Foraging For Nettles
Foraging for nettles. A day well spent.
Foraging has always interested me but having the time and the know how was always my biggest obstacle. I have been nettle hunting on and off for years with much success. Nettles are nutritious, delicious, versatile and best of all, FREE.
Why do it?
It’s an easy and satisfying way to spend a morning, out and about, getting fresh air, reconnecting with the abundance of the world around us. Nature gives us everything we need, exactly at the time we need it. We’ve just forgotten this crucial knowledge. There is free food everywhere!
You come home with bundles of free and fresh produce that can be made into soups, teas, curries, stir fries, pesto or my favourite, nettle crisps (recipe for this coming soon!). This humble ‘weed’ can be processed and cooked straight away or dried and stored or chopped and frozen. I always use nettles in the same way I use spinach.
Make sure to de-sting your nettle before you consume it. There are two ways to de-sting a nettle (I recommend wearing gloves while handling them), hold the nettle upside down by the end of the stalk and firmly run your gloved hand along the length of the nettle, right to the tip. The second way to de-sting a nettle is to plunge it into boiling water, this can be done before cooking. It will wilt, much like spinach.
If you prefer to keep the nettle in tact (not boil it), you can hang them upside to dry or spread them on a drying rack. This process will take a few days and it is a really great use of your wild greens. When they are fully dry and almost crispy, you can take the leaves off the rough stalks, throw them into a blender and blitz them into a fine powder that can be stored and used in smoothies, in breakfast bowls, soups, stews, or curries (all these recipes coming soon!)
If you are spending crazy money on organic wheatgrass powder or spirulina powder as food additives, then your organic foraged nettle powder is the perfect replacement and best of all, its FREE!
Did you know?
Nettles are rich in a green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is remarkably similar in structure to haemoglobin, a protein found in our blood. If chlorophyll gives plants their green colour, haemoglobin gives blood its red colour. Studies have shown that the consumption of chlorophyll increases the red blood cells in our bodies, cleanses the blood and aids in cell regeneration. There has never been a better reason to eat your greens!
Want to do it?
Here’s what you need:
gloves - I like these, long length leather gloves - a sure way to avoid stings
multiple big bags (they fill up fast) or foraging basket
scissors - this one is good for the kitchen and outdoors
Tips:
take nettles that are younger and fresher looking, closer to the tip rather than down by the root
find an area that is free from pesticide use, away from busy roadsides that spew out car fumes and higher than dogs can wee on
if you are taking nettles from private land, its best to ask the owner first
Thank you for reading. May you live wild and free.
Love,
Hilary x
This blog may contain affiliate links.