By: Hettie Basil Lighttower
I am not sure I have dedicated a space here for nettles, strictly nettles. I certainly have in my yard. But not in these weekly discussions, or at least I was unable to readily find one in the archives. So, if I am repeating myself from last year and you are over it already, just toss the paper. There’s nothing to see here!
I had a lovely letter from one of my faithful readers. She not only described her joy for reading nine weeks’ worth of Hettie columns in one afternoon; but requested one about nettles!! Oh, she was away for the coldest months and her son collected the mail for her. So, she first and foremost assured me Hettie-column-reading was the priority and a refreshing homecoming. Here’s what I know about nettles and I assure you, I am always learning more about nettles and so are current scientists.
I first learned about nettles as an avid butterfly enthusiast. There are five different species of butterflies that lay their eggs on nettles here locally, and a few species of moths. So, I promptly dug some up by the river and also from a friend’s farm to cultivate them on my piece of land to draw in these certain butterflies. In case you are interested those butterfly species are Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Comma, Question Mark and Milbert’s Tortoiseshell.
It had been at least ten years that I had established nettle plants when I learned that if a person has cancer they should immediately start drinking nettle tea. You see nettles are extremely supportive of our immune system. Boosting your immune system during the time of navigating cancer in your system is very important. You should do all things possible to boost your immune system if you find yourself on that journey.
The main thing to know about nettles is they are very high in trace minerals and vitamins. Calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium are the most prominent minerals found in this “weed”. But there are other minerals as well which are important for our health. Those include selenium, zinc, manganese and potassium which are all electrolytes. So, that means this plant is really great for athletes or anyone who has been sick with vomiting or diarrhea. Just have a cup or three of nettle tea!
Vitamin K is a big component of nettle benefits, as well as vitamin A, beta carotene, lutein, and an abundance of B-complex vitamins which include thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B-6 and also pantothenic acid which is great for even our metabolism! And the best part is nettle tea tastes good! It even has a natural sweet flavor to it. When I drink it, I don’t even add sugar or honey.
There are a few species of nettles here locally. The one this information is focused on is the stinging nettle. The one we are most afraid of. But trust me, it is worth getting over the fright. The best way to enjoy stinging nettles is early spring. We are still in the time window of foraging it at the optimal time. You want to cut it before the flowers come on. The plant starts to change its chemistry and can be rough on the ol’ kidneys if consumed in bulk after blooming.
To make tea, you can put young stems and leaves in the pot. Bring the water almost to a boil, then turn off or turn down the temperature so it can steep. I like to let mine steep for hours and hours so I can get the most benefit and flavor from it. Making the tea with fresh cut plants doesn’t make it bitter if it steeps for a long time in this case.
You can also dry the leaves. Just throw them in your oven on a cooling rack and set your oven on 150F or less if yours goes less. Turn off the oven once it reaches the temperature and keep the door closed. After a couple of hours you can turn the leaves over or rotate them if they are not crisp already. And repeat until crispy. You will have great nettle tea whenever you need it off season.
A few days ago a cousin of mine sent me an article about much scientific evidence that nettles are being used to fight cancer. It was a very scientific paper and article with big words and numbers and charts. It is great to know that modern science is embracing this “hateful” plant with its stinging barbs that feel like bee stings when you touch it. Because really, it is not hateful at all. It loves us. We are still learning about it. Google stinging nettles and cancer research for that full report.
Another fun fact about nettles is that they are a staple food like spinach is to us in third world countries. I could probably write two articles about nettles. There are so many things to know about nettles. There is even a book about nettles called: 101 Uses of Sting Nettle. I would imagine child discipline or even self-defense is among the many uses of stinging nettle (tee hee).
As always feel free to send in your notions and comments to [email protected]. I will include them in the next available column as per their arrival relative to the publication deadline of Tuesday by 12 p.m. of the same week. If you wish to be anonymous, let me know. Kindness is contagious~*