Nettles
Nettles are herbaceous plants found in temperate regions around the world. They’re native to the Pacific Northwest and widespread throughout our woods and fields.
Nettles are probably most famous for their painful sting, caused by small hairs on the plants’ stems and leaves, but cooked, they’re a delicious, spinach-like green. They’re surprisingly high in protein for a leafy green, with almost 25% protein in peak season.
Species
Nettles
Slender stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis)
Great stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
Dwarf stinging nettle (Urtica urens)
Nettle species
We have three species of nettles in the Pacific Northwest: the native slender stinging nettle (Urtica gracilis), and two species introduced from Europe, the great stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and the dwarf stinging nettle (Urtica urens). All three species are both commonly found in the Northwest Coast region. In drier areas, such as the Inland Northwest and Northern California, these are usually replaced by a subspecies of U. gracilis, Urtica gracilis ssp. holosericea, which is native to the western United States.
Slender stinging nettles: Urtica gracilis, which is native throughout most of North America and part of South America, is the most common of the three. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Urtica dioica.
Great stinging nettles: The slender stinging nettle generally has narrower leaves and fewer stinging hairs than Urtica dioica, which has more stinging hairs on the top side of its leaves.
Dwarf stinging nettles: Urtica urens, which grows as an annual, is said to have a stronger sting than the other two species, both of which are perennials.
Cooking with nettles
Nettles are especially good when they pop up mid-spring, but you can keep harvesting them until they bloom, when their quality decreases.
Nettles are not commonly found for sale, although they are commercially grown in small quantities, and you can easily grow your own if you don’t mind having a patch of stinging plants. They do, however, spread easily, so bear that in mind. Like mint and other herbs, you can cut the top third off to stimulate new growth and continue to harvest it over the course of the growing season. Early season, younger leaves often have a purple tint from higher levels of anthocyanins, a protection against cold weather.
When picking nettles, the easiest way to collect them is to use gloves. Clip the tops at an angle so the stems don’t get waterlogged. If you’re foraging, don’t overharvest from one spot.
To remove their sting, blanch nettles before using them. Heat destroys the hairs.
Cystoliths
Once nettles begin to flower and go to seed, their leaves form small, gritty particles of calcium carbonate called cystoliths. Many sources claim that these will cause urinary or kidney problems, but research has disproven these claims. Nettles are still fine to eat after flowering, but I prefer not to eat them simply because they get tough.
