Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is growing everywhere right now!
If you’re feeling adventurous and you want to get out into the forest and meadows, you can find them popping up all over this time of year. You can also find them being sold at some health food stores, so look around and you might get lucky.
Incorporating nettles into your diet this time of year is a wonderful way to eat organically, locally and seasonally.
Nettles are the perfect spring food. They contain high levels of iron, minerals, silicon, and vitamins C and A. If you would like to learn more about the medicinal qualities of nettle, you can watch my Wellness Wednesday video about nutritive herbs here.
Nettles can be eaten and used medicinally as a tonic for a nutritional boost, for chronic skin problems, and for general detoxification. They’re an excellent blood purifier because they primarily target the liver and kidneys.
The best way to use nettle is to harvest the tender tops when the plant is around 6-18 inches tall. Use scissors and clip off the tops of the young spring plants. It’s a good idea to wear gloves, as the plant’s leaves can cause a sting on the skin.
If you’re not familiar with this plant, find a knowledgeable friend or use a good plant ID book. Nettles are pretty easy to find because they have a sting, so be careful!
To deactivate the sting, cook the nettles in boiling water for 2-4 minutes, then use them in cooking.
Once you’ve harvested nettles, there are many ways to incorporate them into your cooking.
Start by lightly steaming the nettles, as cooking will deactivate the sting. Use the cooking water for tea, or save it for soup.
You can also blend nettles with other spring greens in a juice or smoothie.
If cooking the nettles, use them as you would any other green. Nettles shrink when cooked, ike other greens like spinach, so be sure to cook enough.
Below you’ll find a favourite recipe of mine for a spring pesto made of nettles. Pour this pesto over pasta, toss with a few other spring veggies like zucchini, sugar snap peas, asparagus or arugula, and enjoy!
Nettle Nesto Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 handfuls of nettles
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 juice of a lemon
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper
Directions:
- Cook the nettles for 2-4 minutes.
- Strain the water (keep this water for nettle tea — very nutritious and delicious).
- Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor except the olive oil.
- Once everything is combined, slowly add the olive oil until the desired consistency is achieved.
Serve however you use pesto — with pasta, on bread, in other dips.
If you want to save some for later, add some extra olive oil on top and store it in the fridge.
