Stinging nettles (brennesle / Urtica dioica) are very common
in Oslo and grow in almost every park, garden, and forest. Most people
here know them as a stinging weed, though they have a long history as a
culinary, medicinal and cosmetic herb.
Here are some tips for harvesting, storing, and using nettles:
Wear gloves and use scissors when plucking nettles to help avoid their sting. Go for the young shoots without flowers. If you really wanna get into it, roots may be collected to make an extract; apparently, this is popular with bodybuilders who just love occupying their sex-hormone binding globulin. Caution is advised: this is potent stuff! When cooking or drying nettles, the stem may also be used so long as it is supple and not woody.
We first started using nettles as a fertilizer/pesticide in the garden. You basically just fill a bucket with them and cover with water, and after two weeks it's ready to use but can ferment for up to a month or so. It should then be used further diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10—take care not to use it on "thirsty" plants as this will burn them. In our experience it really does seem to increase plant yield and does keep some pests at bay.
When preparing the nettles for drying or cooking, it is recommended to let them sit for at least one hour in a bowl of cool water. This simple step almost entirely removes their sting. However, beware if you are processing a large number of nettles: sometimes the rogue nettle or two will not get soaked well enough and still sting a little. Don't worry, as this will go away with cooking. To dry them: transfer your wet mass of leaves and stems into a salad spinner or dry with paper towels. They can then be scattered over newspaper in a sunny place and will dry in approximately a day or two.
Nettles are rich
in minerals, vitamins A and C; in peak season nettles can contain up to
25% protein, dry weight. The taste can be likened to spinach or chard,
but without the astringency sometimes associated with these vegetables.
In Norway, eating nettles is almost synonymous with nettle
soup, but you could use it as you would any leafy green; in
curries,with eggs, in polenta or bake it in some rolls! It's all good.
It's even 'sposed to make your hair lustrous and rich. When dried they
also can be used to make herbal tea.
Here are some tips for harvesting, storing, and using nettles:
Wear gloves and use scissors when plucking nettles to help avoid their sting. Go for the young shoots without flowers. If you really wanna get into it, roots may be collected to make an extract; apparently, this is popular with bodybuilders who just love occupying their sex-hormone binding globulin. Caution is advised: this is potent stuff! When cooking or drying nettles, the stem may also be used so long as it is supple and not woody.
We first started using nettles as a fertilizer/pesticide in the garden. You basically just fill a bucket with them and cover with water, and after two weeks it's ready to use but can ferment for up to a month or so. It should then be used further diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10—take care not to use it on "thirsty" plants as this will burn them. In our experience it really does seem to increase plant yield and does keep some pests at bay.
When preparing the nettles for drying or cooking, it is recommended to let them sit for at least one hour in a bowl of cool water. This simple step almost entirely removes their sting. However, beware if you are processing a large number of nettles: sometimes the rogue nettle or two will not get soaked well enough and still sting a little. Don't worry, as this will go away with cooking. To dry them: transfer your wet mass of leaves and stems into a salad spinner or dry with paper towels. They can then be scattered over newspaper in a sunny place and will dry in approximately a day or two.
Nettles are rich
in minerals, vitamins A and C; in peak season nettles can contain up to
25% protein, dry weight. The taste can be likened to spinach or chard,
but without the astringency sometimes associated with these vegetables.
In Norway, eating nettles is almost synonymous with nettle
soup, but you could use it as you would any leafy green; in
curries,with eggs, in polenta or bake it in some rolls! It's all good.
It's even 'sposed to make your hair lustrous and rich. When dried they
also can be used to make herbal tea. 
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