Sometimes the leaves of stinging nettles are tinged purple. Slice the leaves off and then wash and rinse well. Nettles were considered to be a tonic, useful for cleansing the body at the beginning of the new growing period. The leaves, stems and roots can all be used but we’re going to focus on the leaves and stems. Your nettles will be ready to harvest between 80-90 days from seed. To harvest them, wear gloves. Stinging Nettles is one of the wild foods that come up every Spring in our garden. When you plan on harvesting nettles. How to sustainably harvest nettle roots. Picking the nettles when they are small (under a foot high), ensures smaller stems and more tender leaves. If you put more/less sugar in a recipe then you get more/less alcohol. Harvest nettle leaves into a clean paper sack. Nettles are an excellent choice, as like all green “super” foods they “nourish the blood” and at the same time “cleanse” it. It is recommended that you wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting stinging nettle. With my own nettles, I cut individual leaves off the stems so that the leaves will continue to replenish themselves and I will be able to harvest more nettles for a longer period of time. You should wear gloves to protect your hands, but it’s important to cover your arms, legs, and feet too. Bundle them like flax and allow to dry. I wear rose gloves, which cover my forearms. The nutrient content of nettles is incredible- we recommend nettle as a staple for people who are dairy free, as a tonic in pregnancy, and as a general restorative for all. How to Find, Identify and Harvest Nettles. To harvest stinging nettles as a potherb, wear stout gloves so you don’t get strung. Store the stems in a warm, well ventilated place, ideally with some sunlight, like a greenhouse. Seed harvest . Cooking Nettles. They are perennial. Harvest nettle leaves before the plant has gone to seed. When do I harvest Stinging Nettle? DRY. Nettles can be harvested and cooked. Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are harvested and dried or heated to remove the sting. He then will …From From And when you cook, soak, or dry Nettles, they lose their stinging property Allow the biggest and best plants to remain in the soil, and leave the damaged plants for the critters and pollinators. Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don’t get stung. Next, strain the tea before serving with sugar, if desired. Once they are dry, the pressure is off the stinging hairs and the sting is gone. Nettles grow both from root suckers and from seed. ~Nettles may be used as a treatment for hay fever. They will satisfy my hamburger cravings. It’s best to choose a patch of nettles away from any commonly used footpaths (just in case dogs have used them). I recruited my friend, Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, to help me with this post. They have more protein than any other edible plant I know of. How To Harvest and Use Fresh Nettles: Stinging Nettles are a wonderful vegetable that tastes something like spinach. Nettles are best when very tender, so pick in the spring when the nettles … Yes they do sting, but not so much if you use a firm grip. You may harvest nettles from the time the new leaves emerge from the ground until late fall after the flowers have gone to seed but before the rains begin to rot the stems (while they still maintain their green color and … 2. Once the nettle has seeded, it is unsafe to use for making rennet. Nettles can be prepared similarly to spinach in soups or like basil in pesto. Normal leather garden gloves would work great. Let me know if it helps. They lose their sting in the first 30 seconds of cooking. Nettle leaves can be dried or used fresh. What is a Nettle A nettle (proper name: Urtica Dioica) is a herbaceous plant with stinging hairs that inject histamines and other various irritants that cause pain when they come in contact with skin. Cut them with shears at ground level. For food, pick the small leaves that grow from the top of the plant as they are the most tender. Avoid the sting. However, no need to ignore nettles completely once the leaves are over - the seeds are edible and medicinal. Harvest in the fall to use for medicinal purposes. Hannah is a community herbalist and wellness coach of Sweet Birch Herbals here in western MA. Just harvest regularly to encourage new growth, and keep an eye on them in case they start to spread to areas where you don’t want them to grow. Learn how. Some of these we are drying, some are on the lawn to dew ret, and the rest we skinned green. Simply pick leaves off the plant and place into a container. Cut the plants off at ground level with pruning shears. Then, cook 1 loose cup of nettles in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes until the water turns light green. Pick the top fresh leaves. Dec 8, 2014 - In Scandinavia, it’s a common rite of spring to go outside as the ground begins to thaw and to harvest the first fresh stinging nettle leaves. That’s it, that’s the big piece of advice: Harvest young nettle if you are concerned about being eaten alive. How to Harvest Nettles. Nettles are best when picked small. In addition to nettle soup you'll also find old recipes for nettle beer and nettle tea. How to Harvest Stinging Nettle. Dried nettle leaves … The roots extend deeper than you might expect - up to