Would You Eat Stinging Nettle?
Nettle soup. ©iStockphoto.com/adel66
Wild lettuces, forest mushrooms, gathered berries—there are plenty of foraged foods we’re used to seeing at the market or on the menu. But stinging nettle?
The plant ranks right up there with poison ivy for its effect on the unsuspecting hiker—a single touch can bring on an immediate, painful sting. But according to Seattle foraging expert Langdon Cook, author of Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager, properly-prepared nettles make a perfect stand-in for spinach—whether in soups or pastas, as a cooked green, or as a base for pesto.
Of course, nettle-eaters should handle the raw plant with care—using gloves when holding the uncooked green, and blanching the leaves in order to get rid of that powerful sting. But once tamed, the stinging nettle packs quite the flavor punch. “It’s a distinctive taste, characteristic of edible wild plants in general,” Cook tells the Wall Street Journal: “A bright green note that makes you sit up and pay attention, with a peppery zing.” Just make sure to cook the nettles thoroughly, so it's the taste that gets your attention—and not your suddenly throbbing tongue.
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32 Comments:
My parents are from Albania and stinging nettle is part of the cuisine there. My mother used to make something akin to the Greek/Turkish spinach pie (we called it byrek) but used the nettles in place of the spinach. It was a treat for them because it was hard to find and gather the nettles. I never ate it because I was turned off by the stinging even though once cooked it was no longer a factor.
My dad would also make a type of tea from the nettles believing that it had healthful benefits.
zemer at 7:37PM on 04/22/09
If you pick the leaves early enough, you can get them before they sting. They're pretty tasty. I ate them in Romania.
sorahatch at 7:40PM on 04/22/09
I've had stinging nettles prepared by SO's aunt, I believe after blanching them she sauted them with a little garlic and they were delicious. But I think I'll let someone else prepare them, just not up for that part yet. ;-)
huneybumper at 7:41PM on 04/22/09
I've tried it... not terribly interesting. It had kind of an off-putting gritty texture.
buffy at 7:41PM on 04/22/09
That depends on what it tastes like. I don't usually have aversions to plant-based foods, except for slimy things like okra.
beth1 at 7:57PM on 04/22/09
It's pretty tasty -- and shouldn't be gritty if it's young and you cook it properly. I found some at the local farmers market around here last year, and posted a recipe for a pasta dish I made with it here. You do need to be careful with prep, though -- throw them in a salad spinner for a wash, and then dump them directly in your cooking pot.
threeForks at 8:10PM on 04/22/09
Drying nettles is also a great option. You can make a nettle "tea" that is tasty and good for you. Just dry the nettles (this also kills the sting), dump a bunch into a Sun Tea jar, and fill with hot water. The tea gets more potent the longer you let it sit, so let it steep a good 24 hours. Strain and keep in the fridge for a cool summer drink.
I usually like sweetened teas and I can drink the tea with no sugar added.
They also go great in place of spinach, like in a frittata or quiche.
They do have just a tad bit of texture, but when I made soup with them, I actually found the body they gave to the soup very pleasant. It's hard to describe, gritty without being sandy. It's much like a tapioca type feel, but thinner.
If you cook them, you only have to boil them for about 2-3 minutes to get rid of the sting. Just keep a good set of kitchen gloves or tongs on hand to get them out of the bag.
cooklocal at 8:20PM on 04/22/09
Okay, we already have spinach, and chard, and lots of other green things that don't try to hurt us - why bother with something that does?
Likeswords at 8:24PM on 04/22/09
I'd hurt myself. Undoubtedly. Doesn't mean I'm against eating it, but I wouldn't be able to prepare this due to my own clutziness.
hungryhungryhippo at 8:51PM on 04/22/09
I've seen both the growing plants and the harvested ones at the farmer's market, and there are always signs posted near them. If someone else wanted to cook them for me, that would be fine. But I get enough injuries that I don't need to have a viscious plant in the room with me.
I feel the same way about the prickly pear cactuses. The fruit's good, but I hate picking the miserable spines out of my fingers.
dbcurrie at 9:04PM on 04/22/09
would and Have - delicious as a pasta filling with ricotta. I was a little nervous the first time handling them, but it was fine and tasty, and no one got hurt ;)
rgolightly at 9:04PM on 04/22/09
@Likeswords
Because it's new, and daring. And if they wanted those everyday eats my clinentel could eat them anywhere or at home.
Now, nettles? There's an adventure. And a story to tell their other foodie friends.
Chef Colin at 9:12PM on 04/22/09
I'll eat it, but only you mix it with Nutella and put it on a Tostitos Scoop.
