Nettle Seeds
Nettle Seeds
Nettle Seeds
The seeds from the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are a fantastic and easy forage.
Packed with vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and serotonin so are great as a pick me up.
They can help support the adrenal glands which produce hormones to help balance your immune system, blood pressure, metabolism and stress responses.
We tend to use a teaspoon a day on things like porridge or granola but you can use it like poppy seeds in bread or where ever you fancy really
Note; Not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women as they can act as a diuretic.
Gathering
Once the nettle has started to flower then you should avoid using the leaves as they start to build up cystoliths which are small gritty particles that can lead to kidney irritations / urinary infections.
If your not used to handling nettle then gloves are probably a good plan, however getting stung has been shown to relive inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
Look for the plump green seeds and pick them off the stalk, I tend to gather them in a plastic box and leave them with the lid off for a day or so to allow any little creatures to escape. The seeds themselves don’t have a sting.
A fine mesh bag such as you get from super markets for things like mushrooms (Morrisons are good for these, other supermarkets are available) can be used to hang them to dry. I typically hang them under the eaves of our wood store or if its dry on the washing line but shake the bag or get your hand in and move the contents around to make sure the middle is drying as well.
Once dried, it will take a few days and don’t skimp on it, empty the bag bit by bit into a sieve over a bowl and rub the stalks a round to encourage the seeds to fall through.
Store in an air tight container but check regularly the first few days to make sure everything has dried out and you are not getting condensation in the container which will cause the seeds to rot.
