The Nutritious Stinging Nettle
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If you have a garden or a lawn, chances are you have encountered stinging nettles. Their tiny hairs sting when you brush up against them and leave lingering burning sensation, making the plant a major garden pest. Stinging nettles dunked in boiling water, however, lose their irritant toxins. You can get even with your stinging nettles by turning them into a vitamin-rich and therapeutic herbal addition to natural home cooking.
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While brushing up against stinging nettles causes a rash, eating nettles speeds the healing of rashes, especially those caused by food allergy. The greens contain caffeic malic acid, which stops a series of chemical steps through which histamine causes the release of cytokines, inflammation-causing chemicals involved in great range of irritant processes in the body ranging from allergy to cancer. Eating nettle greens also encourages urination and is a practical remedy for fluid retention.
Handle nettles with gloves before cooking. Be sure not to bring the nettle in contact with your eyes. Blanching the greens in boiling water for 1-2 minutes removes their sting. Purees of stinging nettle leaf tips are park-bench green and make an interesting alternative to spinach in raviolis, frittatas, and omelets. Nettles are available as close as your yard, or in many green markets.
Stinging Nettle Soup This puree of stinging nettles will be almost neon green, a bright spring tonic soup. If you suffer spring allergies, this soup may bring you relief.
1/2 pound (225 g) of stinging nettles (about a quart) 6 cups (about 225 g) of green Swiss chard, stems removed, chopped 1 cup sliced onion 1 small potato, thinly sliced 6 cups (1200 ml) vegetable or chicken stock 2 (30 g) tablespoons butter 1/2 cup (120 ml) cream Salt and pepper to taste
1. Bring 3 quarts (about 3 liters) of water to a rolling boil. Handling stinging nettle greens with gloves, rinse them in cold water and then immerse them in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and chop coarsely. Remove any tough stems.
2. Melt the butter in a stockpot and add potato and onion. Cook over medium heating, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add the chard, salt, and stock. Bring to a boil and add nettles. Simmer until potato is so soft that it cannot be picked up with a fork, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup until smooth, then return to stove. Add cream, heat until hot, and season with salt and pepper. |
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By Robert Rister
Read about Fruit, Vegetables & Breast Cancer. Robert Rister is the author or co-author of nine books on natural health.
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Nettle Tea Benefits Trivia:
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Nettle tea is a rich source of potassium. This mineral plays an important role in conducting electricity in the body. Since the major organs of the body like the brain and heart cannot function without electricity, the role of electrolytes like potassium cannot be ignored. Read here to know more about Potassium. Nettle tea is also a rich source of calcium. This mineral is vital to the maintenance and development of bones in the body. Inadequate intake of calcium may contribute to accelerated bone loss and the development of osteoporosis. Get more information on Calcium here. Nettle tea has high levels of beta-carotene. A precursor of Vitamin A, beta-carotene contributes to the maintenance of good vision and protection from such eye diseases such as night blindness and cataract. Read more on Beta-carotene here. Nettle tea is said to be helpful in the treatment of asthma. The plant's seeming ability to fight allergic infections is what makes it a good ally against asthma. Go here for more info on other teas for asthma. Nettle leaves are said to contain about 16 types of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and the abundance of these amino acids in the plant contribute to nettle's high protein content. Studies have shown that nettle's protein content may be as high as 25% (dry weight) which is quite high for a leafy green vegetable. The quality of the water used to make nettle tea is very important. It is believed that the water used must be free of contaminants and contain enough oxygen to enhance the natural flavor of the drink. Nettle tea made with pure water yield a nice vegetal flavor and a drink that is aesthetically pleasant. Learn more about the health benefits of water here.
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