6 Ways To Use Stinging Nettle

Have you ever wondered how to use Stinging Nettle?

Here are 6 suggestions:

• Pound bruised fresh nettle leaves with salt and apply three times daily will help those with external ulcers, boils, abscesses and infected splinters.
• Powdered nettle leaves applied to razor and glass cuts and nosebleeds will staunch bleeding.
• Make a hair rinse from infusing fresh plant material in a cup of hot water. Let steep and cool. Strain the infusion and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. This will help balance over-oily scalps.
• Those with hemorrhoids will respond to the above infusion (minus vinegar) in a sitz bath form.
• As a tonic for adrenals and kidneys, try a cup of the infusion daily for six weeks and then three of four cups a week after that.
• In the spring, sautee leaves and eat like spinach, or add to rice or omelets.

Be Careful When Harvesting Nettles!!!!!

These plants are not called stinging nettles for nothing. They can really hurt. Be sure to wear your gardening gloves while harvesting. Nettles “sting” because of histamine and formic acid in the hairs that trigger the familiar allergic response.

Last night I harvested my nettle. Even with gloves on, she usually gets a piece of me. This time I asked her for permission first before harvesting. I know it sounds crazy but she was very nice and did not sting me!!! I thanked her for my bounty.

Always remember the Herbalist Golden Rules – 5 tips to help you harvest herbs.

6 Comments so far

1. by jim

   On May 26, 2009 at 1:05 am

   question…where do I find stinging nettle plants that I can grow in my own garden?

2. by Shelagh

   On May 26, 2009 at 7:12 am

   Hi Jim, I can’t remember where I got my little plot of nettles many years ago. Check to see if there are any herb fairs in your area. If you do find some be careful where you plant them, they can be very invasive. Good luck.

3. by Frank

   On May 26, 2009 at 1:29 pm

   Love the blog, learning so much. Thank you!

4. by Shelagh

   On May 27, 2009 at 7:57 am

   Frank, glad you are enjoying the blog. Thanks for taking the time to say so!!!
   shelagh

5. by Sam Mooney

   On June 15, 2009 at 6:35 pm

   Thought you might like this – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5525806/World-Stinging-Nettle-Eating-Championship-attracts-record-crowd.html

6. by Shelagh

   On June 16, 2009 at 8:14 am

   That is crazy. Leave it to the Brits to come up with this!!! Too funny. I can’t imagine eating these babies raw.
   Another point about stinging nettles…while researching this I came upon a note that stinging nettles repel flies. We live in the country and we have two windows in our garage that are a flurry of fly buzzing all summer and especially in the fall when our darling cluster flies are everywhere. I hung my harvested nettles in the garage to dry. I can’t believe it, we have not had one fly in our garage!!! Apparently they do not like the smell of the nettles. I am going to hang bunches of them around the house in the fall and see what happens. I love it!!!

6 Responses to “6 Ways To Use Stinging Nettle”