Nettles

There are several species of nettles.  While many of you will find this surprising, they are highly edible and very nutritious. Nettles are an early season vegetable PLEASE NOTE that Stinging Nettle is considered by some to be an invasive alien plant.  There are several varieties, hard to tell apart. Some are alien to North America, and some are considered native. Sometimes nettles grow near catnip, another similar-looking plant. Mints, of course, have no stinging hairs, and catnip is fragrant. Catnip and nettles are an excellent combination for herb tea. Collect nettle leaves before they flower in spring. They may be bad for the kidneys after they flower. New nettles come up in the fall, and you can pick them before they're killed by frost. People have been using nettles for food, medicine, fiber, and dyes since the Bronze Age. Collect them using work gloves, and wear a long-sleeved shirt. If you happen upon nettles when you have no gloves, put your hand inside a bag. The young leaves are the best part of the plant. They come off most easily if you strip them counter-intuitively, from the top down Preparation: Boil or steam the younger plants like any fresh vegetable. Boiling/steaming gets rid of the "sting".

Stinging nettle has been used by many cultures as an herbal medicine. Because they are rich in calcium and iron, nettle is often used to make soups. I have included another recipe at the bottom of the page.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)

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Above a typical Stinging Nettle plant. You can eat the stem as well as the leaves of this young plant. Note the fine hairs along the stem.  These are what sting when you touch them. Slender Nettle (Urtica gacillis) is similar to stinging nettle, with sparse stinging hairs and slender opposite leaves opposite leaves. Swamp Hedge-nettle-Marsh Woundwort (Stachys palustris) Best when collected in autumn, rhizome is edible raw. Roots can be dried and ground to make flour. Young shouts can be cooked but are foul smelling. Flowers are edible Seeds are edible. grows in moist plains and foothill regions. Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis) has fewer stinging hairs and they don't seem to be as virulent as those of stinging nettle.. The leaves are alternate rather than opposite, also, they are larger and wider, with more rounded bases than the ones stinging nettles have. False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) This plant is easily confused with Stinging Nettle. However,  it doesn't have any stinging hairs along its stem and the flowers of False Nettle are different. They are in tight clumps, instead of loosely spread out along arching thin stems like stinging nettle  Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis) This plant is most often misidentified as Wood Nettle. The main differences are that Horse Balm has no stinging hairs,  and the flowers are all above the top leaves,  and are very different from those of Wood Nettle. Nettles, With Sorrel and Lemon Serves 2 to 4 Ingredients ¼ lb fresh stinging nettles 8 ounces pasta ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ lb fresh ricotta cheese 1 lemon for zest and juice 1 Tbsp. fresh mint, minced 1 Tbsp. fresh parley, minced 1Tbsp. fresh chives, diced Salt and pepper, to taste 1 small handful of fresh sorrel leaves, washed and torn into bite sized pieces ½ cup toasted walnuts How to Make at Home Bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. One will be for the pasta and the other for the nettles. When the water comes to a boil in one of the pots, “carefully” add the nettles and give them a stir. Cook for 5 minutes and transfer them to a colander with a slotted spoon. You want to leave any dirt or grit in the cooking water. Let the nettle drain. Add the pasta to the other pot of clean water and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, press most of the water out of the nettles, transfer them to a food processor and puree. Drizzle in the olive oil and process until completely smooth. Add the ricotta, lemon zest and juice and herbs. Pulse the processor to blend all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Remove a cup of the water the pasta is cooking in and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Toss in the nettle ricotta cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add the fresh sorrel and a little of the reserved pasta water to create the desired consistency of the sauce. Stir in the walnuts and serve. ©Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan. All rights reserved