2010 – First Harvest of the Season

I’ve heard that they are really good for you. Lots of health benefits.

You were brave to try it, though .. not sure if I’d get anyone around here to try them.
Once again – you are my hero! lol

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

I used to have these at my last house. I never knew you could eat them.

-- A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.

Robin, you are amazing! :) And as MsDeb said, “Brave” as is your young son.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

Brave is right.I never would of thought of eating them.They used to grow at the cottage I used to have and I hated them things soooo much.Glad you liked them.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Thanks for all your comments. Isn’t it funny how one’s perspective about something can change? I think the hardest part is getting over the idea of eating something that stings when you touch it. Wanting to be a positive, open-minded example for my children helps give me courage to try new things. They think I am intrepid, therefore I aspire to be. I have to tell you, the nettles were much easier to harvest and cook than I had imagined and they really do taste good. Once they are cooked, the sting is completely gone and you can chop it up and put in a quiche or lasagna and everyone will ask you, where did you get that terrific tasting spinach?

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

I put chopped up nettles in a chicken pot pie for dinner, yum!

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

That’s really neat. It’s really cool that what once was a thorn in your side ended up being a meal in your stomach. I’m glad you gave it a try.

-- Cooking, weeding, and growing what I can in Brampton. -Joe (Superdad)

I thought of you A LOT this week—I just barely touched a nettle plant while in the garden and my finger burned, throbbed and then felt numb for a couple of days. “Curses” I thought.. and then “Yummy???? That would be an evil payback” but I chickened out and it is now in my fire bin.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Debbie, if you have nettles growing, you might have an “antidote” herb growing nearby. If you get a nettle sting, you can allegedly rub the area with the leaves from this plant and the sting goes away. Unfortunately, I don’t know the name, but I can take a photo of it when it gets a bit bigger. It has distinctive yellow/orange flowers and light green roundish leaves. We call them “poppers” because when you touch the ripe seed pod, the pod explodes open and the seeds go flying. My sons love to play with them in the fall and as a result we have many, many poppers down in our wild area. Other than this herb, mud, cold water or a baking soda paste can help if you get a really bad sting. My opinion is eat them into submission!

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

Are you thinking of ‘jewel weed’? It is also an antidote for poison ivy. To date, I have never suffered from poison ivy so I can’t verify that this works, but I have heard this froma friend who did use it.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

I’ll have to look up the plant so I can recognize it.
I tried the cold water trick but it just seemed to make the finger go numb but still affected. It’s all better now.
Eating them still sounds like a great payback .. if only I was as brave as you!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Iris, you are absolutely amazing. I looked up Jewel weed and the photos are identical to the plant that is supposed to be the antidote. Like Iris, I have not tried it because I haven’t been stung by nettles or poison ivy since I found out it is a “cure”. Here is a link about Jewel weed if anyone is interested. The funniest thing to me, is that they grow right next to each other in the wild part of the back yard. I am glad you are feeling better, the sting is quite annoying!

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

I’ve got jewel weed galore coming up in one bed, .... and in between the stones of the patio …. and in other gardens. LOL Fortunately, they pull out really easily.

I did not know about its beneificiary traits with respect to poison ivy. I’ll have to keep a few.

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Jroot, as you already know, don’t let the Jewel weed flower and go to seed or they will spread and spread and take over your beautiful gardens.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

I just read this little tidbit of information on stinging nettle… ” Boiling the plant with salt produces a liquor that can substitute for rennet”

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Wow! You are brave:)

-- I love hostas:)

At first it required courage. Now we look forward to meals made with tasty, tender young green nettles each spring.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi