stinging nettle
Urtica dioica
---Flavor Profile and Uses
---Identification
---Harvesting Instructions
- Delicious, rich, earthy, slightly-zesty, and wild-green-tasting when eaten (perfect in almost any dish)
- Can also be prepared as a tea, taken as a tincture, or mode into a powder capsule
- Incredible medicine, super-food, fertilizer (see video below) and source of natural cordage fiber
- Tonic herb that's fortifying to the body, full of chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, and protein
- Promotes kidney health and feeds the entire body
- Has astringent, anti-inflammatory properties and can be used in treating allergies, urinary tract infections, and liver imbalances
- Roots and seeds are also medicinal and help reduce prostate inflammation
---Identification
- Entire plant is covered with find hairs that produce an itchy sting when handled fresh (once dried or cooked, the sting is gone)
- Square stems and lance-shaped leaves that are finely toothed
- Grows up to 8' tall in fertile soil and produce bunches of small, cream-colored flowers which ripen into round seed clusters that form along the stem at the top of the plant
- Roots are fibrous, deep yellow, and grow in a dense mat
- Thrives in full sun to partial shade and moderately moist soil rich in organic matter
- Often found happily growing on or around compost and manure piles
---Harvesting Instructions
- Gloves, long pants, and long sleeves are recommended to protect oneself from being stung
- Leaves can be harvested from the first stages of growth all the way to the onset of flowering (as long as it's before the plant goes to seed)
- Harvest aerial portion 1' above the base of the plant to produce more growth for a second (or even third) harvest later in the season
- Dry in bundles upside down in an area protected from the elements with good airflow
- When plants begin to crumble easily, remove leaves and store in an airtight container (preferably with paper or desiccation packets added to absorb moisture and prevent molding over time)
Carpenter, Jeff, and Carpenter, Melanie. The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015.