Have you met stinging nettle? If you have, your greeting was probably something like *!*(&%*^$!^#!! When you get to know nettle better, you’ll realize that your greeting was probably unnecessarily rude.
Stinging nettle is not very noticeable – that is until you once get stung. Probably the only people who can identify it readily are those who have met it too up close and personal. It is an unprepossessing single-stalked green plant with crinkly toothed leaves often found growing next to water or alongside trails. Not something you’d pay any attention to, which is why people usually meet it for the first time by accident.
See, stinging nettle has a secret. Its stem and the underside of its leaves are covered with hollow microscopic hairs. When brushed against, the tips of the hairs break off and act like hypodermic needles injecting stinging venom into the skin. Ouch!
Scientists are still trying to determine what combination of chemicals causes the sting. Brushing against one single hair won’t cause any pain, but brush against a leaf-full of hairs and you’ll think you were stung by a bee. Don’t worry though – the pain usually goes away in less than a half hour for most people. Some unfortunate people feel the sting for a day or so.
If you get stung by nettle, the juice inside the stem is said to be a cure for the sting. The stem juices of jewelweed and curly dock are a better bet – you’d probably get stung a lot more trying to break nettle’s stems open. Otherwise, a paste of baking soda and water should provide relief. Just waiting it out works too.
Nettle’s sting goes away after the plants are dried or boiled. But first it has to be harvested. Although nettle grows up to four feet tall, harvesting is best done in spring when plants are a foot tall or less. To harvest, wear long sleeves and heavy gloves. Snap the plants off just above ground level and put them in a paper grocery bag or 5-gallon bucket to carry home. Spread the nettles out on newspapers in an airy location to allow them to dry for a few days. Once a day, use a grill tongs to turn the pile so they dry evenly. Doing this on the dining room table is great – they impart a nice sweet scent to the room as they dry.
Once the nettles are crispy dry, remove the leaves from the stems and store them in airtight jars or tins. Quart-size glass canning jars work well.
You are probably wondering why you’d want to harvest stinging nettle at all. Well, the plant is so nutritious and has so many health benefits that you’ll want to use it in as many ways as possible. For starters, it’s high in vitamins A, B, C and E, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, chromium, protein and fiber. Some of the health benefits include allergy relief, protection against hair loss, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, protection from respiratory and urinary problems, anti-inflammatory, help for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and it works as a mild diuretic and laxative.
Here’s one you won’t want to try: In ancient Roman times, Petronius, who was advisor to the emperor Nero in matters of luxury and extravagance, wrote that a man could be thrashed with stinging nettle on the kidneys and below the naval to improve his virility. No takers, right??
Nettle can be boiled or steamed and used the way you would spinach. It can be infused as a nutritious tea. Crumble a dried handful and add to soups and stews, sprinkle over pasta, meat and fish, or mix into breads, rolls and cakes.
Dried stinging nettle can also be fed to cows and horses and to chickens to boost the nutritional value of their eggs.
It’s been said that once you make friends with stinging nettle, its sting isn’t quite so bad. In my experience, that’s absolutely true!
STINGING NETTLE SOUP
1 lb. stinging nettles
2 t. salt
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1/4 c. basmati rice
4 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 t. salt. Add the stinging nettles, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until they soften. This will remove most of the sting. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Trim off any tough stems, then chop coarsely.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir in the onion. Cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, chicken broth, and chopped nettles. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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