Stinging Nettles!

Springing, Stinging Nettles! It's spring time for sure. Matt and Matia and Nick and Sarah and I went to a secret location near to our homes. Someone had already been there for certain (Drew!) But we gave some thanks to the land and to the natural world and then embarked on an adventure.

We played a couple rounds of Hide (even as adults it is a FUN game!) and then found a sweet patch of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). On a hillside, in a drainage, the mosquitoes were out too... pretty early I feel.

I'm not making any sense. So, lemme start over. We harvested a bunch of stinging nettles. After I collected some, I steamed them at home and then put them on pizza last night! Boy are they delicious! Despite being stung a couple of times and having achy hands, I got enough for the night. And I look forward to more pain and more nettles in my diet.

Here is some information about the nettle. Anyone who has encountered this plant has a story... but it is really an important source of vitamins and food for us humans. Pojar says it had also been referred to as, Indian Spinach, and it's good in the spring time before it gets to be taller than a foot. Otherwise, excess Formic acid forms and we don't garner as much nutrition. That acid is stored in the hollow needles and is delivered when one of us accidentally (or purposefully) grabs the stems, branches, or underside of leaves and breaks the tips of the needles. It often gives us a rash or irritation.

Rumor has it that we can make a spit salve with Sword Fern sori (spores, pronounced "Sore-eye") and apply the paste to remedy the rashes. Nature is a funny world too... the heart of a Stinging Nettles thicket was surrounded by tons of sword fern with sori ready to go! For every danger we find in the environment there is almost always a cure... and they are often growing adjacent or very close to one another (ironic or designed).

Later in the year, we can harvest the long stalks. Not for eating but for cordage. We can dry and peel in such a way that we can fashion rope... once (and still) used for snares, fishnets, and other rope.

What a great plant. It should be respected. And harvested. And not over-harvested! It humbled us with its intense sting. But it provides for us too. Mmmm...

And this blog post was really poorly written. I hope you got the point!