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How do you prepare nettles to eat?
Before cooking the nettles
When we get home with a bag full of nettles, we can prepare them as follows:
Trick to stop stinging: Press the bag of nettles (we use cloth bags) with a wooden rolling pin, like those used for kneading (or a glass jar). When the nettles are crushed, the vesicles are broken and the pungent component is decomposed. In a few minutes the nettles have lost almost all of their stinging power (although some stinging hairs may remain).- Clean the nettles with cold water to remove dust, other weeds, etc. Obviously, the withered leaves have to be removed and the remains of soil must be cleaned.
- If they are going to be cooked another day, they are centrifuge very well to remove as much water as possible. Store refrigerated for about 4 days.
- If they are going to be cooked immediately: they are added to whatever preparation. When preparing a soup, it is better to reserve some fresh nettles to add right at the end of cooking (1 minute before grinding the cream).
Trick to stop stinging: Press the bag of nettles (we use cloth bags) with a wooden rolling pin, like those used for kneading (or a glass jar). When the nettles are crushed, the vesicles are broken and the pungent component is decomposed. In a few minutes the nettles have lost almost all of their stinging power (although some stinging hairs may remain).Can nettle be eaten raw?
Some people consume nettle raw, in salads. To do this, the plant must be crushed very well. If you add squeezed lemon and a little oil, they are delicious on tomatoes, for example.
Drying nettles
To preserve nettle leaves, they must be dried in the shade and stored in a dry place. It must be taken into account that dried plants gradually lose their properties. In short, it would be ideal to use the fresh plant on certain occasions, and if it has to be dried, the fastest possible method should be used.
Some people use the roots of the plant for medicinal purposes. These must be collected at the end of August, when they are young, and, after drying them in the sun, they must be stored in an airtight container.
How to take advantage of all the active ingredients of nettles
Nettles have very beneficial components for health, which are mainly due to their:
- High fiber content
- High in folic acid (vitamin B9), which is a vitamin necessary to “clean the arteries”
- High content of potassium (responsible for its diuretic properties), and other minerals such as calcium, magnesium and trace elements
- High content of antioxidants, such as chlorophyll and beta-carotene
*Related information: Nettle soup properties
Other remedies with nettles
We have to be careful with nettles, because sometimes we will be interested in their active ingredients, such as histamine or formic acid, which are found in the stinging hairs. When we are interested in the active ingredients contained in the stinging hairs, we will use the recently harvested plant and only clean the root so that the sand is released and we will try to leave the hairs intact. If we submerge the plant in water to clean it and then remove it and proceed to make the infusion, we will not achieve the desired effects. This is because when the plant is submerged in water the stinging hairs break and histamine and acid are dispersed in the water. Therefore, when we take the infusion, we will not ingest the active ingredients.
Trick to stop nettles from stinging
Nettles sting because tiny vesicles containing a liquid containing formic acid are found in their stinging hairs (poison that produces a burning and stinging sensation – ants also produce it!), histamine, serotonin and acetylcholine. A nettle sting is like an injection of this liquid, which produces an immune reaction of hives and itching.
Nettles naturally stop stinging within 12 hours of harvesting the fresh plant. To stop stinging sooner, they can be crushed and let some minutes. It also stops stinging when dried or cooked (apply cooking), so it stops being stinging.
Hives are the skin reaction to a nettle sting. It is characterized by the appearance of blisters, as shown in the photo. After about 20 minutes they deflate and only red dots are visible, which disappear completely after 24 hours. The tingling time in the area usually lasts the same amount of time. The reaction to nettles may vary depending on the sensitivity of each person and exposure.
*Related information: How to collect and cook nettles without getting stung
More information on nettles