a foot below the surface - and they can be hard to get out of the ground. Also, you can keep them under control between harvests. The fibre will also be much stronger at this time compared to the more tender nettles of spring and early summer. Yes, you can harvest them later, but they are more likely to have big, tough stems in them. The cute-but-not-critical-to-your-nettle-harvesting story. When to Harvest. Harvesting nettle can prove a bit tricky. Keep the gloves on while you’re preparing the nettles as well. Nettle leaf tea is the most common way to consume nettles, and a favorite of many herbalists! John from shares with you how he harvests his stinging nettles and other greens growing in his garden. Protect the arms, too, with a thick shirt. HARVEST. Boil 1 cup of leaves in about 16 oz of water (enough for two mugs) for 10-15 minutes. The plant will be under a foot in height. This key bit of advice (“harvest young nettle”) came in handy one memorable spring day back in 2013. For tips on how to harvest nettles for your tea, keep reading! So, the downside to foraging nettles is, of course, the risk of being stung. How to Harvest Stinging Nettle Roots. Stinging nettle grows from early spring through the summer. Harvest - Removing Leaves & Stings: Mid to Late summer is the best time to harvest nettles, by this time they will have reached full height, and that means long fibres. Unless you’re crazy, you’ll want to avoid getting stung, so wear gloves. If fresh nettle is not available in your area, check local natural food stores. If you are trying to harness the benefits of stinging nettle root, you are going to have to dig a bit. Learn how. The best time to harvest nettles is the first few weeks of spring when the leaves are young and tender. I prefer to harvest nettles in the springtime. You can also turn your tea pink by adding lemon juice. stinging nettles: harvesting, eating, cooking stinging nettles in a nutshell. To handle nettles, don a pair of clean gloves or simply pick them up with a paper towel. The leaves are said to be darker, more tender, and especially nutrient-rich at this time of year. It’s important to move cautiously and take time to avoid the experience. I used 1.7Kg of nettles, 800grams of Sugar and 8 litres of water, (If you had 2.5 times as much then you need 2.5 times as much of everything eg 4.25kg nettles 1.225 kg Sugar and 20 litres of water.) Below is an example of a side dish recipe that originally called for spinach. Cooking a nettle effectively removes the sting. In most cases, gloves are a good idea, as some contact with the leaves is likely to occur. The stems were between 3 and 4 feet tall. Or, if you have arthritis, I suppose you could go old school and use your hands. 3. The old nettles will not sting you then, but the new shoots will, so you may still need gloves. How to Harvest and Handle Them Safely. This need not be a problem, nor a reason to avoid that particular patch, though it tends to signify that the plant is tired or stressed in some way, which can make the leaves a little bitter. The most important tip of harvesting stinging nettle is to be sure you’re covered to avoid being stung by the plant. Nettle-Picking Tips. We chopped the nettles off near the ground and stripped the leaves from the stems. Why to Harvest Nettles That pesky, painful weed… Nettles are best when very tender, so pick them in the spring when the nettles are just coming up or later in the season when they’re growing well, but before they are flowering. Full Flower Nettle Harvest Methods. Pick the first two or three pairs of leaves from the top of the plants. You can touch them bravely then. Nettles don’t need much maintenance after harvest season, as they are very hardy and spread easily. Next, we gathered the stems into sheaves and tied them with some nettle skins. There are a couple reasons for this: The plant still has nearly the full season to regrow and produce seed. Pick the young leaves from the tips. Pick the old stems, which are still standing, just as the new nettles are coming up. Harvest for eating before they are knee … 1. Avoid when leave are tinged with purple. HOW TO HARVEST STINGING NETTLE. It is a highly nutritious vegetable that I like to dry for tea. When harvesting, have a purpose or plan – only harvest as much as you need and process quickly. ~Nettles are a blood-building herb, being high in iron, calcium, trace minerals, protein, and chlorophyll; they are very beneficial for the anemic person. Wash the nettles with gloved hands to neutralize the sting and remove any bugs or dirt. How to Harvest Stinging Nettles. ~Being mildly diuretic and rich in minerals, nettles help to stimulate breast milk production after delivery. Once you get home, if you plan on using the nettles fresh, chop them up wearing gloves, too. Wash them with gloves on and stick them into … The amount of sugar and water is dependant on the amount of nettles you get. In Scandinavia, it?s a common rite of spring to go outside as the ground begins to thaw and to harvest the first fresh stinging nettle leaves. Once fall arrives, wait for a heavy rain to loosen the soil, and they’ll be easier to harvest. Young nettles emerging. Steam for about 10-15 minutes to turn your nettles from tough, stinging leaves into tender, delicious greens. If you are worried about getting stung use gardening gloves.