How to Cook Stinging Nettles for Eating
How to Cook Stinging Nettles for Eating
Move over spinach! Stinging nettles are fun to forage, easy to make safe for eating, and have all the health benefits of dark leafy greens. Learn how to harvest and cook stinging nettles for eating in a few simple steps!
How To Cook Stinging Nettles For Eating
My first encounter with stinging nettles was at summer camp. We stayed in large canvas tents that were tucked into wooded areas you could get to by walking along well-worn paths. The paths curved in and out of the sunshine. Growing in the shady areas were large patches of stinging nettles, looking very pretty, green and innocent. My mistake. One day a shortcut led me through the nettle patch, giving me a new respect for this dark leafy green, and a healthy assortment of painful welts. It wasn’t until many years later that I discovered stinging nettles were actually both edible and delicious.
A word of caution: Do NOT eat stinging nettles raw. They will sting your skin and the inside of your mouth. The stingers must be deactivated before eating. This blog post will show you how to harvest nettles and cook them so that they are totally safe to eat.
Foraging For Stinging Nettles
What do stinging nettles taste like?
Stinging nettles, once cooked, taste very similar to spinach. In fact, it’s difficult to tell the difference when the nettles are added to a favorite baked dish or made into a pesto. When enjoyed plain, they taste a bit grassier than spinach but less bitter than collard greens or kale.
If you’re curious about the health benefits of stinging nettles, click here.
Young Stinging Nettles
Where can I get stinging nettles?
Since stinging nettles are rarely found in grocery stores, the 3 most common ways to get them are foraging, purchasing them at your local farmer’s market, or receiving nettles in a CSA (community supported agriculture) share.
Foraging: If you live in an area where stinging nettles grow (like here on the Peninsula), foraging is a satisfying and economical way to harvest them. Nettles often grow in shady areas in the disturbed dirt along paths and roads. The best time to harvest is in early spring when the plants are young, tender, and before they’ve begun to flower. If you miss this window, don’t worry, you may still be able to find new shoots growing in a larger patch, or just harvest the tops of mature plants.
Look for nettles that are under 2 feet high and snip the whole plant, stem leaves, and all. If you are harvesting mature plants, snip the small top leaves only, the ones that are 3 inches across or smaller.
When harvesting nettles, be sure to wear gloves that cover your hands and wrists, long sleeves, and pants. I’ve come home a few times with the odd sting from wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Other than that, all you need are some sturdy scissors for cutting the plants, and a bag or basket for gathering.
Farmer’s Market and CSA share: Another source for stinging nettles is at your local farmer’s market. This is a convenient way to get nettles, as they are all ready to take home and cook. I often end up with nettles in my CSA share, which is pretty handy too.
Equipment For Harvesting Stinging Nettles
Equipment for harvesting stinging nettles
o Long gloves
o Long sleeves and pants
o Scissors
o Bag or basket for collecting the nettles
Wear Gloves and Long Sleeves When Harvesting Stinging Nettles
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Ingredients for cooking stinging nettles
Ingredients:
o 6 cups of stinging nettle leaves
o 2 quarts of water
o 1 tablespoon of kosher salt
o Ice water bath
Equipment for cooking stinging nettles
What you’ll need:
o A large pot for boiling water
o Tongs for handling the nettles
o Colander for draining
o A bowl for ice water
Method for cooking stinging nettles
Step 1:
1. Using long gloves, prepare your nettles by snipping the leaves from mature plants, leaving the stem behind. On young plants (ones that haven’t flowered yet) that are under 2 feet high, cut the stems with the leaves still on, in half.
Step 2:
2. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Use tongs to immerse the nettles in the boiling water. Cook for 60 seconds, until the leaves are just wilted but are still bright green.
Step 3:
3. Remove the nettles by scooping them out with tongs, a spider strainer, or draining them in a colander. Immediately plunge the nettles in an ice water bath to halt the cooking process and preserve the vibrant green color.
Step 4:
4. After they are cooled, drain the nettles and squeeze them into a ball with your hands, wringing out the excess water. At this point, you can chop the ball into smaller pieces to use in a recipe right away or freeze the nettles in a plastic bag for later use.
How to Cook Stinging Nettles for Eating
Try stinging nettles in these delicious recipes!
Yam Chickpea and Peanut Stew (replace the kale with stinging nettles)
Kale Pasta (replace the kale stinging nettles)
Printable Recipe Card:
How to Cook Stinging Nettles for Eating
Ingredients
Instructions
- Using long gloves, prepare your nettles by snipping the leaves from mature plants, leaving the stem behind. On young plants (ones that haven’t flowered yet) that are under 2 feet high, cut the stems with the leaves still on, in half.
- Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Use tongs to immerse the nettles in the boiling water. Cook for 60 seconds, until the leaves are just wilted but are still bright green.
- Remove the nettles by scooping them out with tongs, a spider strainer, or draining them in a colander. Immediately plunge the nettles in an ice water bath to halt the cooking process and preserve the vibrant green color.
- After they are cooled, drain the nettles and squeeze them into a ball with your hands, wringing out the excess water. At this point, you can chop the ball into smaller pieces to use in a recipe right away or freeze the nettles in a plastic bag for later use.
Notes:
For step-by-step instructions with photos and a full list of equipment, see blog post!
A word of caution: Do NOT eat stinging nettles raw. They will sting your skin and the inside of your mouth. The stingers must be deactivated before eating. This blog post will show you how to harvest nettles and cook them so that they are totally safe to eat.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
218.40Fat (grams)
3.12Sat. Fat (grams)
0.41Carbs (grams)
43.91Fiber (grams)
15.60Net carbs
28.31Sugar (grams)
9.75Protein (grams)
14.82Sodium (milligrams)
226.76Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators.