If you’ve read my previous article about the benefits of nettles but need some inspiration this article is on hand to help. For all of these ideas use the fresh young nettle leaves. Wash carefully before using and you may want to use a glove to protect from stings. The nettles will not sting at all when prepared as below, however some people have a reaction to nettles so best to only consume small amounts initially.
My 4 favourite ways to eat nettles are:
- Nettle tea; pour boiling water on the leaves and steep for 20 minutes.
- Steamed nettle; steam nettles for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Then eat as you would spinach. I tend to drizzle with hemp oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Nettle pesto; grind a handful of nettle leaves with a handful of Brazil nuts, a clove of garlic, dash of apple cider vinegar, dash of hemp oil, tea spoon of nutritional yeast and salt. This tends to make a chunky nut pesto. If you like it smoother add more oil but I try to only have oil in small quantities.
- Roll nettles and eat! The rolling makes sure they won’t sting and is a great way to eat nettles when out and about. I often had a few during my lunch hour sat by the canal when I worked in an office and they helped me get through the day.