Stinging Nettle-Ade Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make stinging nettles safe to eat? ›

Because the stings have to remain firm to cause the irritation, cooking the leaf instantly makes them safe – don't try to eat the leaf raw in a salad or anything. There are plenty of recipes online for a variety of hot dishes, so see what you fancy. Think of the nettle leaf like spinach and use it in a similar way.

Sautéing – Sauté until they look fully cooked, usually about 5-8 minutes. Steaming – place nettles in a colander and steam for 5-10 minutes. The stinging substance in nettles (formic acid) is neutralized with heat and once it is dried.

To make your own nettle infusion, add 100 ml of water and a large handful of clean, young nettle leaves to a pan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and let the leaves simmer in the water for about 15-20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding the used leaves.

Avoid if you're pregnant or breastfeeding because there isn't enough information on its safety. Use with caution if you're elderly because of the potential of causing low blood pressure. And use stinging nettle with caution if you have diabetes because of the potential that it may lower or raise blood sugar levels.

It is important to be careful when handling the nettle plant because touching it can cause an allergic rash. Stinging nettle should never be applied to an open wound. Because nettle can alter the menstrual cycle and may contribute to miscarriage, pregnant women should not use nettle.

There are several ways to prepare the leaves once you've taken them home. You can wash and dry them by leaving them in the open air, or you can freeze-dry them for long-term storage. If you freeze the leaves, blanch them first. Boil them in water for 2 minutes, then soak them in ice water for 2 more minutes.

The dried leaves and flowers can be steeped to make a delicious herbal tea, while its leaves, stem and roots can be cooked and added to soups, stews, smoothies and stir-frys. However, avoid eating fresh leaves, as their barbs can cause irritation. Currently, there is no recommended dosage for stinging nettle products.

They can be used medicinally, ceremonially and as a highly nutritious food source. Roots, seeds, stems and young, tender leaves are all edible. Native Indigenous people use stinging nettle for medicine, ceremony and as a food source. Mature fibrous stems have been used to make rope, cloth and fishing net.

What does nettle do for a woman? ›

The chemical compounds in stinging nettle have a variety of health benefits for women. Because of its astringent characteristics, it can relieve unpleasant premenstrual symptoms including cramping and bloating, as well as reduce blood flow during menstruation.

Packed with a variety of polyphenolic compounds and pigments, nettle leaf detox drinks reduce liver inflammation. A regular cleanse with nettle leaf detox drinks can help lower blood pressure and improve the heart's antioxidant defenses.

This suggests that nettle has anti-inflammatory properties. However, the study focuses on eating nettle leaves as food rather than on consuming nettle tea. As a result, the tea may not have the same effect. The Arthritis Foundation suggest that people who want to try the tea drink one cup three times per day.

Nettle tea benefits the kidneys by increasing urine output and uric acid removal. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it improves kidney function and urinary flow. Nettle tea is a natural diuretic that promotes proper fluid flow in the kidneys and bladder, preventing kidney stones from forming.

Urtica dioica is thought to bind to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) via its polar extracts and cause elevated serum estrogen levels. The local estrogen bioactivity in breast tissue may subsequently lead to gynecomastia or galactorrhea [2].

Stinging nettle can be a really healthy source of vitamins and minerals, and once boiled to remove the stings can be used for making a soup or tea.

Top Tip. Wear gloves and cover skin when handling stinging nettles to avoid irritation from stinging hairs.

A 'sting' is when the nettle's acid filled barb penetrates the skin, and breaks off, releasing the acid that causes the pain. You can't become immune to this kind of injury any more that becoming immune to the pain of a cut.