They are perennial. They will satisfy my hamburger cravings. Also, you can keep them under control between harvests. Your nettles will be ready to harvest between 80-90 days from seed. How To Harvest and Use Fresh Nettles: Stinging Nettles are a wonderful vegetable that tastes something like spinach. So, the downside to foraging nettles is, of course, the risk of being stung. Protect the arms, too, with a thick shirt. The old nettles will not sting you then, but the new shoots will, so you may still need gloves. Boil 1 cup of leaves in about 16 oz of water (enough for two mugs) for 10-15 minutes. Nettles don’t need much maintenance after harvest season, as they are very hardy and spread easily. How to sustainably harvest nettle roots. You may harvest nettles from the time the new leaves emerge from the ground until late fall after the flowers have gone to seed but before the rains begin to rot the stems (while they still maintain their green color and … Sometimes the leaves of stinging nettles are tinged purple. Bundle them like flax and allow to dry. Slice the leaves off and then wash and rinse well. How to Harvest and Handle Them Safely. Cut the plants off at ground level with pruning shears. ~Nettles may be used as a treatment for hay fever. The stems were between 3 and 4 feet tall. Next, we gathered the stems into sheaves and tied them with some nettle skins. I wear rose gloves, which cover my forearms. Harvest nettle leaves into a clean paper sack. It’s important to move cautiously and take time to avoid the experience. If you are trying to harness the benefits of stinging nettle root, you are going to have to dig a bit. The amount of sugar and water is dependant on the amount of nettles you get. Nettles can be prepared similarly to spinach in soups or like basil in pesto. Nettle leaf tea is the most common way to consume nettles, and a favorite of many herbalists! If fresh nettle is not available in your area, check local natural food stores. You should wear gloves to protect your hands, but it’s important to cover your arms, legs, and feet too. When harvesting, have a purpose or plan – only harvest as much as you need and process quickly. 1. Harvesting nettle can prove a bit tricky. Below is an example of a side dish recipe that originally called for spinach. Keep the gloves on while you’re preparing the nettles as well. Just harvest regularly to encourage new growth, and keep an eye on them in case they start to spread to areas where you don’t want them to grow. Or, if you have arthritis, I suppose you could go old school and use your hands. Next, strain the tea before serving with sugar, if desired. That’s it, that’s the big piece of advice: Harvest young nettle if you are concerned about being eaten alive. Once the nettle has seeded, it is unsafe to use for making rennet. When to Harvest. Why to Harvest Nettles That pesky, painful weed… For tips on how to harvest nettles for your tea, keep reading! HOW TO HARVEST STINGING NETTLE. In most cases, gloves are a good idea, as some contact with the leaves is likely to occur. This key bit of advice (“harvest young nettle”) came in handy one memorable spring day back in 2013. Pick the top fresh leaves. It’s best to choose a patch of nettles away from any commonly used footpaths (just in case dogs have used them). When you plan on harvesting nettles. Wash the nettles with gloved hands to neutralize the sting and remove any bugs or dirt. With my own nettles, I cut individual leaves off the stems so that the leaves will continue to replenish themselves and I will be able to harvest more nettles for a longer period of time. Wash them with gloves on and stick them into … Harvest in the fall to use for medicinal purposes. Learn how. Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don’t get stung. Dried nettle leaves … Nettles were considered to be a tonic, useful for cleansing the body at the beginning of the new growing period. Seed harvest . The nutrient content of nettles is incredible- we recommend nettle as a staple for people who are dairy free, as a tonic in pregnancy, and as a general restorative for all. To harvest them, wear gloves. How to Harvest Stinging Nettle Roots. I prefer to harvest nettles in the springtime. The roots extend deeper than you might expect - up to a foot below the surface - and they can be hard to get out of the ground. Once you get home, if you plan on using the nettles fresh, chop them up wearing gloves, too. 2. How to Harvest Nettles. Nettles grow both from root suckers and from seed. For food, pick the small leaves that grow from the top of the plant as they are the most tender. You can also turn your tea pink by adding lemon juice. He then will …From From Pick the young leaves from the tips. I used 1.7Kg of nettles, 800grams of Sugar and 8 litres of water, (If you had 2.5 times as much then you need 2.5 times as much of everything eg 4.25kg nettles 1.225 kg Sugar and 20 litres of water.) Hannah is a community herbalist and wellness coach of Sweet Birch Herbals here in western MA. Nettles are best when very tender, so pick in the spring when the nettles … Pick the first two or three pairs of leaves from the top of the plants. Once they are dry, the pressure is off the stinging hairs and the sting is gone. It is a highly nutritious vegetable that I like to dry for tea. ~Nettles are a blood-building herb, being