Let’s stick with the fresh nettle greens. Yet, I hear you questioning the flavor. If you planted spinach seeds and somehow they never emerged, never fear, nettle is somewhere near. Here’s our guide for making a plantain tincture which follows the same process as a nettle tincture. Cheryl Magyar is a sustainable life designer and environmental freelance writer with more than twenty years experience of living a simple life close to nature. All parts of the stinging nettle are beneficial, and edible, in their own ways. Follow on Instagram and sign up for their newsletter for more inspirations on living a sustainable life. If detoxifying smoothies are “what’s for breakfast”, find inspiration in this green smoothie recipe. In the spring,  nettles are also available in farmers markets and grocery stores that feature local produce. Forgive it for your mistake and regain its trust again, by trying one of the non-stinging ways to use nettle above. As you are harvesting nettle, be sure to examine the undersides of the leaves. Look for young plants that are less than one foot tall. Oil-Free Pesto: Substitute ¼ avocado for the oil. - fresh garlic, minced Not at all. Click accept for optimal website performance. Certain caterpillars love nettle! As with mosquito bites and rashes in general, this will only make it burn worse. This helps to increase the population of beneficial insects in your garden helping to keep pests under control. Sauté them in homemade butter, fry them with bacon bits, steam them and serve with mashed potatoes, or toss them in a quiche. Notice how they are coarsely toothed and bright green. For many of us, spring is a time of sneezing, runny noses and itchy eyes. People have long been making cheese at home, far longer than commercial rennet became available. My new favorite way to use nettle is a very easy and fast nettle pesto, which can be used on its own as a condiment for pastas or can be added to couscous or salty pie recipes for example. Stinging nettle has both antihistamine and anti-inflammatory qualities. Spiced Pumpkin Pie Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes. The smaller the nettle, the less woody the stalk is. Add to soup, sauté with butter and garlic, or boil the nettle to remove its sting and use in pesto. Today, many people use it to treat urinary problems during the … Just as you can make a mouthwatering pesto out of basil or wild garlic, so it can be done with stinging nettles too. Blitzed together in less than five minutes, this cheat’s pesto uses cashews instead of pine nuts as a cheaper, easier-to-get-hold-of substitute. So, be cautious about drinking a cup, or two, right before bed! Nettle Pesto - Stinging nettles do sting, but you can eat them and they are a fantastic herb with amazing nutritional benefits. You can replace spinach with nettles in all of your favorite recipes. They are good as a side dish, simply cooked with minced garlic and seasoned with salt. But the sting is fleeting, and the antidote is the juice of the nettles’ own leaves. These include red admirals, peacocks and small tortoiseshell caterpillars. Those jagged little hairs with pointed tips of pure silica? Nettles grow all over North America and Europe. Stinging nettles are not only for human consumption, goats love wilted nettles too! Some people find that nettle tea helps their seasonal allergies. (Also known as the Pacific Northwest.). In fact, cold nettle infusions are simply the best, with a squeeze of organic lemon and/or raw honey stirred in. We don’t always choose a wild plant for the health benefits alone. The harvesting, retting, preparation of fibers, spinning and weaving of cloth by hand… It takes a lot of work to turn plant into cloth, but in a world of dangerous fast-fashion, it pays to take a peek back into the past and reexamine how they went about clothing themselves. Rinse and drain well before using. You can also use different nuts; walnuts make a good pesto … Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Stinging nettle is a popular home remedy for arthritis, seasonal allergies, and many other conditions. Thin with water as needed. It contains antioxidants … As a tonic for the urinary tract and adrenals, nettle helps to soothe all sorts of woes such as chronic urinary tract infections, water retention, and stress (Weed, 1989). Tossed with pasta–thin with pasta cooking water, As a dip for fresh vegetables–especially good with cucumbers, On a sandwich with tomato, avocado, and arugula, As a salad dressing–thin with water or mayonnaise, As a garnish for vegetable soup or minestrone, Stirred into vegan mayonnaise to make pesto mayonnaise. Spinning by hand, either with a spindle or spinning wheel, is