Nettles...what do I do with them and do they hurt!?!

[bonniethomas06]

I seem to have an abundence of nettles in my garden, and remember someone on here once (can't find it now though) talking about eating them but that it was vital to catch them when they were young and fresh.

Does anyone regularly cook with nettles, and if so, what do you cook?

Also - silly question, but do they loose their sting by the time they are blanched and you come to chop them?

[grahamhobbs]

You are supposed to be able to eat them raw if you roll them up properly. Personally I prefer to cook them in a soup with onions and other vegetables, celeriac is our favourite. In April they can be the mainstay of our diet.
Once cooked they don't sting. When picked young and if you only pick the top couple of leaves (the tastiest, others can be a bit tough and bitter) they have very little sting anyway. Personally I pick them with bare fingers.
Chop them down after you have picked the tops, so that you keep getting fresh growth.

[theabsinthefairy]

I have never been able to see the point of eating nettles, but drinking them - yes.

I make a Spring Nettle Cocktail

Make a nettle syrup by taking a large ceramic bowl, picking just the freshest top 2 or 4 leaves of the nettles, fill the bowl, add a third of a kilo of sugar and pour over enough boiling water to cover the leaves. Then cover the bowl and leave to stew for 24 hours. Drain the liquid into a sterilised bottle, or you can freeze in a plastic bottle or in ice cube trays to use later. Keep in the fridge (will keep for about 2 weeks once opened).

To make the cocktail

In a large jug (I use 1.5 litre jugs) Pour in a generous measure of vodka - about 200ml, top with half a litre of white wine, add half a litre of nettle syrup and finish with sparkling water and ice cubes.

As you can see none of my measurements are exact, I tend to make things to taste, so sometimes the syrup is sweeter and I use less syrup and more water, and sometimes it is not sweet enough so I add some lemonade in place of water. Experiment and enjoy.

[liskeardjane]

I use them in nettle and mushroom lasagne - instead of spinach - eat them!!!! nasty stingy things!

[red]

nettle beer is ok

we like nettle pasta too

[pelmetman]

You definitely need to pick nettles when they are young. Funny thing though when they have the little white flowers on they don't sting you. Have made nettle soup in the past - yuk would rather drink ditch water.

[bonniethomas06]

Hmm thanks. Will give some of these a go. I use spinach alot, so should find it easy to substitute. Particularly like the sound of the cocktail.

The soup doesn't sound that appetizing though!

[Green Aura]

I agree the nettle and vodka ensemble is definitely worth a try!!!

But don't give up on nettle soup it is fine. Just make any old veg soup you really like, chuck a handful of nettle tops in and then blitz it - a tsp of vinegar or lemon juice and some olive oil finishes it off a treat. Mmm.

[pelmetman]

I think your nettle soup sounds better than the one I did, will give your one a try

[citizentwiglet]

The tougher parts of the nettle can be made into a liquid feed for the garden by soaking it in water until it stinks to high heaven, rather like making a comfrey feed.

[red]

oh yes we did that - made nettle tea for the garden but it stinks just like a sewer!!

there is also nettle tea to drink - i dont care for it, but you can do an interesting experiment, adding lemon juice and the colour changes.

nettle soup was alright...

and we have dyed with nettles.

[frozenthunderbolt]

and we have dyed with nettles.

what part and for what colour?

[red]

and we have dyed with nettles.

what part and for what colour?

tops - a golden beige


more infor on my blog

[MKG]

Aha - yet another opportunity to repeat my favourite quotation from an early housewife's guide book ...

"Pick only young nettles wearing mittens."

Love it!

Mike

[indy]

Have just last night watched the good life nettle episode I've got to say I've got so many of the damn things, if I never saw one again it would be too soon and the thought of eating them does not float my boat