The inconspicuous medicinal plant – abundantly found on every farm.

Many people are annoyed by nettles and don’t like to see them in their garden or near their house. Resi and I are happy about them and utilize them. Resi Schafflinger from Streitberggut in Gastein has once again written a great article with many useful tips and recipes all about nettles. Happy reading!

The nettle, large (Urtica dioica) and small (Urtica urens), belongs to the nettle family

(Family Urticaceae). Both are used medicinally.

It grows 50 – 150cm tall and has a winter-hardy rootstock. It self-seeds, propagating through its rootstock. The leaves are elongated and coarsely serrated at the edges. The entire plant is covered with stinging hairs; its greenish-white flowers hang in small panicles.

The flowering period is from June to September. The nettle prefers to grow near human habitation in gardens, by fences, ditch edges, on rubble sites, and wasteland.

The nettle is an indicator plant. Where it grows particularly luxuriantly, the soil is especially nutrient-rich.

Collection time: Young leaves from March to October, roots from spring to autumn

Parts used: Leaves, seeds, and root

Ingredients: Silicic acid, tannins, histamine, formic acid, acetic acid, caffeic acids, magnesium, iron, potassium, silicon, sodium, chlorophylls, carotenoids, vitamin B, enzymes Properties: skin irritating, blood-forming, metabolism-stimulating, blood pressure-lowering, expectorant, diuretic, strengthening, blood-purifying, cholesterol-lowering

Preserving / Storing: Cut off the entire plant, bundle it and dry it upside down in partial shade, strip off the leaves and store them in cloth or paper bags, roots – clean – chop – dry very well – store in jars – harvest seeds – dry – store in jars

The nettle is wrongly seen as a weed due to its painful stinging hairs. What many don’t know is that it is a time-tested and very versatile medicinal plant, as well as universally applicable:

As a medicine in many variations: tea, tinctures, oils….

In the kitchen: Due to the ingredients mentioned above, a valuable gift of nature.

Numerous dishes with nettles bring variety and healthy food to the table.

Stinging hairs are destroyed if you knead the herb between two damp cloths or briefly blanch it, or chop it very finely

Feed additive for animals: Horses, cows, chickens, dogs, and cats

Body care: baths and steam baths, hair care …
Fertilizer and against aphids: nettle manure in various consistencies

So that you can also use this great plant, here are a few suggestions

Facial steam bath: Good for acne and large-pored skin

Pour 1 liter of hot water over 5 tablespoons of nettle herb and enjoy a steam bath for 10 minutes, then gently pat dry

Tincture against dandruff: Massage into the scalp

Pour 500ml of alcohol (up to 60% vol) over 250g of finely chopped nettle and let it sit for 2 weeks

— shake occasionally — filter and bottle in dark bottles

Culinary:
Nettle Chips as a snack or side dish

Roll out nettle leaves as needed with a rolling pin, pull them through the usual pancake batter, and fry them in fat, drain on kitchen paper and enjoy.

Nettle Fritters healthy soup garnish

Add finely chopped nettle to the remaining pancake batter, make thin pancakes and cut as usual.

Nettle seeds incorporated into muesli, spreads, salads, or doughs result in valuable dishes for the whole family

Finally, I wish you a lot of fun trying it out and hope no one falls into a nettle patch, that can lead to a sleepless night – I speak from experience

Resi Schafflinger