such a pleasurable non-tech activity. It can also be applied directly to the skin via a handmade cream. As such, it is not a {synthetic} vibrant color to add to your wardrobe, though it is perfect for those items where you desire a subtle hue. What then? Currently she is homesteading in northern Romania, amidst charming haystacks, with her husband and homeschooled daughter. Chickweed Pesto Recipe. They are also of beneficial use in the garden, particularly for growing tomatoes, roses, legumes and other root vegetables. You might like to try out this nettle leaf and cheddar tart {gluten-free} while you are at it. Gently wipe away or wash off grass or dirt from the leaves before using. I promise no one will know the difference. 1/3 cup almonds. Nettle fiber burial shrouds, dating back to the Bronze Age, have been found in Denmark. What Is Stinging Nettle? In this way, you can use them as a spring vegetable, not just a powder, providing you with limitless options for making omelettes, scrambles, quiches, soups and pesto. If you have access to a nettle patch, what do you have to lose? Let’s start with the classics … it doesn’t get more traditional than pasta. Yes, it is slightly different, after all it is a wild green. It also happens to be an incredibly beautiful deep green colour! Makes about 1 cup. Nettle pesto This is a rural Devon, River Cottage version of the classic Italian sauce. Make-Ahead: Make extra and freeze in an ice cube tray. Ingredients. Nettle is beneficial for digestion, it may lower blood cholesterol levels, it is wonderful as a mouthwash (preventing gingivitis) and it is used in treatments of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). For a finer powder, sift them with a small sieve, then use a mortar and pestle to break them down further. Closer to date, in the 16th and 17th centuries, nettle fabric was commonly found in Scottish linens. You can dry them on a baking sheet at room temperature for a day or two and use them for tea at any time of year. It is their food, as well as ours, share it with them. With spring comes pollen, and a lot of it! Besides the health benefits listed above, there are several more. Freeze up to 3 months. It descends down from the trees as it rides the gentle breezes into your home and into your life. Nettles have long and interesting history dating as far back as the Bronze Age, where they were once used for food, medicine and fiber. A nettle tincture made from leaves is useful for treating hay fever symptoms, whereas a nettle root tincture is supporting men’s health. This depends on your location, of course. Materials that are made by nature, not by mankind, are vital for a sustainable future. Nettle will keep in a sealed plastic bag up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It is simple to make and wonderful to eat. Yet, the wild garlic harvest is so short-lived, that we must quickly move on to greener pastures. They contain formic acid and histamines that cause an immediate reaction on the surface of your skin. And of course, as with any time you are out foraging, do not overharvest! Homemade Pumpkin Purée Desserts, Recipes. Even if you wear gloves, they may still brush up against your arms higher up, or lower on your legs if you are wearing shorts. Nettles are nutrition powerhouses–high in vitamin A, C, K, iron, calcium, and magnesium, plus many other minerals. To delve into more edible and medicinal plants that can easily be grown or foraged for in your backyard, start with this book and gather experience as you brew your own herbal teas: Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use by Rosemary Gladstar. This includes vegetable tanned (not chrome tanned) leather, just as much as it covers the production of colorgrown organic cotton, organic flax and hemp for fibers. Try nettle pesto on eggs, pizza, sandwiches or pasta. It is best to drink an infusion first thing in the morning, before your regular cup of coffee or tea. From roots, to leaves and stems, all the way up to their flowers and seeds. Nettle tea was used for intestinal weakness, diarrhea, and malnutrition -- uses that persist to the present time. I appreciate your feedback.…, The vegan quiche is very savory - this is a great recipe.…. This simple Pesto Pasta is the BEST way to use this sauce, and it’s beyond easy to make. The seeds are a nutritious food source for birds, shrews, and other garden wildlife. ), use cool or lukewarm water for showering/bathing, not hot water, wear light clothes that do not rub on the irritated skin, use an antihistamine, natural or over-the-counter if necessary. Start with this nettle pesto, then make your own modifications. 