Stinging Nettles

[Iowaboo]

Alot are growing around here.

[needmore]

It is my understanding that the Romans used to thrash each other across the bare back with them to get into a 'battle' frame of mind - it sure as heck would make me want to attack something.

[Iowaboo]

Yeah, I think it could give someone an edge playing a sport. As I write, I still feel it tingling my fingers. It was actually the first time this year that my fingertips weren't immune to touching it when harvesting it. So do anybody eat stinging nettles?


I've used it as a spring green for about a halfmonth now. Cook it up and it supposedly is similar to spinach. I hate greens, but I figured I should get some use out of this abundant plant. I make sure I only collect leaves, no fiberous stalk. So enjoy the rich-in-nutrition nettles.

[needmore]

The Hawai'ian form has not felt the need to develop the 'stingers', I feel cheated when I encounter it.

[mantis]

The definition of insanity:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/art ... ture.shtml

World Nettle Eating Championship
One of Dorset's craziest events took place over the weekend. It may have left many of the competitors with a strange taste in the mouth, but at the end of the night, a new World Nettle Eating champion was crowned.

[Iowaboo]

Never heard of that competition. , my life has forever been changed.

[Jeff: Igor's Apprentice]

Iowa, wood you like to share a recipe?

[Iowaboo]

No recipe on my part. Its just cooked up and ate.

[serenityinbamboo]

Mantis, I just looked at the pictures from that website.... noone looked happy and their tongues looked miserable . I know I would never... I have gotten "stung" while removing them and I could not imagine voluntarily eating them. Thanks for the laugh

[Iowaboo]

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/12 ... on_sti.php

Sleeping on Stinging Nettles: the Next Bamboo?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 12.31.06
Fashion & Beauty (textiles)
The technique for producing fine cloth and sailcloth from stinging nettles has existed for centuries. Heinrich Kranz is reviving the art for the modern age. Encouraged by a customer to pursue the idea, Kranz founded the firm Stoffkontor Kranz AG, and got rights from the University of Hamburg to grow an oversize version of the common weed. The fiber Kranz produces is a legitimate alternative to cotton, with the advantage that is grows like...well, a weed, without the need for pesticides used in the cotton industry--currently accounting for 24% of the global insecticide usage according to WWF.

Kranz is growing the three meter (nine feet) tall nettles on 160 hectares (400 acres) near Luechow, Germany. Plants grow without the use of pesticides and with only occasional application of fertilizer. Each 10 to 15 years, the plants must be replaced. Once per year the nestles are mowed and dried. The fibers within the nettles are separated in Kranz's own mechanical process and then cleaned with a patented bio-process relying on enzymes. The fibers are then woven, also on site, for the production of fabric, bedding, shirts and jeans.

Currently Stoffkontor Kranz occupies 17 employees and has sales of 1.8 million Euro (2.3 million dollars). Kranz's products are now sold through over 1500 shops and over the internet at Nettleworld (German only). His is the only industrial scale production of nettle fabrics.

Kranz is convinced of the potential to compete with cotton. He calculates that when his operations can be expanded to 10,000 hectares, the nettle fabric made in Germany will be cost-competitive with Indian cotton, while offering substantial ecological advantages. A closer review of the webshop at Stoffkontor Kranz reveals that most of the fabrics are nettle/cotton blends, with nettle fibers composing only 5 - 43% of the fabric. One hopes the techniques being used at Kranz lend themselves to fabrics that are majority nettle, and the current low nettle contents reflect marketing strategy rather than technical limitations.

For his efforts and successes, Heinrich Kranz was awarded a special recognition in the Eco-Manager of the Year competition sponsored by WWF's German branch. Congratulations, Herr Kranz, we hope to see your ideas spread widely

[Jeff: Igor's Apprentice]

Sleeping on Stinging Nettles: the Next Bamboo?

Somehow I don't see Stingingnettlesweb.info ever taking shape.

[Iowaboo]

Could be called nettlesweb.info MOre then 100 species of nettles in the world.

[CadyG]

"Nettling" was an old New England tradition, although I've never done it. Some of the oldsters still do (along with mushroom gathering). In the spring they pick the tender shoots before the stinging "hairs" have hardened. When they're soft they aren't dangerous.

The nettles are steamed and served with butter. Some day I'll try it, but it's on the list with fiddleheads for local wild plants I haven't yet eaten.

[Iowaboo]

EAT IT EAT IT EAT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm up to 22 days of eating stinging nettles versus only 7 days eating asparagus. So it starts the veggie eating season alot earlier. Now, the basswood leaves are just getting big enough to eat. Gotten most of my family members to try that one, mild flavor like lettuce.

[CadyG]

We use the tender new leaves of basswood to make tea here. My attention at this time is on making up a mess of dandelion greens, before they become tough and bitter. Garlic and olive oil, sautee until just tender. Mmmmm.

The mayapples are sprouting, so I'll be ready to pounce on the fruit when it appears.