Organic - Stinging Nettle

Seeds:  2000  / Botanical name:  Urtica dioica

Not a weed, but a super herb - delicious in salads and as a vegetable

For most people, the stinging nettle is a bothersome weed, but above all, it's a tasty plant. From May to November, this leafy plant blooms with rather inconspicuous greenish-white flowers arranged in drooping spikes and pollinated by the wind. It grows as an annual herbaceous plant and reaches heights of 10 to 60 centimeters.

Natural habitat:  The stinging nettle is a cosmopolitan plant, as it occurs in all temperate zones of Europe, Asia, and America.

In the kitchen:  When harvesting, it's best to wear leather gardening gloves. Afterward, wrap the nettle leaves in a cloth and roll them with a rolling pin to avoid the unpleasant effect of the stinging hairs. Stinging nettles can be harvested throughout their entire growing season. The optimal harvesting period is from the end of April to the end of June, before flowering begins. After harvesting, the nettles should be processed quickly. Otherwise, their aromas and active ingredients will dissipate. Young leaves, with their delicate, slightly tart to nutty aroma, can be combined with dandelion, sorrel, and wild garlic to create a delicious wild herb salad. Aromatic nettle is also a delight in soups, tarts, risotto, spaetzle, casseroles, or homemade herb butter. As a vegetable, the leaves are blanched in boiling salted water, similar to spinach. The green seeds are harvested in June and July and make a tasty topping for bread. They can also be roasted for a delicious snack.