Nettle

Description

The nettle is a herbaceous plant typical of places, in temperate zones, where the soil contains a great deal of decomposing organic matter. Both the stem and the leaves of nettles are covered with dense hairs containing a caustic liquid which, on contact, causes reddening and burning of the skin: this has perhaps given rise to the contempt that currently surrounds this plant, which is in fact beneficial. Where nettles grow, the soil is enriched and neighbouring plants prosper; moreover, if nettles are added to the compost heap, they speed up its maturing

Stem

The square-sectioned stems of Urtica dioica, the perennial nettle, rise straight up to more than one and a half metres in height, those of the common nettle, Urtica urens, on the other hand, barely exceed half a metre. They are not usually branched, but become so if their tips are cut.

Leaves

Petiolate, heart-shaped at the base, but with a sharp tip, have toothed and finely incised margins and are covered with hairs known, precisely, as stinging hairs. For their delicate taste and their purifying virtues, nettle leaves, which lose their fearsome irritant power when blanched, would deserve to be more appreciated in cooking.

Flowers

The tiny flowers, gathered in small spikes set in the leaf axils, have no decorative value at all.

Cultivation

There is no need to cultivate nettles: for thousands of years they have followed man in his movements and, if cut, they promptly sprout again from their rhizomes. Those who wish, however, can plant a clump of them near the currant bushes, which will grow stronger for it, or in a corner of the vegetable garden, so as always to have a small, but handy supply available.

Harvesting

Young, fresh shoots are the best in cooking, as they are more tender, and also for medicinal purposes, because their curative power is at its greatest: the best moment to pick them is after rain, and the most suitable season is spring (when it is also worth laying in a good supply for the winter), or autumn when, after the hay has been cut, the new shoots grow. Naturally, given the nature of these plants, it is necessary to equip oneself with scissors and gloves.

Storage

Nettles are dried in the shade, then stored in boxes that close tightly. Once dry, they lose their irritant power.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: Nettles have always been used in cooking: they are boiled like spinach; added to soup; cooked with rice or kneaded with potatoes to make delicate, tasty gnocchi; they are also excellent in omelettes; infused with a few mint leaves, they make a herbal tea that can be drunk instead of tea. Because of their nutritional characteristics, nettles are an excellent feed for hens, rabbits and cows, to which they are given either fresh, after being immersed in boiling water for a day, or dried.

Beauty

Nettle shampoos commonly on sale strengthen the hair, making it sturdier and shinier; those who would rather do it themselves can wash their hair every week with an infusion of nettle leaves and rinse it with an infusion of the roots.

Health

The nettle is one of the most important medicinal plants, but not one of the most appreciated, since its virtues are not universally known. Its purifying power is very considerable; it also contains iron, so that it has an anti-anaemic function and is particularly suitable for a spring cure consisting of drinking a tea of nettle shoots in the morning before breakfast and another cup, again in small sips, during the day. To keep the active principles of the plant intact, the shoots should only be scalded, without being boiled for long. One teaspoon of nettle shoots is enough for a quarter of a litre of water: after a brief infusion it can be drunk unsweetened; those who wish may add a little mint or chamomile to the infusion water to improve the flavour. Besides relieving tiredness and headaches, the nettle has haemostatic virtues, as can easily be seen if, in the case of a nosebleed, a wad of cotton wool soaked in its juice is inserted into the bleeding nostril.

Curiosity

In a painting by Albrecht Dürer, the famous German painter and engraver of the late fifteenth century, an angel is shown offering the Creator nothing less than a nettle. What better testimony could we wish for of the prestige that already surrounded this herb at that time?