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Treacodactyl
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 18569
Location: In the pond with the frogs
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 Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:27 pm Post subject: Nettles |
 
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Now I'm posting this in here as we have cultured a nettle patch in the garden with the aim to eat them. 
We've just had our second meal - nettle aloo which was very good indeed, so the nettle patch will stay.
What I would like to know is when they grow too tall and tough can they simple be cut down and the new shoots eaten later in the season?
I think we may try green nettle pasta next.
Here's a picture of our nettle tops before preparation. |
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Simon
Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 6982
Location: Massif Central
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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Well done!
I don't know much about nettles but I hope so because we have loads of the blighters here!
I have read about making a fertiliser out of 'em by filling a bucket and compressing them with water .... but if ya can eat (or drink) 'em then so much more the better! |
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Treacodactyl
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 18569
Location: In the pond with the frogs
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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I would try a few young shoots if you eat spinach. There may not be quite as much taste but they have a better texture IMHO. I bonus is if you're not sure what they are there's a good way of confirming they are nettles. |
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 10573
Location: Bucks
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:00 pm Post subject: |
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Can I have your nettle alloo recipe? I have the most enormous glut of potatoes to use up!
And I now have a kitchen, so tommorows dog walk is going to be my second ever foraging trip (first one was brambles!) |
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Bugs
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10430
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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No recipe  . Well... onion, chopped in to beeeg pieces, potatoes that look enough, chopped in to not too big pieces...put in a bit of oil and fry while you look through your spice collection for things that aren't too out of date, put in a selection of the weird and wonderful plus a bit of basic mix (something from Tesco in my case, medium hot curry powder, but I'm sufficiently embarassed by this having spent some time on this site, that I don't know we'll be buying any more). Put in lots of garlic and ginger if you have a cold.
Stir up and fry for a while, think it makes it taste nicer, then put lid on saucepan until potatoes are cooked.
Send other half to pick nettles, and process, (strip leaves and rinse). This way, you don't get stung.
When tatoes are practically ready tip in nettles, and when wilted stir through, til it looks like spinach. Get other half to taste, as scared nettles will sting tongue.
When other half declares it is ready, send him out to shut up chickens and pick mint to mix with yoghurt as you put too much chilli/cayenne in.
Serve with rice or bread.
People without other halves, mint, chickens, or fear of being stung, may adapt this to taste. |
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judyofthewoods
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Treacodactyl wrote: |
| I would try a few young shoots if you eat spinach. There may not be quite as much taste but they have a better texture IMHO. I bonus is if you're not sure what they are there's a good way of confirming they are nettles. |
Glad I'm not the only one who cultivates (and planted!) nettles  . There was another thread somewhere (maybe on selfsufficientish) on nettles in respect of compost and/or removing them (search?). Anyway, if you cut them only a couple of times a year, they regrow. |
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sandra17
Joined: 05 Mar 2005
Posts: 17
Location: Gants Hill, Essex
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Any advice if I want to remove them please? Adventurous toddler and nettles are not a combo I want to continue with.
Thanks,
Sandra |
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nettie
Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5375
Location: Suffolk
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Can only echo the sentiments above - I tried nettle soup for the first time last week and it was fantastic! |
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judyofthewoods
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
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| Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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| sandra17 wrote: |
Any advice if I want to remove them please? Adventurous toddler and nettles are not a combo I want to continue with.
Thanks,
Sandra |
Have you thought of adoption?  |
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Jonnyboy
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 22648
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 05 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Strim them when they get too high and they should regrow. If you just pinch out the top growing bit of the nettle it's the tastiest and tenderest.
I always remove the stalks as well. |
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 37768
Location: Essex
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 05 9:37 am Post subject: |
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I reckon glyphosate's a good bet for total removal. |
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 10573
Location: Bucks
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| Posted: Thu Apr 07, 05 10:16 am Post subject: |
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Bugs, that's my kind of recipe. I'm not good at indian, but having been given spices (and recipes) from my Asian cousin in law, I have been doing better, so I reckon its time for another go at this. he swears its the spices, and gets them in bulk from a secret supplier (this is probably quite easy when you live in leciester!) |
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Simon
Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 6982
Location: Massif Central
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| Posted: Sun Apr 23, 06 12:32 am Post subject: |
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Well, I made the nettle fertilizer last year and as far as I can tell it worked wonders on our tomato crop. I will be making some more very soon. The nettles are here in abundance again already.
I will pinch out the tips this year and try a nettle soup before strimming what is left down for the fertilizer bin.
Results here soon, |
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dpack
Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 12647
Location: w yorks /earth
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| Posted: Sun Apr 23, 06 4:28 pm Post subject: |
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well spose i must . it has been 20 plus years since i decided they were not food .
so tell me a good recipe for one and all (and hounds )using nettles that might convince me to eat them for fun ,
using what i may have if i have nettle tips and simple enough for me to follow the recipe .
please ,you all seem to like them and i recoil at the memory of the taste .maybe its me not nettles ?or maybe the ones i have tried were not picked or cooked well . |
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Mat S
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 282
Location: Leicester
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| Posted: Mon Apr 24, 06 11:26 am Post subject: |
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| wellington womble wrote: |
| he swears its the spices, and gets them in bulk from a secret supplier (this is probably quite easy when you live in leciester!) |
Indeed it is.
I can recommend cooked nettles with cheese and cream mixed together and thrown into hot cooked pasta. Yum. |
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