Stinging Nettle

Stinging Nettle

AKA- powerhouse

Spring time brings out the young shoots of a lot of forageable edibles.  One of which my family includes daily is the stinging nettle.  It is found in the mid to northern half of the United States- reaching from coast to coast.
Typically viewed as a pesky weed to those in the unknown tend to mow it down.  I always see them next to buildings in mass. Look them up in photos and I bet you can think of an area you have seen them in volume.

I strongly believe they could become part of your FARMacy and you should consider the benefits.

The healing properties of nettles are endless.  There are several ways to prepare nettles for usage.  Internal consumption via blanched, freeze dried, dehydrated for tea and then there are tinctures... applied topically in the forms of poultices, oils, rubefaceint and optional applications

The tea with the top parts (above ground) of the plant is used in irrigation therapy

• any type of urination problems- painful, frequent, bladder infections etc
•  UTI, kidney stones, gout and arthritis 
•  The root is used very widely for medicinal uses as well.  In Europe it is widely used to treat BPH
• It has a quiet manifestation on the lymphatic system helping the kidneys cleanse waste
• It helps with protein in the liver and informs the body not to expel it in waste, but to actually utilize it  
• Nettles have the ability to rid the body of toxins- because of this it is suggested to be used in alleviating PMS symptoms.  when the liver is slow acting, it is slow to work on estrogen- if there is too much estrogen in the body the second half of a woman's cycle, this causes a lot of side effects- exacerbating PMS symptoms.

Bleeding problems-
Nettle has an outstanding iron content along with vitamin C- this allows the two to work together for the body to readily absorb the iron.  Also high in vitamin K- it helps tremendously with pregnancy and gives the baby vital nutrients.  It helps in delivery to ebb excessive bleeding- it also assists with breast milk production.

• Alleviates and stops bloody noses, internal bleeding, anemia and does well with blood purification

Lung problems- I use this in a tea along with Mullein to get rid of those nasty phlegm coughs. It also relieves allergies and hayfever.  I have witnessed  it actually help those with asthma.
Some researchers believe nettle has the ability to reduce the amount of histamines the body produces in response to allergens

Topically it is used in treating

• oily glands- I use it in my facial toner (because it is an astringent) and masks and in one of my hair rinses- it will help with hair loss as well
• When used in a poultice: I use it after lifting weights to relieve sore muscles
• Some use it for eczema  very successfully
• Arthritis

Nettles contain Boran- boran helps play a roll in allowing bones to retain calcium

I could sit here for an entire day listing all of the benefits I have researched or experienced for myself- but suffice it to say- I consume it religiously.

In order to harvest this properly and safely, I use a pair of gloves, scissors and a paper bag. It is not named "stinging nettle" for nothing.  Below was what happened when a tiny brush of exposed skin against a leaf did to my arm.  You can see the 4 tiny spine bites I received and the consequential redness that joined in.
You can harvest the top of the nettle without gloves- you pinch off the first few leaves of young nettle with your nails from under the leaf while dragging your fingers up slightly.  This allows you to lay the hairs down a bit in order to roll up the greens tightly into a ball so you crush the rest of the hairs and pop into your mouth.

The spines/hairs find their way into your skin easily.  The average person only experiences the burn of stinging nettle for about 10 minutes.  If allergic, you will sense this stinging much longer- and if you have excessive exposure- like harvesting a bag full without gloves, you can even have a nasty case of this for days!  Wear gloves and a loose long sleeve shirt!

Below are very young shoots

 If the shoots are still young- about 2' and under, then I take the top half. This allows the stalk to continue to grow and you should be able to harvest again once more. Once the stalks grow to larger heights, I would begin to take the top third- and in late summer, only the top 1' or the first 4-6 joints of leaves against the stalk.  You will be able to make your own decision on the woodiness- There are times when it grows so far over my head that I just don't even bother. The taller they become the more you only want the top 2 or 3 joints of leaves and then just snip the leaves off the stalk.
 In the late summer, you only want to harvest off of the plant before you see the seeds develop. Once the seed pods start, all nutrition and energy goes into making this develop and therefore dwindles the leaf nutrition.
 After 2', I still take about 1/3  begin to snip off and cook the leaves alone and save the lower leaves and stalk for drying out for my tea.  The taller the stalk, the woodier the stalk becomes, the less desirable it becomes for cooking- but is still perfectly fine and nutritious for tea-For myself I require 2# of dried nettles to last me through the fall and winter for tea before fresh sprouts are around again.
A different way to preserve them... Blanch the nettles for 1 minute in 200* water (or just before boiling) before submerging them in an ice bath.   I then drain the leaves and place them in freezer bags so I am able to add them to shakes or dishes through the winter months.  I turn them into pesto, herb butter, dips, Au gratin, soups, sauces and stuffing for just about anything.  Fresh is always best- So I puree them to keep them raw and safe from spines in my mouth

**Nettles can interrupt medications.  Do your research- especially if you have diabetes or are on blood thinners.

At the very least I use nettle and alfalfa in all of my teas.
Nettle in combination with Saw Palmetto, Mullein,  red raspberry leaf, red clover, alfalfa and/or dandelion leaf/root add high levels of benefits.
Dandelion leaf and nettles cooked together are wonderful for arthritis.

Number one on my list of edible wild greens is alfalfa- next would be stinging nettles.  I always suggest adding these two for most things.  Think of them like the salt and pepper in your meal.

*I am not a Dr, but I play one at home.  I follow in the footsteps of those who have been doing it this way since the beginning of medicinal time and have seen results.  There are thousands of studies done on nettle that have been proven.  Don't take my word for it- good or bad,  if you believe me or not- look it up then you will have more than just my word for it.