Stinging nettles

[Mounter]

Any recipes? I saw on a cooking channel tonight that it's like a hipster delicacy... wish I could find away to market it....cha ching...

[Pat B]

I've never tried it but it's probably better earlier in the year. The cooking eliminates the stinging properties I think. Maybe just boil or steam til tender.

[Outbackbob48]

One of my favorites, I pick in the spring when nettles are just a foot high or less and just blanche or steam, all the stingy hairs must wilt or something, big tab of butter and good to go, later in year just pick the tops or new growth still tender Bob

[nclonghunter]

Was at the Virginia Camp Dickinson knap-in and James Parker's wife cooked some nettles she picked there. They were really good and I would gladly eat them again.

[mullet]

Could someone post a picture of what you're eating? I can't imagine putting what we call stinging nettles in my mouth till I see if it's the same thing y'all are eating.

[Pat B]

Eddie, I think once it cooked the sting is gone.

[tattoo dave]

I was also wondering. I've read the stingers are gone after cooking, but are we talking about eating the leaves, the stem, or both?

Tattoo Dave

[AndrewS]

You can cook a lot of stuff with nettles. If you have blanched,cooked oder stir the nettles they will don't make problems in your mouth. Don't try it raw as salad for example...

- First like spinach.
- then make a pesto with hard cheese and hazelnuts (roasted) oder sunflowerseeds (roasted).
- mix blanched nettles with mashed potatoes and ad a little bit of Mountain cheese (like Emmentaler or better Gruyere) and mix again
- the roasted seeds have a slighly nutty aroma and they are a great topping for salads or something like a risotto
- the way outbackbob has described
-...

[JW_Halverson]

Dice up a quarter cup of salt pork and start rendering slowly in a skillet.  Rinse the nettles really well in fresh water, and add about two quarts of them to the skillet.  Pour in a splash of water and cover with a lid so that the flash of steam helps wilt them down a little quicker.  Let that simmer on the stove a few minutes. Now abandon the lid and start stirring and turning the greens to mix well with the fat from the salt pork.  Before serving, add a tiny bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to brighten them up. 

[GlisGlis]

l like nettle omelette
oil, onion and garlic. put rinsed nettles in
when nettles start to look stewed i throw in 2 or 3 eggs
add cheese of your liking. fast and delicious

[AndrewS]

yesterday I have made falafel with  nettle.

[bjrogg]

Any suggestions on harvesting and maybe storing for later use? Can you just cut it at ground level bag it in zip lock freezer bag and store in freezer? Thinking about bringing some to Marshall if it works out.
Bjrogg

[GlisGlis]

I use fresh only so no comment on preservation
I'd suggest not to get the entire plant unless it is very very young
Take only the tender apical part
stem gets woody and fibrous very soon

[bjrogg]

I use fresh only so no comment on preservation
I'd suggest not to get the entire plant unless it is very very young
Take only the tender apical part
stem gets woody and fibrous very soon

Glis I'm thinking it probably will be about right around here at same time as Marshall. Could be wrong though. I've never tried it before and have wanted to. Might be time to get even with that stuff for all the times it got me. I'll have to pay closer attention to it.
Bjrogg

[mullet]

Well, finally had time to look it up. Your Nettles aren't the same as our Nettles. The edible ones are Urtica Chamaedryoides and the ones in Florida is Cnidoscolus Urens var. Stimiulosus. The ones in Florida only the roots are edible.