1/2 cup good olive oil. Add all the other ingredients (except the olive oil and cucumber), and process again. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised…especially if you wear gloves and keep an open mind! Don’t scratch, don’t rub it or irritate it in any way. Apply it directly to the soil, or strain it and use it in a sprayer as an insect repellent for your green foliage. Nettles also act as a diuretic and are useful in treating kidney weakness and bladder infections. I usually dry my nettles and have never blanched them before to use fresh – this pesto looks lovely. Many folk remedies proclaim that crushed dock leaves will take the pain away. Process nettles, spinach, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped but some texture remains, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). This wild weed pesto is great over fish and chicken, stirred into sauces and soups, folded into ricotta lasagna layers (I substitute roasted eggplant disks for pasta sheets – yum), and spread over flatbread … If you’ve never eaten nettles before, I recommend this vegan nettle pesto as the place to start your tastebuds on a foraging journey. Today, it’s used primarily to treat urinary issues, as well as allergies and joint pain. How to Deal with Pressure Cooker Paranoia, I love this delicious tasting dressing drizzled on top of my veggie…, This delicious recipe is an excellent way to prepare for a day…, Thanks for rating and reviewing this quiche recipe. Just be patient, relax and let it go away on its own. Nettle can be taken internally, in the form of powder or tea. If they don’t grow naturally in your backyard, you can transplant the rhizomes and enjoy them year after year, as they are tough, perennial plants. Course: Sauce. First of all, if you get stung by a nettle, don’t itch. BPH symptoms are … Herbal Hair Rinse – Nettle Leaf for Healthy Hair @ Pioneer Thinking. In the case of a nettle infusion, you’ll want to use one ounce of nettle for every quart of water. A tea can be made quickly in 24 hours, a manure might sit and brew for a few weeks, though it will be much more concentrated with higher levels of nitrogen, potassium and copper. Don’t forget that nettles are perennials and a significant source of nutrition that is always available for free. If you suffer form seasonal allergies, you may want to quickly learn how to prepare your own herbal tinctures, for a tincture is one of the easiest ways to take your “allergy medication”. If you have access to foraged nettles, try this recipe that uses a superfood wild edible green. Use tongs or gloves to transfer the nettles to a colander. After that, go down the list until you find the best stinging nettle remedy that works for you: A rash from stinging nettle may last for up to 24 hours. And if you can find them nearby, it is certainly worth a try. Would I choose it over spinach? The tastiest nettles are harvested in spring, which can only mean that the nights still have a frosty chill about them. Thin pesto with a small amount of water or hot pasta cooking water before tossing with pasta. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. The benefits of nettles. Coveted by herbalists, nettle is a tonic herb that is often used as a nourishing and tasty food, a strengthening and refreshing tea, a support for healthy urinary function with a mild diuretic action*, and as a mild astringent. In the end, you will need about 1/2 to 2/3 cup blanched, chopped nettles. As previously mentioned, nettles have long been used as a durable fiber for spinning, though many of us have forgotten the ways of old. This is a good way to use up herbs and greens. Especially when raw nettles have distinctive earthy green notes. To find out more health benefits of nettle, this article provides a great overview: 12 Surprising Benefits of Nettle Tea You Should Know. The colour is so stunning, much prettier than spinach pesto! If you happen to brush against the stinging hairs on a nettle plant, you will feel the stinging sensation for hours or even a day. Wilt the nettle tops in a saucepan with 1tbsp water. This is a basic pesto recipe with nettles subbing in for basil. ladybirds which like to lay their eggs on the nettle leaves. Recipes, Sauce, Salsa, Pesto & Dressings. This pesto tastes great on sandwiches, pasta, or roasted veggies. Macerate them and use a poultice, as the moist sap from the leaves is thought to have a soothing, cooling effect on the skin. If you are only after the tender leaves, save time by cutting them off directly from the stalk, right over your bowl or basket. Nettles contain high amounts of silica and sulfur, and are rich in vitamins A, B2, C, D and K. They also contain generous amounts of iron and chlorophyll.