high in iron, calcium, trace minerals, protein, and chlorophyll; they are very beneficial for the anemic person. To handle nettles, don a pair of clean gloves or simply pick them up with a paper towel. The fibre will also be much stronger at this time compared to the more tender nettles of spring and early summer. How to Harvest Stinging Nettle. Store the stems in a warm, well ventilated place, ideally with some sunlight, like a greenhouse. How to Find, Identify and Harvest Nettles. Young nettles emerging. ~Being mildly diuretic and rich in minerals, nettles help to stimulate breast milk production after delivery. Learn how. The cute-but-not-critical-to-your-nettle-harvesting story. Avoid the sting. Allow the biggest and best plants to remain in the soil, and leave the damaged plants for the critters and pollinators. The best time to harvest nettles is the first few weeks of spring when the leaves are young and tender. The leaves, stems and roots can all be used but we’re going to focus on the leaves and stems. To harvest stinging nettles as a potherb, wear stout gloves so you don’t get strung. They lose their sting in the first 30 seconds of cooking. Avoid when leave are tinged with purple. Steam for about 10-15 minutes to turn your nettles from tough, stinging leaves into tender, delicious greens. In addition to nettle soup you'll also find old recipes for nettle beer and nettle tea. Stinging nettle grows from early spring through the summer. Harvest - Removing Leaves & Stings: Mid to Late summer is the best time to harvest nettles, by this time they will have reached full height, and that means long fibres. Cut them with shears at ground level. However, no need to ignore nettles completely once the leaves are over - the seeds are edible and medicinal. Nettle-Picking Tips. Let me know if it helps. Yes they do sting, but not so much if you use a firm grip. We chopped the nettles off near the ground and stripped the leaves from the stems. Harvest nettle leaves before the plant has gone to seed. Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are harvested and dried or heated to remove the sting. Simply pick leaves off the plant and place into a container. The leaves are said to be darker, more tender, and especially nutrient-rich at this time of year. If you put more/less sugar in a recipe then you get more/less alcohol. And when you cook, soak, or dry Nettles, they lose their stinging property Unless you’re crazy, you’ll want to avoid getting stung, so wear gloves. It is recommended that you wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting stinging nettle. Harvest for eating before they are knee … Full Flower Nettle Harvest Methods. DRY. Cooking Nettles. Dec 8, 2014 - In Scandinavia, it’s a common rite of spring to go outside as the ground begins to thaw and to harvest the first fresh stinging nettle leaves. I recruited my friend, Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, to help me with this post. If you are worried about getting stung use gardening gloves. Some of these we are drying, some are on the lawn to dew ret, and the rest we skinned green. This need not be a problem, nor a reason to avoid that particular patch, though it tends to signify that the plant is tired or stressed in some way, which can make the leaves a little bitter. Then, cook 1 loose cup of nettles in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes until the water turns light green. Nettles are best when picked small. What is a Nettle A nettle (proper name: Urtica Dioica) is a herbaceous plant with stinging hairs that inject histamines and other various irritants that cause pain when they come in contact with skin. There are a couple reasons for this: The plant still has nearly the full season to regrow and produce seed. How to Harvest Stinging Nettles. The most important tip of harvesting stinging nettle is to be sure you’re covered to avoid being stung by the plant. Pick the old stems, which are still standing, just as the new nettles are coming up. 3. Cooking a nettle effectively removes the sting. They have more protein than any other edible plant I know of. You can touch them bravely then. Once fall arrives, wait for a heavy rain to loosen the soil, and they’ll be easier to harvest. HARVEST. stinging nettles: harvesting, eating, cooking stinging nettles in a nutshell. John from shares with you how he harvests his stinging nettles and other greens growing in his garden. Nettle leaves can be dried or used fresh. Yes, you can harvest them later, but they are more likely to have big, tough stems in them. When do I harvest Stinging Nettle? Nettles can be harvested and cooked. The plant will be under a foot in height. In Scandinavia, it?s a common rite of spring to go outside as the ground begins to thaw and to harvest the first fresh stinging nettle leaves. Picking the nettles when they are small (under a foot high), ensures smaller stems and more tender leaves. Nettles are an excellent choice, as like all green “super” foods they “nourish the blood” and at the same time “cleanse” it. Stinging Nettles is one of the wild foods that come up every Spring in our garden. Nettles are best when very tender, so pick them in the spring when the nettles are just coming up or later in the season when they’re growing well, but before they are flowering. Normal leather garden gloves would work great.