You guys! Spring is in the air! Sun, buds on the trees and happy, green colors everywhere! In these strange times we live in, it’s extra important we take care of ourselves in every way we can. One way which we highly recommend is to go out and pick nettles.
Say what? Yes, nettles!
Why nettles? Well, because 1. They’re rich in vitamins like A, C and K. 2. they contain loads of potassium and iron. Also, they’re said to be anti-inflammatory and good for the gut = good for the immune system. Yes, it’s true. And the picking itself means time in nature which is great for calming the mind. And fresh air and vitamin D. And free food. So, grab a bag and a pair of gloves and get going!
When you’ve picked a bag full of lush leaves (a great hack is to only pick the top part of the nettle, that way you won’t need to separate the leaves from the stalk later), do one of the following:
Blanch them
Rinse the nettles. Bring water to a boil in a big pot and throw in the nettle leaves. Let boil for a couple of minutes. Pour away the water and squeeze out the rest of the water. If you’re not going to use the nettles right away – freeze them.
Dry them
Rinse the nettles in water. Pour away the water and put the leaves of a towel. Let them dry for a little bit, then put them on a baking sheet and let them dry completely. If you want to dry them more quickly, put them in the oven on 50 degrees Celsius for a couple of hours. When the nettles are dried, keep them in an airtight container.
We’d also like to leave you a few tips on what to do with your finds. Here goes:
Soup – make a plain one with garlic and white wine or try a cool version with coconut milk and smoked paprika powder.
Pesto – turn the classic pasta dish into a superfood one by adding tons of nettles into the basil heavenly goodness.
Nettle ricotta cream – soft ricotta cheese, nettles, parsley, garlic … mmmmm. Use it as condiment or as filling in a pie.
Nettle waffles – put a handful of blanched nettles into your waffle batter and give the waffles a beautiful green marble kind of look. Serve with sour cream, red onion and some cold-smoked salmon.
See you in the forest in 10? Ok, great!
Bye!
