nettle tea

[Stushica]

I drink a good bit of nettle as well as mullen leaf tea in the spring to help with allergies, personally i think it's pretty icky tasteing stuff but not nearly as bad as not breathing lol. I think i'll scout for some to eat next time if it's a more tastey alternative. As far as the picking goes I'd use gloves! also if you get "stung" the inside of the leaf (the liquidy side) to can be used to relieve the sting.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My grandfather always said that it's "healthy" to get stung by nettles and it can help if you have stiff fingers or other joints.

I have honeybees for that. Apitherapy!

how the heck do you gather these things? I know they're good to eat but...OUCH

I set a big bowl down next to them, hold the top leaves with kitchen tongs, and snip the stem below it with scissors, toss them into the bowl with the tongs. Simply dump the bowlful into simmering water or broth.

Here are a couple of tender shoots from last year:

[chryss]

how the heck do you gather these things? I know they're good to eat but...OUCH

The "needles" are around the edge, so you can actually pinch them with index finger and thumb in the middle of the (top and bottom side of the) leaf without getting stung. Then you rip or better cut them off (with scissors) at the leaf stem and you get single leaves this way.

Or of rouse household rubber gloves .

[Catrin]

Nettles have been used for centuries in some parts of the world as a way to help regulate heavy menstrual flow, also given after childbirth. They are also quite yummy early in the season with a good garlic sauce - Eastern European comfort food