Ouch Stinging Nettle!

[cwhit590]

ugh...I got tagged by some stinging nettle this week when I was weeding...not cool.

My first experience w/ stinging nettles...went to a family swimming hole where they had a zip line into the pond....as I was happily going down the zip line into the water my legs brushed thru the weeds on the edge of the pond...all nettles! YOUCH!!!

 

[Wildsky]

When I was in school we had stinging nettle all over the place, but also growing nearby was a plant that would take the sting away - we'd sting ourselves so we could take it away

The other plant looked like a mini elephant leaf, I have no clue what its called......

So that didn't help.

 

[cwhit590]

Quote:
I've used jewelweed on poison ivy before...it really does work!

 

[dlhunicorn]

See this link for photos to identify DOCK which is quite effective for relieving the pain of nettle or other insect bites (I usually have to go by the second pic showing the seeds as there are several other weeds similar )
http://www.herbalremediesinfo.com/identifyyellowdock.html

I guess I am lazy and because dried nettle tea can be found everywhere here (even the local grocery store) I include it in almost all my tea mixes .

My very favorite cheese is nettle cheese... here are some recipes using nutricious nettle > try them!
http://www.learningherbs.com/nettle_lasagna.html
Nettle Lasagne

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/nettleandpotatognocc_88023.shtml
This is really delicious but not the quickest nor cheapest recipe ( Nettle and potato gnocchi with sage, walnuts and Cratloe Hills sheep cheese)

Nettle is a lovely last minute additive to soups.

History of the nettle as a food/herbal:
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/n/nettle03.html

 

[mamagardener]

Thanks for the info everyone. I wish I had known all this before, I always just suffer through when I get into stinging nettle. Jewel weed, dock, and plantain all grow on my property, so next time I will try them. Notice how I said next time not if theres a next time? That's because with stinging nettle unfortunately there's always a next time.