At first glance, nettles appear like common ground cover plants or weeds. However, it is an extremely he althy plant that contains a variety of important vitamins. For this reason, these should be collected and integrated into the menu.
How to collect nettles?
The nettle can be collected usingGardening gloves and a sharp tool. Cutting off entire stems prevents the burning hairs from breaking off and the burning substance from being secreted. These cause painful rashes and burns on the skin.
When should you collect nettles?
Stinging nettles should be collected inApril or May. This means there is a particularly high chance that you will get a large number of young shoots. At this point the nettle leaves are still very fresh. If the plant is large enough, it is also ideal for collecting and processing. Harvesting adult nettles is possible without any problems until September. However, if you are looking for the seeds of the plant, the month of October is a good time to harvest nettles.
Where can you collect the nettle?
The nettle is a real wild plant. You can find these either in your owngarden or in the great outdoors The he althy plants are particularly common in meadows, wasteland, pastures, on the edges of forests or near bodies of water. Many species of nettle also grow in fields or along the side of the road. However, you should not collect these as they have most likely come into contact with chemical fertilizers and exhaust fumes.
What do you use the collected nettles for?
The collected nettles arevery versatile They can either be dried or consumed immediately. Before eating the nettle, however, you should never forget to remove the stinging hairs. This is especially true when eating the plant raw. These ultimately cause a particularly painful burning sensation. Do this thoroughly. However, nettles are not just a luxury food. They are often used to fertilize other plants or for pest control. The nettle manure supplies your plants with important minerals and nutrients.
Tip
Drying nettle after collecting
Drying the nettle leads to a longer shelf life for the plant. After collecting, the stems should be hung upside down. A dark and dry location is ideal for this. Drying also causes the caustic substance in the stinging hairs to lose its effect. However, never dry the nettle in the sun. Exposure to sunlight causes the plant to burn and thereby lose its active ingredients.
