Nettles The Needles Sting - by Judi Singleton

Spring is a time of rebirth the plants all put on new green overcoats and the babies are born to the animals. As I road along today out in the country seeing, colts, calves, and lambs it reminded me that now is the time to plant the new seeds of intention for my life. Now is the time to plant seeds of intentions and actions in your life. You can energetically transform right alongside the growth of the plants and the birth of new life.
While I was out on my adventure in the country today I saw one of the wonderous plants all around me sprout their new greenery. One of these was the nettle which is a plant I love it is wonderful for making herbal vinegar. It is easy to identify. The jagged leaves held in pairs along the square stems are easily recognisable particularly after having experienced the sting. The nettle sting, will wear off in a few hours. Nature always provides a natural remedy close at hand. The leaves of the dock contain chemicals that neutralise the sting and also cool the skin.
The nettles sting is actually used as a treatment for arthritic joints!

Where did the nettle get its name? Problably from that the 'nettle' is derived from Noedl meaning a needle - referring the needle like sting.

Because very few grazing animals will touch nettle because of the sting it is a great place for butterflies to raise their young. One will find the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterfly larvae which feed in large groups hidden in silken tents at the top of the nettle stems. In late summer the huge quantity of seed produced provide a food source for many of our seed eating birds.
Not only insects and birds are benefited by nettles but when dried into hay horses and cows feed on it. In Sweden nettles is raised for dairy cows it increases milk production. Horse breeder feed it because it is so good for the horses coat.
If you are wondering why anyone would eat nettles having experienced their sting, the sting goes away with cooking. You can enjoy nettle leaves in soup, steam them when they are young and picked before they flower just like spinach or kale.
Nettles are reportedly high in calcium, iron, magnesium, chromium, potassium, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D and K. Nettles are said to nourish the adrenal glands, and are also rich in carotene.
You can preserve the nettles for winter several ways.
Nettle vinegar can be made by soaking fresh herbs in white vinegar. The vinegar leaches the calcium and other minerals out of the nettles, and then you can sprinkle the vinegar on salads, veggies, stir fry. Purple nettles will tint the vinegar a nice rose hue. You can use nettles in any recipe calling for spinach. Use the leftover water as a hair rinse.
For centuries, nettles have been used for medicinal purposes. They have beneficial influence on various body systems, including the lungs, kidneys, skin, and blood. The herb has been recognized for its ability to stop bleeding, relieve mucous congestion and water retention, and improve skin irritations. It is considered to be an excellent blood purifier.
Try some of these interesting Nettles recipes:
Pasta with Nettles
and Parmesan

3-4 cups fresh nettles

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 small hot red pepper

1 pound pasta (traditionally penne, pennette, or rigatoni)

1. Wash the nettles and put in salted boiling water for about seven minutes.

2. While they are cooking, put olive oil, garlic, and hot pepper into a frying pan over medium heat for three to four minutes.

3. Remove the cooked nettles from the boiling water and put into the frying pan with the garlic and pepper. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until excess water has evaporated and the nettles are coated with oil.

4. Use the water the nettles were boiled in to cook the pasta. When pasta is al dente (chewy), drain and toss with the cooked nettles. Serve with fresh grated parmesan. Serves four.

Potato Nettle Soup

200 Nettle Leaves (young shoots)
1 Sml Onion
6 Small Potatoes
250ml Water
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Parsley
3 Cloves Garlic

Method Puree onion, garlic, and nettles with 1 cup of water. Cut potatoes into small pieces. Simmer pureed mixture with potatoes and remaining water for 45 minutes or until tender. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes making the soup thick and creamy.

Olde English Nettle Pudding

An old English recipe, which is not a dessert but a hearty main dish. Use the English teacup measurement again. Volume of one of these is approximately 250ml Water to the top.

Method In a bowl add the ingredients below:-

2 Cups Cooked & Chopped Nettle Greens
1 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Broccoli or Green Cabbage
200g Raw Rice,
1 Cup Minced Beef (omit this if veggie)
½ Cup Suet (beef or vegetarian).

Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a little freshly ground black pepper, mix well, then tie the mixture up in a muslin cloth that has been wrung out in cold water.
Drop into boiling water and boil for 1 hour, or hang over boiling water and steam for 3 hours. When you remove the pudding cloth, you will have a round cannonball of a pudding that is delicious when served with a good gravy or melted butter.

The Nettle Beer made by cottagers is often given to their old folk as a remedy for gouty and rheumatic pains, but apart from this purpose it forms a pleasant drink. It may be made as follows: Take 2 gallons of cold water and a good pailful of washed young Nettle tops, add 3 or 4 large handsful of Dandelion, the same of Clivers (Goosegrass) and 2 OZ. of bruised, whole ginger. Boil gently for 40 minutes, then strain and stir in 2 teacupsful of brown sugar. When lukewarm place on the top a slice of toasted bread, spread with 1 OZ. of compressed yeast, stirred till liquid with a teaspoonful of sugar. Keep it fairly warm for 6 or 7 hours, then remove the scum and stir in a tablespoonful of cream of tartar. Bottle and tie the corks securely. The result is a specially wholesome sort of ginger beer. The juice of 2 lemons may be substituted for the Dandelion and Clivers. Other herbs are often added to Nettles in the making of Herb Beer, such as Burdock, Meadowsweet, Avens Horehound, the combination making a refreshing summer drink.
Mrs. Grieves, A Modern Herbal
As our soils and bodies are very depleted of minerals one of the ways for the body to absorb minerals quickly is by using wild herbs. Our ancestors used nettles for all kinds of uses, so we have a history in our body of using the minerals in these wild herbs.

About the Author

Judi Singleton is a free lance writer and publisher. If you like this article and would like to hear more of Judi's wisdom about plants. You can join her network at www.ryze.com Herbal Harvest or read her blog at http://herbalharvest.blogspot.com