Description

Stinging Nettles

When you buy stinging nettles online, you’ll encounter an edible plant unlike any other. The stinging nettle is a beautiful green plant with a single, long stalk and almost heart-shaped leaves. It may be covered with sharp bristles that sting the moment they brush across the skin, but when carefully handled with gloves, the plant can be used to make a variety of useful products and delicious food items. The stinging nettle has a distinctive taste with a rich, green note that reminds one of springtime and absorbs other flavors quite well.

Other Names: Urtica dioica (scientific name), common nettle, burn nettle, burn weed, burn hazel, ortie, ortiga, bichu

Season: March-May

Origin: Oregon, USA

Shelf Life: Stinging nettles will stay fresh for up to one week.

Nutritional Facts: 100 grams of stinging nettles contain high amounts of calcium (48% RDA*), Vitamin A (40% RDA), dietary fiber (28% RDA), and magnesium (14% RDA) that help develop strong bones and vision, regulate digestion, and produce energy. In addition, nettles are made up of several positive components that help the body. Here are just a few possible medical benefits people use the nettle for…

— Reduces gingivitis and prevents plaque as a mouth rinse.
— Relieves chest congestion and coughing, bronchitis, COPD and TB.
— Is helpful in the treatment of Alzheimers.
— Relieves neurological disorders such as MS, ALS and sciatica.
— Remedies made from the plant’s roots prevent night time urination in children.
— Destroys intestinal worms and parasites.
— Supports the endocrine system including the thyroid, spleen and pancreas.

If you’re taking lithium, water pills, blood thinners, sedatives, anti-inflammatory pills, or medication for diabetes or high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before consuming stinging nettles. Stinging nettles may change the effectiveness of these medications. Before you buy stinging nettles you can learn more about their health benefits here!

Tips: Stinging nettle makes a perfect stand in for spinach, whether in soups, raviolis or pastas, as a cooked green, on pizza or focaccia bread, or as a base for pesto. Using the nettle plant in place of kale or Swiss chard will further add the exciting new flavor to your cooking. People also enjoy making tea with the leaves for its flavor, health benefits, and calming quality. Before flax was introduced to Europe, fibers from the plant were used to make a type of linen that was considered to be extremely durable. Native Americans and Europeans alike used the fibers to make both ropes and fishing nets. Today, you can make hair conditioner by simmering a large handful of nettles in a quart of water for two hours before straining and bottling the liquid.