05/05/2021
It is time to talk about nettles...
Because this is the time of the year when they are at their best, juiciest and freshest, if you dare to approach them.
Most of us are familiar with this “weed,” but I am hoping that by the end of reading this article you will find the word “herb” a more appropriate one.
Those who grew up in the countryside usually have their own personal stories of close encounters with nettles, making them hard to forget, but not because of any memory enhancing properties the plant might have. Nettles are equipped with a powerful self-defence weapon in the form of tiny stiletto-like hairs. When we touch the plant the stilettos pierce our skin, injecting histamine and formic acid, causing a highly unpleasant sensation in affected areas which can last for hours after contact. A lesson learned, leaving the plant to enjoy growing happily!
Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of such a powerful defence mechanism? What is so precious in the nettle that the plant invests so much energy into protecting itself? Some say that nettles would have probably been eradicated by animals, insects and humans if not for their stinging hair.
Nettles are said to rob the soil of its minerals and vitamins by absorbing and concentrating them in their tissues, making them highly nutritious. Nettles not only provide nutrition for our depleted selves, but also for our depleted soils, making excellent fertilizer for the garden if you put them in the compost heap.
I won't list all the fancy names of nettles’ constituents and actions, because I want to point out a couple of particularly fascinating things about this plant.
Detoxification and Superfood
As I mentioned earlier, nettles are at their best in early spring, the time of year when our bodies too are “waking up” from winter hibernation. It is a great time for us to cleanse and refresh ourselves after the heavier winter diet, and nettles are the perfect food to help us.
Nettle (Urtica dioica) has been a traditional Irish spring tonic for centuries, probably millennia. It was the ancient way of flushing toxins from the system, and even today the age old tradition of having three good feeds of nettles before the end of May still exists. This is said to purify the blood, prevent arthritis, and assure good health for the year to come. Later on in the season, as the flowers emerge, the plant turns very fibrous and is more suitable for making soups. The fibre was once used to produce the finest quality linen.
The highly nutritious and cleansing properties of nettles are just what we need at this time of the year. There are not that many fresh leafy greens in the garden yet, but nettles are one of the most chlorophyll and nutrient rich plants available. They are a true tonic for the body, and a really energising food, so much so they are sometimes described as a superfood.
Being high in iron they have blood-building properties, and its leaves contain vitamins A and C and many of the B complex vitamins, along with beta-carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorous and potassium. Nettles can be used to treat hay fever, asthma, anaemia, cystitis, high blood pressure, eczema and more. They help to build healthy bones, hair, skin and teeth as well as promoting healthy kidney function, increasing urination and flushing out the toxins.
Not only are nettles a valuable food for us, but also for the caterpillars of various native butterflies, which these days can struggle to find a suitable habitat.
Wild Food
Despite being an abundant wild food, nettles are not commercially grown in Ireland, with the exception of one nettle farm in Co. Wexford. They are a truly native plant which co-evolved in synergy with other plants in our climate zone, and have not been bred to alter their taste, shape or colour for commercial reasons. They are as Mother Nature designed, fighting their way through evolution courtesy of a fierce sting. Such unadulterated native species of edible plants (sometimes called heritage crops) are said to contain higher levels of more diverse nutrients.
I see finding and harvesting nettles as an integral part of a balanced and active lifestyle. After all, what could be more fun and relaxing than walking in the forest or in wild, unspoilt countryside with friends or family to harvest nettles on a spring Sunday afternoon?
You will find plenty of recipes on the internet for simple and delicious nettle soup. Only fresh nettle stings, so once cooked, stir-fried, blanched or mashed there is no more stinging effect, so nettles can make a great ingredient for pasta sauces and pestos. If you are afraid your guests may freak out being served nettle soup, just call it spinach soup and reveal the secret after the initial tasting:-)
Harvesting
Yes, nettles do sting, so come up with ideas to avoid skin exposure, like gloves. And if you do get stung, don't worry, it is not harmful, quite the opposite in fact. It stimulates circulation, and in the past, intentional stinging was used medicinally. As a child I used to watch in disbelief as my grandmother flogged her hands and knees with a bunch of fresh nettle leaves! Later on in life I learned she was performing something called “urtication” - the deliberate stinging of the skin with nettles to relieve painful or stiff joints.
This article does not exhaust all the properties and amazing facts about this valuable plant, but I hope it invites you to look at nettles in a new light. Explore them for yourself and bring their benefits into your life.
Thank you for reading this. Edyta Bodnar, MA, Dip Herb, Dip NT, MIRH, MNTOI
