught my nephews and my son how to play with fresh cut grass. With all this electronics around is great to show the young ones the games we played when we were kids. We had a grass fight with lots of nettles in the grass. We had an amazing time and the kids were so happy. Later, I discovered I had grass even in my underwear and I got sting by lots of nettles, but who cares, those moments were so precious.
Now let me tell you a little about nettles. If you make a tea from the leaves you can drink it as a natural allergy relief remedy.
Nettles leaves can also be cooked as spinach and added to your soups or stews. You can also add it in your omelets, green juices, smoothies or rice etc.
We also use the big leaves to wrap the rolls of meat instead of using cabbage.
Has lots of properties (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-rheumatic, diuretic, hemostatic, etc.) and is indicated for allergies, arthritis, rheumatism, anemia, etc. If you don’t know how it looks buy it from the store. My mom showed me the nettles since I was a child and taught me about them for years. With plants is like with mushrooms. If you don’t know them don’t take them.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.
My mom garden is a green heaven in the spring. She has wild garlic, nettles, dandelions, spring onion, garlic, etc. I hope some of you have their heaven around their house or friend’s house.
Enjoy spring!
Cooking Without Limits 
Hi – we even use them as natural fertiliser on the allotment. Simply boil and let cool down then add “some” to a watering can. Does wonders for potatoes, tomatoes, beans and everything else we grow.
Thank you. Good to know.
I maintained a patch of stinging nettle in the garden for many years. This is the first year they haven’t come up.
They will.
I hope so, or I will have to order new seed.
I love nettles! In soups, in smoothies and even in bread!
Bread sounds great!
nettles are very common in Estonian kitchen as well. But we have to wait for few weeks, still too cold. Thank you for sharing so much information
You are welcome
I love the sound of a grass fight. Children who are normally glued to their computers and phone would be transformed…
True
What a wonderful story! I can remember being sent out to harvest something my grandfather called Sour Grass – I’m not even sure what the actual name of the plant is but whenever I see it I pluck a leaf and taste the memory of my Grandfather’s Bullhead Soup!
Nice!
My garden is full of nettles and before I was so annoyed that I couldn’t rid my garden of these pesky weeds that slept stinging us. But over the winter I decided to start foraging all the weeds from my garden that annoyed me so much (dandelion and nettles) and start cooking with them. Nothing has come up yet as its too cold here still but I’m looking forward trying it out. Any ideas for dock leaf? We’ve got tons of those too. Are they edible?
I know the plant, but I don’t know if is edible.
I enjoy studying about edible wild plants.
Here is one link to an article about dock’s edibility but I do not know the author personally:
http://www.ediblewildfood.com/yellow-dock.aspx
And I was taught it is important to get at least two reliable sources telling you something is edible before trying it. Some people simple repeat what they are told rather than having real experience themselves, and that can be dangerous.
Another wonderful source for wild edible’s is Green Dean’s website: eattheweeds.com he is a man who eats what he teaches about and he teaches about many, many wild plants. I have been to several of his “wild weed walks” in florida.
Here is the link to his article about dock:
http://www.eattheweeds.com/rumex-ruminations/
Thank you very much for your information. It is true about reading at least 2 reliable sources about everything.
I usually take that with bread!☺️
Sounds great!
Great informative post, as always! 🙂
Thank you
I live in the city and wouldn’t forage for the nettles I find in my back ‘yard’ but I’ve heard of these nettles being used as greens when found in more congenial growing locations. I enjoying reading about your playtime with your nephews and son. 🙂
Thank you
I was taking Nettle as a dietery supplement and they were great, I bet the natural leaf will work wonders, I have read great things about herbal medicine and I am obsessed with it. In my house use only herbal medicine, you have a headache drink lettuce juice, you have acidity in you stomach drink apple cider vinegar (organic), you feel dehydrated drink coconut juice instead of drinking that much sugar in a Gatorade, you feel super stress drink holy basil tea it is delicious. health care is way to expensive and I don’t think the rates won’t be going down soon, that is why we adopt the healthy eating habit that way we have to avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital!
Great post!
Thank you
Well who knew nettles were eatable, I thought they’re propose was to irritate my skin when I’m out fixing fences. 🙂
Oh, gosh the memories….we had nettles that grew wild along the creek on the farm where I grew up. More than once I stumbled into them and had the stinging rash they cause! WE never ate them back then, they were considered a weed. I wonder if they are still there….
Nice memories!
I don’t know that it can be eaten. Here in my country, Indonesia, we call it “Jelatang”. It’s known as plant that can make your skin itchy..
It’s been years since I foraged for nettles. Thanks for the inspiration to get out there and gather some!
You are welcome
So nice to learn about such a gift from nature. I wish a can lay my hands on some nettles around my area if the exist. Thanks for such a brilliant presentation. Hope to read more from you.
Thank you
I drink Nettle Tea now after reading about the benefits. Its flavour is between kelp and edamame. I cannot say I enjoy the taste of nettles yet. Its probably an acquired taste.
It is
That was some really interesting information! I had honestly only heard about stinging nettles in passing and didn’t realize they were so good for you. So do the stingers just soften with cooking or do you have to somehow remove them?
They soften
We are using nettle tea for our allergies. I don’t mind the taste of it. It’s good stuff.
Sounds amazing. I didn’t know nettles were edible.