Picking nettles

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Picking nettles
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Bogzla

Joined: 18 May 2008
Posts: 15
Location: Cambridge

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 10:06 am Post subject: Picking nettles

So I came across a patch of nice fresh young nettles the other day and decided it would be a good day to try my hand at nettle soup (can't stand most greens esp spinach, but luurve nettle soup - go figure!)
Not being at all prepared for nettle picking I decided to try a new approach - using the pliers on my leatherman, and it worked a treat, I was able to easily pick out the young tips & drop them straight into my bag with no gloves & no stings
I reckon any reasonably long-nosed pliers would be great for this, I found it far easier than messing about with scissors & gardening gloves

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 10:49 am Post subject:
thats a good idea - it is diffuclt with gloves, all dexterity lost... nearly nettle beer time.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 11:34 am Post subject:
I usually wear rubber gloves rather than gardening ones for picking nettles. Now, if someone could come up with a fast and painless way of picking gorse flowers...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45459
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 12:55 pm Post subject:
gorse is ace but needs care and dexterity

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 1:20 pm Post subject:

colour it green wrote:

nearly nettle beer time.

Adds "Make Nettle Beer" onto 2009 To Do list

PeteS

Joined: 06 Dec 2006
Posts: 874
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 3:06 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

gorse is ace but needs care and dexterity

All I have used it for (the flowers) is for tea. Do you do anything else with it?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 3:08 pm Post subject:

PeteS wrote:

dpack wrote:

gorse is ace but needs care and dexterity

All I have used it for (the flowers) is for tea. Do you do anything else with it?

Gorse flower wine is highly rated by some.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45459
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 10:30 pm Post subject:
ace in salad ,a bit astringent but with a good dressing...

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45459
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 10:33 pm Post subject:
i will try to like nettles i was thinking nettle omlet

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 11:28 pm Post subject:
nettles are good but be careful where you forage from? Young nttles may have recently been sprayed with glyphosate You should be ok in a wild or enclosed place but steer clear from roadsides

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45459
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Mar 12, 09 11:41 pm Post subject:
sprayed by moo and chook maybe

Bogzla

Joined: 18 May 2008
Posts: 15
Location: Cambridge

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 09 9:14 am Post subject:

mark wrote:

nettles are good but be careful where you forage from? Young nttles may have recently been sprayed with glyphosate

You should be ok in a wild or enclosed place but steer clear from roadsides

Always!
I happen to know the area I pick from is not sprayed on the grounds of it being a tortoise-shell breeding spot.

Plus I had it ingrained from a very young age never to pick anything from roadsides 'cos of the lead (don't know how much that is still a going concern but I still avoid roadsides...)

resistance is fertile

Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 09 9:30 am Post subject:
I was told, when I was young, that nettle stings were really good for your circulation and nervous system and so never minded getting stung. The result has been that I became completely immune and havent been stung for over 20 years

Bogzla

Joined: 18 May 2008
Posts: 15
Location: Cambridge

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 09 9:47 am Post subject:
Personally I can put up with the stings but the itching drives me mad. They are supposedly a folk remedy for relieving arthritis, although I'm not sure if there's any scientific basis for it. My other half is from South Africa & she's terrified of the things, not having grown up with them lol

madcat

Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1265
Location: worcester

Posted: Sat Mar 14, 09 6:30 pm Post subject:
But South Africa has wildlife that will eat you,how can a plant be scarier than that

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