How to eat raw stinging nettles?

[greeninlosangeles]

I know that they are very nutritious just like all edible weeds, but they sting. I hoped, that after several hours of being picked they would stop stinging, but they do not. How do you deal with it?

[Rawkinlocs]

Best thing is probably to add to (green) smoothies. Victoria Boutenko said once that once blended with the fruit, they no longer sting!

[cactus]

There must be some trick to it, as over here ( in England) they have stinging nettle eating competitions ( don't ask me why) but they eat a lot and they don't seem bothered by the sting, they roll the leaves up and pop them in their mouth and although their mouths turn dark green they don't seem to have any other problems, so I know it can be done, just not sure what the trick is :)

[Salsify]

I think the only stinging part is along the sides, that's why they roll them up.

[RawTruth]

Definitely put them in your green smoothies!!

And ... being from LA, are you finding them at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market? I've been looking for them but have been told they're sold there only and only on Wednesday daytime hours.

[Arky]

Yeah, I concur that they are totally sting-free once blended. Very high in iron and silicon, but also, on the negative side, high in oxalic acid, so do eat them, but not with wild abandon or your kidneys will whimper a bit ;)

According to David Wolfe, the old druid trick to eating them straight off the plant is to roll the leaves so as to leave only the underside showing, and to place them on the tongue like that - apparently, the saliva neutralizes the formic acid (the sting), but I've no desire to try this, since I am happy to wait until I get home to my blender!

Some interesting remarks about nettles here:

http://www.ruralvermont.com/vermontweathervane/issues/spring/98005/nettle.shtml

P.S. while you're picking those nettles, don't forget to pick some dandelions, too they're extremely nutritious! Nettles plus dandelions will make one seriously mineral-rich smoothie (be warned, dandelions are bitter but you can do as you please to tackle that issue, or not).


J.

[RawTruth]

Dandelion greens aren't bitter when picked young - 'least in my experience.

[Arky]

Dandelion greens aren't bitter when picked young - 'least in my experience.


Ahh, I guess that might well be true - I just pick 'em as I find 'em :D


J.

[greeninlosangeles]

I did, but I am sure, if you can get out of town, you can pick them yourself. I do buy dandelion too there, although I think it is not wild, thay raise it on purpose, so it might have less nutrition then wild varieties. The ones I use are not that bitter - although I mostly use them in my smoothies, but sometimes put them in my salads. So I will try nettle in the smoothies. Thanks so much for the advice!

[Arky]

I also add seaweed to my smoothies since I don't enjoy eating it (the texture is a bit slimy for my palate ;)). In a smoothie, you barely know it's even in there, so you get the mineral benefits in a 'painless' manner! :D

Incidentally, I don't know if this is actually a fact, but it certainly would not surprise me in the least if greens get more bitter the greater their mineral content. If this were the case, then more-mature dandelions, and wilder dandelions, might be expected to be more bitter. Just a thought.


J.

[RawTruth]

I'm going on a nature hike tomorrow in Laguna Canyon with a foraging expert - he'll be showing us the wild edibles. How exciting, huh? I'll be learning to eat the things I'd pulled from my yard as weeds in a former life! LOL

Arky - have you tried dulse? It's crunchy added to salads or eaten out of hand. I'm sure you know this as you're so knowledgeable -- it's just that I like nibbling on it straight out of a bag sometimes. No slime involved!

[Arky]

Interesting - yes, I have eaten dulse but I never considered eating it in the dried state, to tell you the truth! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll try it out in due course.


J.