You know, sometimes, I feel like I am going to get that reputation for being that crazy plant girl. People always stop and ask me what I am doing when they catch me with my black medical gloves, basket, fully clothed from head to toe heading into the forest. They usually interject, “Oh, are you heading to harvest mushrooms or berries?” It’s always fun to watch their face change when you tell them you are heading into the forest for stinging nettle. It is always an immediate reaction of a nose wrinkle and “Why?”
Here is the deal. I love stinging nettles. Sure, they are a pain when you accidentally brush up against them, but they are so worth the stinging throb you might get while harvesting.
I use them in two ways.
One.
Once cooked, they are delicious. A peppery, wild, forest flavor that I adore. Think anytime that you use spinach, you can use nettles. They make an amazing creamy soup or add amazing color and earthy flavor to pasta dough. You can check out these recipes for some ideas:
Stinging Nettle Pasta Recipe
The prize of springtime wild harvesting.
Creamy Nettle Soup Recipe
Emerald green deliciousness in a bowl.
BUT! Not only is it delicious, but it is also super nutritious. Science-based research has established the nettle plant as a “very good source of energy, proteins, high fiber, and a range of health benefitting bioactive compounds.” I could totally get deep in the science weeds here (ha, sorry for the pun), but I will spare you. Though if you are interested, go check out this paper from The US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health on the Food Science - it does a great job breaking down the properties of nettle.
Two.
I use it in the garden. Due to the plants’ incredible nutrition value and high levels of minerals, it makes an incredible compost tea for use as fertilizer in the garden. During the springtime, I always have a rotation of 5-gallon buckets brewing my next batch. Tomatoes seem to respond particularly well to a weekly watering. Also, it is a great pest and disease repellent and I use it as a leaf foliar spray against garlic rust and aphids.
*Just have to be honest. The liquid nettle compost tea smells horrible and the stench really soaks into your skin. I recommend if you are going to get the liquid on your hands, that you wear plastic gloves, otherwise you might be sleeping on the couch…
My One Ask. Harvest Responsibly.
If you are inspired to head into the forest to harvest some nettle, which I hope you are, please make sure you are harvesting responsibly. Your goal is that your harvest will actually make that patch stronger. Think of it as if you are adopting your nettle patch and that you head out to tend to it. Never harvest the whole plant, just take the top 6 or so inches. Don’t start harvesting until the nettle is knee-high. And, make sure that you only harvest your patch for a few months, and let the plant go untouched during the heat of the summer to let it go to seed.
When I first started harvesting my patch it was kind of scraggly, now three seasons later, I am harvesting some of the most beautiful healthy nettles. If you take care of your patch, and you will be able to harvest for a lifetime.