Stinging Nettles
Estimated Inventory, bunch : 0
Description/Taste
Stinging nettle leaves display a fringe of pinkish-white or yellow-green blossoms. The leaves are deeply toothed and tapered at the ends, heart shaped or oval resembling the mint family. Nettles are botanically listed as an herb, not a vegetable, but the leaves, cooked down, are used like spinach.
Seasons/Availability
Stinging Nettle leaves are available late fall through winter.
Current Facts
It is best to wear gloves when handling fresh nettles. Both the leaves and stems are covered with small stiff hairs that inject a stinging fluid on contact with exposed flesh. Once dried or cooked, the leaves and stems lose their stinging properties. Stinging Nettles are also known as common nettles and are a botanically known as Urtica dioica. The nettle family, Urticaceae includes more than 500 species. Nettle plants are both cultivated and grow wild across the globe and have been used for medicinal and culinary purposes throughout history.
Nutritional Value
Experts claim stinging nettles have a superior vitamin content. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin B, and vitamin C, they contain an excellent source of incomplete protein.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Nutritionally rich, nettles make an iron-rich tonic tea for anemia. The leaves make a valuable fertilizer. The plant is said to be a digestive and diuretic, and as an astringent, aids circulation, relieves gout, eczema, arthritis and clears uric acid.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Stinging Nettles. One
is easiest, three is harder.
