A sting in the tale

The extraordinary thing about Nettles is that, no matter what the time of year is, they always seem to be around and they will always contrive a way to sting you. 

As you may know, Nettles are the original green superfood. They are rich in iron, protein and vitamins A, B and C. They taste pretty neutral - quite like Spinach when wilted - and can be used in much the same way. My favourite dishes are Nettle soup, Nettle gnocci and Nettle pesto. You can also make a tasty Nettle beer.

They're good to eat at this time of year when they're having their second growth - just pick the very top freshest tips from larger plants. But they're even better in the Spring when they're fresh and young. Once we're past June they start to flower and go to seed and the chemical composition of the leaves change slightly and they can have a laxative effect. At this time, the plant will contain cystolith crystals that can upset the urinary tract too. Come October, they have their second growth spurt and can again be eaten. 

Nettle seeds contain the same goodness as the leaves and can be added to cakes, granola, porridge or anything else you fancy. Meanwhile, the stalks are tough and fibrous and can be used to make a twine for basket making and other uses. Nettles once rivalled flax and hemp (and later, cotton) as a staple fibre for thread and yarn, used to make everything from heavy sailcloth to fine table linen up to the 17th/18th centuries.

As you know, the stings - caused by minute needles that jab you with formic acid and histamines - can be destroyed by cooking or plunging into boiling water. But if you do get stung, forget Dock leaves - they don't work other than as a placebo. Seek out leaves and stems of Greater or Ribwort Plantain, which grows everywhere. The juice of these plants contains antihistamines and will work much better (see here for Plantains). 

However, you'd need a truckload of Plantain leaves to counter the effects that the contestants must suffer at the Annual World Nettle Eating Championships in Dorset every Summer.

   

According to the Anglo-Saxon 'Nine Herbs Charm,' recorded in the 10th century, Stiðe (Nettles) were used as a protection against 'elf-shot' (mysterious pains in humans or livestock caused by the arrows of the fairy folk) and in Norse myth, nettles are associated with Thor, the god of Thunder; and with Loki, the trickster god, whose magical fishing net is made from them. In Celtic lore, thick stands of Nettles indicate that there are fairy dwellings close by, and the sting of the Nettle protects against fairy mischief, black magic, and other forms of sorcery. 

It was also said that packing food in Nettle leaves helped to retain freshness. And Nettle juice can be used to curdle milk for cheesemaking. Which brings me to Cornish Yarg cheese, which is wrapped in brined Nettles. It was created in the 1980s by Alan and Jenny Gray (Yarg is 'Gray' spelled backwards) using a recipe they found in an attic that dated from 1615. In 1984 they sold the recipe to Michael and Margaret Horrell who farmed at Upton Cross, near Bodmin. In 1995, the Horrells met the Meads, a farming family from near Truro who took over production. Today, they processes two million litres of milk a year, which comes from their own herd of Holstein/Friesian cows as well as from 10 other local herds. This ends up as more than 200 tonnes of cheese per year. 

That's going mean a lot of Nettle picking too.