Nettles

[oldclaypaws]

In a few areas I've cleared one plant which is thriving is nettles, great rafts of them six feet high. Not sure I didn't prefer the brambles!

So- pros and cons of nettles. Are there numerous delicious uses for them so we can learn to love them, or are they a complete invasive pain to be controlled and eridicated? What recipes can anyone recommend, or methods of control.

I suspect its another case of balance, we'll want to have some for butterflies and wildlife, try some recipes, but don't want them rampant. Apparently they are 25% protein; maybe you could almost live off them ?

[oldclaypaws]

Just tried nettle tea and nettle soup, both of which are supposed to gave huge health benefits, and which are both quite pleasant.

For the tea, pick a heaped handful of young leaves (or regrowth, if you've recently cut some), and just dunk in near boiling water for a couple of minutes, strain, drink. Very 'fresh', green and leafy, not at all bitter or unpleasant. A Tibetan Guru called Milarepa supposedly lived off nothing else for ten years, but he did turn green.

Soup recipe is here, I'd suggest avoiding long stringy bits of nettle, pull off the leaves. It tastes again very fresh and light, not unlike pea soup. Mrs Paws thought it was good. Eventually I chucked in some Stilton, to make a Nettle and Stilton, which was lush.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/30/nettle-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall

Nettle leaves lightly blanched like spinach with a nob of butter and seasoning taste a bit like kale or any green vegetable, again avoid stringy bits, but we liked it.

Very good for you, free, tasty and different- we'll be doing it again.

[smojo]

We made some pesto on our foraging course of nettle, ramson leaves, hazelnuts and cheese. Wasn't too keen on the nettle flavour though. They are supposed to rich in iron and potassium. You have to pick them young and just use the top few leaves. In Heysham near Morecambe, years ago all the locals made nettle beer (non alcoholic), for sale outside their houses, which was nice. I think certain butterflies like the flowers too.

[Whatisheatnow]

When I was young and even not so young nettles were an accepted and common part of Irish country people's diet in the springtime. They were usually boiled with hard cured salty bacon instead of, or in a mixture with, cabbage. A little bit of the resulting liquid was also used to add flavour to the potatoes. I still have some occasionally. There was a saying that one needed to eat three meals of nettles during the month of May to have good health during the year.