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Thread: stinging nettle?

  1. #1

    Default stinging nettle?

    Has anyone actually used stinging nettle for food/medical purposes? Have read allot about this but have yet to use the plant .


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  3. #3

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    In a couple of the Herb books I have they talk about uses for nettles. I have no experience with them other than the effects of running into them in the field.
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    Senior Member wareagle69's Avatar
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    yes i have
    heres a good receipe, boil or steam nettle, several cups as it does reduce then make a pile on a frying pan with a circle or hole in the middle add an egg and some bacon bits cook egg and enjoy.
    medicinally i have not tried other than for experimenting with things like spotted jewel weed to get rid of the sting
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    Senior Member wareagle69's Avatar
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    oh yeah also in cream based soups dried nettle adds a great flavor
    always be prepared-prepare all ways
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    Thanks for the info. That is what is great about this site. Its one thing to read about things in a book but another to talk to people who actually have done it.

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    a bushbaby owl_girl's Avatar
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    yes i put it in soup and stir fry. also made cord out of it. it makes very strong cord. it very healthy. an unusually high amount of vitamins and minerals. good stuff
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  8. #8

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    I will share a little fact I found out the hard way. Boil your nettles before you eat them. I trued to eat Wood Nettle raw, bad idea. Stung the crap out of my tongue. Thanks for the good recipe War Eagle.

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    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    you don't even have to parboil it, you can even just wilt it over fire.

    the hairs are extremely fragile, and are broken down easily by steam/hot water.

    i've eaten nettle, and i place it high on my list of preferred wild greens, since it is one of the few that i eat which are pleasantly flavored and mild.

    too many of the well known wild greens are bitter, so it's good to have options that more people will be willing to eat and enjoy.
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  10. #10

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    Thanks Canid that is good to know.

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    They're supposed to be very good for you aswell, full of minerals. I do soups with them in spring. Really easy to identify too, the only downside is the sting, but this is easy to get rid of through cooking. I find nettles fill me up quickly, I don't know why this is, but a few other people have noticed this too....

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hcaterpillar View Post
    They're supposed to be very good for you aswell, full of minerals. I do soups with them in spring. Really easy to identify too, the only downside is the sting, but this is easy to get rid of through cooking. I find nettles fill me up quickly, I don't know why this is, but a few other people have noticed this too....
    It gives me pause for concern when somebody that is promoting a wild edible site uses the term supposed to be. Either they are, or they are not. How about an introduction in the Intro section and tell us about yourself - since you offering advice on wild edibles. What experience do you have?
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    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    depending in the statement, i am inclined to agree, but in this case that was a safe assertion. i don't know offhand of any nutritional assay for nettles. i'd rather see a claim guarded with a qualifier when it can't be readily proven, than a questionable statement asserted as fact.
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    "...very high levels of minerals, especially, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, silica, iodine, silicon, sodium, and sulfur. They also provide chlorophyll and tannin, and they're a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and B complex vitamins. Nettles also have high levels of easily absorbable amino acids. They're ten percent protein, more than any other vegetable."

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by canid View Post
    depending in the statement, i am inclined to agree, but in this case that was a safe assertion. i don't know offhand of any nutritional assay for nettles. i'd rather see a claim guarded with a qualifier when it can't be readily proven, than a questionable statement asserted as fact.
    Oh, I know that there wasn't any harmful information put out. It's just that so far he seems a wee bit spammy.
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  16. #16

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    I thought i had heard that nettle makes strong string/rope. Does anyone have any experience with this?

  17. #17
    reclinite automaton canid's Avatar
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    i'm horrible at making cordage, but yes, there are long, [allegedly] easily separable fibers in the stipe that make great cordage, if you are better at it than i.
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    naturalist primitive your_comforting_company's Avatar
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    Stinging nettles don't seem to be as common here as one might think, I've only found a few stray sprigs here and there, but as soon as I find enough to try, I will be making cordage out of some.
    which part is a Stipe again? I thought that was a singer for REM and he does have some long cords (kidding.. he's bald)
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    a bushbaby owl_girl's Avatar
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    YES as i said in my last post and it was everywhere in MN. its very strong. just scrape out the middle and use the outside fibers and twist it up. we made very long cord by adding strands as we go.
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    Senior Member oneraindog's Avatar
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    we have done a lot of work with nettle in my primitive skills apprenticeship.
    we have stir fried them, made pizza, pesto and my personal favorite, ale. nettle ale recipies are easy to find and very easy to make. all you need is active yeast, cream of tartar, sugar and a good amount of nettle infusion. low alcohol content, mildly sweet and all kinds of delicious.
    we also made cord with dried stalks. in a survival situation they can be used fresh to make cord but ideally you want to dry the stalks. then you can peel away the inner pith to get the silky hairs of the inner bark. a word of recommendation: take extra care around the branch nodules. it can be tricky to peel the fibers out in those areas and you will often pull out a bit of the nodule with the fibers. when twisting up the cordage you want to break those bits down or remove them as best you can.

    medicinally they are very cleansing to the body, flushing out the filtration organs and adding to liver, kideney and skin health. nettle can be very good for your kidneys and has been clinically shown to be very effective at treating degenerative kidney disease as well as battling chronic bladder infections. teas and tinctures have been used to treat inflammation from arthritis and will reduce the pain and discomfort considerably. will also enhance blood clotting. these effects are cumulative and needs consistent use.
    also good to use as an anti-histamine for allergies

    another word on consumption: because they are so high in mineral content you may want to avoid them if you have kidney stones.
    the plant should NOT be used as a food source after it has gone to flower. in survival mode you can use them for food just drink LOTS of water.
    the seeds themselves are very nutritious however and can be nibbled, dried, used for tea, etc.

    do a nettle google search and there is tons more info in the way of culinary ideas and medicinal applications
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