An Unlikely Hero of the Hedgerow

The common nettle is the first green thing many of us learn to fear, and one of the last we think to eat. That is a shame, because young nettle tops are among the most nutritious leaves in Britain. They are rich in iron, calcium, vitamin C and protein for a leaf, and their flavour once cooked is deep, savoury and a little like spinach with a grassy edge.

Better still, they are free, abundant and staggeringly easy to find. From March until early June they push up along hedgerows, woodland rides, field edges and the shaded corners of the garden. In a woodland garden they are a useful indicator: nettles like rich, damp, nitrogenous soil, the sort that also suits elder, hogweed and wild garlic. If you garden among trees, you almost certainly have a patch already.

When and Where to Pick

Timing matters more than technique. Pick from early spring until the plants begin to flower, usually late May or June. Once nettles flower, the leaves toughen and develop gritty crystals that can irritate the kidneys, so take the top four to six leaves of young plants and leave the rest of the stem alone.

Choose your ground carefully:

• Avoid roadside verges, paths used by dog walkers, and anywhere that may have been sprayed.
• Avoid nettles growing in intensively farmed fields or beside treated crops.
• Pick from hedgerow edges, woodland clearings, old orchard corners and your own garden.
• Wash everything thoroughly, as nettles harbour grit, insects and the occasional egg.

Take only what you will use, and never strip a whole clump. Nettles are the larval food plant of the small tortoiseshell, peacock and comma butterflies, and a larder for ladybirds and aphids, so leaving plenty behind is part of good woodland gardening.

Picking Without Tears

Gloves are sensible, but a pair of scissors and a basket work just as well. Hold a leaf between finger and thumb: the stinging hairs point upwards, so gripping from underneath and pulling gently towards the tip is usually painless. Crushed or folded leaves lose their sting quickly, so a firm roll between your palms will do the job before the leaves ever reach the pan.

If you do get stung, a cold compress, a rubbed sorrel leaf or a dab of antihistamine cream works faster than hunting for dock. A nettle sting is little more than formic acid and histamine, and it fades within the hour.

Preparing and Preserving

Rinse the nettles in a colander under cold water, discarding stalks and any yellowing leaves. The sting vanishes the moment the leaves meet heat, so blanch them in boiling water for thirty seconds, or wilt them in a dry pan with a lid for a couple of minutes. Squeeze out the excess liquid and you have a dense, dark green pulp that freezes beautifully in small bags or ice-cube trays.

That blanching water is not waste. It makes a decent stock, or a pale green tea. For a simple infusion, pour boiling water over a handful of fresh tops, leave for five minutes, strain and add honey and lemon. Dried nettle leaves, hung in bunches in an airy shed, keep their flavour for a year and make an excellent winter tea when the fresh growth is long gone.

Three Simple Things to Cook

Nettle soup. Soften an onion, a couple of diced potatoes and a stick of celery in butter, add a litre of stock, simmer until tender, then stir in two large handfuls of blanched nettles and cook for two minutes more. Blend, season, and finish with a swirl of cream or yoghurt and a grating of nutmeg.

Nettle and cheese scones. Fold a handful of finely chopped, blanched nettles into a standard cheese scone dough with a pinch of mustard powder. They turn the scones a handsome green and add a subtle savoury note that pairs beautifully with a strong cheddar.

Nettle pesto. Blitz blanched nettles with toasted hazelnuts, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. It keeps for a fortnight in the fridge and is excellent stirred through pasta or spooned over roasted roots.

A Seasonal Note for Woodland Gardeners

By midsummer, let a patch of nettles stand. The flowering spikes feed pollinators, the stems are used by nesting birds, and the seed heads in autumn are good food for finches. Cut them back in late July and you will often get a fresh flush of tender leaves for a second picking in early September.

Grown deliberately at the edge of a woodland border, nettles also make a fine liquid feed. Steep a carrier bag of leaves in a bucket of water for a fortnight, dilute one part to ten, and use it on hungry leafy crops. It smells dreadful, but the results are worth it. That is the quiet joy of foraging: turning a plant we once avoided into something that feeds the kitchen, the compost heap and the wildlife all at once.