How to Incorporate Stinging Nettles Into Your Diet

Nettles are high in protein.

Though stinging nettles may look like just some weed growing in your yard or the woods near your home and not a very pleasant one at that, with the stingers on their stems but they are actually a very tasty and nutritious green. Stinging nettles, or just nettles, are higher in protein than most other greens (they are about 40 percent protein), and they are high in a number of other nutrients, including iron, manganese, calcium and Vitamins A and C.

Not only are stinging nettles great for your health since they are full of nutrients, but many people also eat them for their curative properties. You can make a tea from nettles that can help to prevent or treat illness and allergies.

Finding stinging nettles is relatively easy, but they do require some care in harvesting them. As their name suggests, they are covered with tiny stingers that will hurt a lot if you just grab them by the hand. The stingers have the acid found in the bites of fire ants. So, yeah, imagine putting your hand in a hive of fire ants and the experience is somewhat comparable.

It is important to wear gloves, as well as long sleeves and long pants when you are harvesting nettles, although braver individuals than me claim that carefully picking with thumb and forefinger shouldn’t sting. They can grow long, and you don't want the leaves and the stems to brush your hand or your feet as you are walking through a patch or are reaching in to harvest them.

Grasping nettles with the thumb and fore finger should mean no sting.

Look for nettles that have tender young leaves, and only cut off the upper leaves. The young leaves should be no bigger than 3 inches wide. Any bigger than that and you're likely to get a very bitter, stringy plant. You can cut the leaves off, or you can just cut off the top 5 inches or so of the plant, further more you should not eat nettles once they have flowered. Clip your nettles with some pruning shears or sturdy scissors and put them in a basket or bag of your choice. When you get them home, they are ready for blanching.

Boil up a pot of water, either with a little salt thrown in or without. Dump your nettle leaves in the pot and let them boil for about 10 minutes. You can then scoop them out with a spoon and dunk them in cold water. Set them aside to drain and to dry.

Blanching nettles will not only take care of the stingers, but it will also clean them and make them safe for eating. Don't be alarmed if the water turns color as that is common.

Once your nettles have been blanched, you can cook them just as you would spinach or any other green. Nettles are great in a soup or stew, or you can add them with some other veggies to a pasta or a rice dish. You can even steep them for a flavorful tea.

Still stumped about how to cook your nettles? Check out these 8 recipes for stinging nettles.

Do you cook with nettles? Share your tips for finding and harvesting them, as well as some of your favorite recipes, in the comments!

About the Author:

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching culinary schools in Pittsburgh. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.