James Boo at 9:16PM on 04/22/09
Unless you're stranded in the Canadian wilderness a la Hatchet, why bother? I prefer my food NOT to give me a rash.
soyviz at 9:22PM on 04/22/09
Am I mistaken or are certain cheeses wrapped in the leaves?
chanterelle at 10:43PM on 04/22/09
i like gathering nettles in the spring. got some last weekend, although later than i usually like to get them. i love making a pesto with them. nettle soup with fried mussels, mmmm. and i'm going to try a souffle that one of my favorite little french places makes.
dmarina at 11:25PM on 04/22/09
My neighbor went insane with joy when they appeared this spring at the SF Ferry Building Farmer's Market. She does the pesto thing that @dmarina mentioned, and also throws them into pasta and on pizza.
I've never tried them. I don't think I will either, but I'm dull like that.
maered at 11:31PM on 04/22/09
@chanterelle; no, you're right. I've had mature cheddar wrapped in nettles before, and it was excellent. Spicy and peppery.
NotAmerican at 1:51AM on 04/23/09
yes,i like this leaves because of its usefulness.its make our body protect from any kind of deases.so, it is very helpful.
www.raininghollywood.com
buland at 5:01AM on 04/23/09
Nettles always remind me of when my brother was training with the UK special forces and one of the handbooks had instructions on how to make nettle tea if you were stranded.
Peony at 7:57AM on 04/23/09
Nettles have a nutritional profile unique to other greens. The spring shoots especially, but also the dried tea, are a powerful detoxification agent, and they are also thought to stimulate the immune system. Because spring, when young nettles are available, is an ideal time to detox, eating fresh nettles is great for the body. And (as described above) they can be very tasty!
producestories at 8:39AM on 04/23/09
I think exploring these leaves is up there with the guy who cooked and ate the first artichoke. "Hmmmm, points that will make me bleed, hard leaves and fuzz...Dinner!"
My X used to call it "stinging metal." Dolt.
therealchiffonade at 9:24AM on 04/23/09
Don't forget the garlic mustard!
http://teaandfood.blogspot.com/2009/04/kill-and-eat-garlic-mustard.html
Aaron Kagan at 11:00AM on 04/23/09
Nettles=great! I was afraid of trying them for the first time by cooking them myself. If anyone else feels the same way, and happens to live in LA, Mozza uses them in one of their pizzas and it's REAL good.
jas126 at 11:22AM on 04/23/09
We've been eating nettles for many weeks now. Some basic dishes have been fresh nettle ravioli stuffed with potato, shallot and nettle. Into the frittata, a nettle pesto dolloped on steamed new potatoes. Of course the leek, potato and nettle soup. Lentils and nettles. Daily nettle tea. Cardboard boxes of the stuff put away in the attic to dry, for future tea sips. A stuffing of nettles, anchovies, pine nuts and currants inside a boneless leg of lamb. Pizza topping. Next up is the pesto atop focaccia. And the best thing? Nettles are free!
rosiemoo at 11:35AM on 04/23/09
If your nettles are gritty then they've been picked too late. Just waiting for the flood waters to subside to go foraging for my spring fix-up. I often run into older Chinese women out foraging for nettles in season with all the shopping bags full that they can possibly carry. I only eat them as a green, but I will try some of the ideas I've read about here. Handle carefully and there is nothing to fear except the long wait till next spring.
porchetta at 1:00PM on 04/23/09
I'm from an island in the Puget Sound, and nettles are everywhere, all the time. To set the record straight, if and when you get stung when prepping nettle, which is easily avoided, there is a slight sting and a mild itchy irritation that quickly dissipates. Poison oak or ivy is much worse in comparison. It's no big deal.
I'm thinking of making some nettle-ramp pesto soon. How spring is that?
sailordave at 10:14PM on 04/23/09
I had some nettle cheese, Gouda I think, in Holland. It was really nice, a little spicy in a very nice way.
mgnnn at 1:35AM on 04/24/09
here it is!: http://www.khdejong.nl/Nederlands/353.html
mgnnn at 1:36AM on 04/24/09
You bet I would! Been there, done that @ Scarista House (http://www.scaristahouse.com/) a precursor to the Alice Waters philosophy of sustenance.
beano at 10:52AM on 04/24/09
when i lived in Genoa, Italy, there was this great fresh pasta that was stuffed with young cooked stinging nettle mixed with cheese and then served with butter and burnt sage..it was fantastic!
pestoprincess at 8:08AM on 04/27/09
My mom used to send me out to our backyard to pick the young leaves to make delicious soup with it. If you pick the leaves at the base near the stem you don't get stung.
Chocolatesa at 3:18PM on 04/28/09