Foraging and Cooking Stinging Nettle Seeds (Making Nettle Seed Pesto)

I've eaten the leaves of stinging nettles many times in the past and have enjoyed them greatly, but this will be my first time eating the seeds...
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[@flatoutflatbroke]

Some tantalising glimpses of the new Shrimp Cottage kitchen, looking forward to the full tour!

[@fixswords]

A real tease.

[@Retropangolin]

That Delicious Suspense Though !!

[@KodiakDunne]

A nice little sneak peak at the new kitchen can't wait to see the full thing in a future video

[@Jellooze]

where just about to write the same comment. I looks promising

[@richardgreen9531]

When out walking I often find myself mentioning to my wife something like "the Atomic Shrimp says..." about some plant or berry or a rock on the beach, and completely get the "I wonder what happens if I do this" thing. Please never stop! Thank you Mike!

[@gerardmcquade9102]

the wall tiles look very interesting and nice to look at

[@angustheterrible3149]

I've got to admit, I loved the pesto recipe and the information about nettles, but the star of the show was the new tile in your kitchen! I really love that combination of colors. You'll have to tell us about it during the next random stuff video! ❤

[@albertnonymous9759]

Inspired by this video, I invited my parents and siblings and made someting like this nettle-seed based pesto-pasta for them today, it's really good! A good way to separate the seeds is to use a sieve, at least mine has too small holes to let the seeds go through, but its rough and coarse enough to neatly separate them from the stems if you violently rub it

[@ags10136]

nettle seed actually contain acetylcholine and serotonin which is probaly why they have some sort of "effect" on people. That being said it is my understanding that consuming neurotransmitters does not equate to an increase of those transmitters in the brain since things like serotonin are used at receptors all over the body, not just the brain. (I could be wrong about all of this, do not assume it is true or medical advice)

[@blunderingfool]

So what would be the worst side effect I'd have to worry about?

[@ags10136]

@@blunderingfool I am not qualified to answer that in any way sadly. That being said there are risks associated with increasing levels of serotonin (assuming these seeds do that) such as serotonin syndrome especially if your on ssri’s. I can’t speak on acetylcholine because i just don’t know enough about what increases in that do. **** please do your own research and talk to doctors and other more qualified individuals

[@DawidEstishort]

Serotonin doesn't cross into the brain (so no stimullation from eating it) and is also destroyed in the stomach. There are some serotonin receptors in the GI track but those are responsible for nausea and simillar stuff. However, it is a strong irritant to the skin causing extreme itching and a certain bean-like plant uses it as a defence mechanism

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

Something I noticed when looking this up is that all of the claims come from herbalist/naturalist type sites and they all make different claims (sometimes very different) for how it works, the latter in particular often being an indicator that there isn't a specific known effect (doesn't rule it out but it suggests that the knowledge isn't really there)

[@RenTheWren]

Yeah no, that's not how that works 😂 It doesn't cross into your nerves directly, but does provide the building blocks for your body to synthesize its own neurotransmitters.

[@HayTatsuko]

Your mortar and pestle set is gorgeous. Never thought of eating nettle _seeds_ -- I've mostly heard of collecting the greens and boiling them to remove the irritant. Good to know the seeds are lovely to eat, too!

[@Langharig_Tuig]

I personally found them to taste similair to chamomile with a very earthy flavour. It's almost like the taste you get into your mouth after kicking up the sand on a forest floor during a summer drought, but in a very positive way. There's definitely some extra flavour that is hard to describe, to me it also tastes very slightly gingery, but others found them to almost have a vague taste of lemons. They're an odd flavour, but very pleasant.

[@liammalarky3483]

You've no idea how timely this was. I was due to scorch back a large nettle patch tomorrow. I'll collect seeds first. Thank you.

[@debbieguthrie2307]

You can make tea from the leaves. The hairs dissolve in hot water.

[@yokeloeulci8001]

For anyone who has trouble with inflamed joints ... try brushing them with nettles. A couple years ago I had inflammed knees. I remembered hearing that nettles were anti-inflammatory, so, while out for walkies with the dog, I grabbed a few and started flagellating my joints. Maybe it was just apocryphal but I swear after doing this two or three times over a couple days, my knees, despite being covered in red bumpy welts, were so much better. I might have looked like some strange self-penitant monk thrashing myself while walking the fields, but ... well, the locals are used to my eccentricities. 😅

[@Dr_V]

The effect is real, but there's a much better alternative for arthritis: crushed (or finely chopped) cabbage. Use gauze bandage or just a clean piece of cotton cloth to hold the crushed cabbage (loosely) around the knee for a few hours (preferably at rest, most people do this overnight). You'll notice significant pain relief the very next day and the only side effect is some slight discoloration of the skin. Pain relief lasts less than with stinging nettles (2-3 days vs. about a week) but you can repeat the treatment as often as you like, just remember to take a shower after each application to remove the bad odor.

[@bosstowndynamics5488]

I would see a doctor first up, some forms of joint inflammation can result in disability if left untreated (although basic wear and tear related arthritis which is the most common usually doesn't). For what it's worth, painful stimulation is known to reduce pain from other sources, TENS machines are a common example but another is that you can buy capsaicin (the spice in chilli) in a cream to use as a painkiller

[@RenTheWren]

As someone with chronic inflammatory arthritis: Take your god damn meds XD That being said, I've heard this story as well!

[@methamphetamememcmeth3422]

Well that paragraph sounded like Thoreau.

[@user-qx9td6xc4i]

this is a legit historical thing, urtification for arthritis

[@anidnmeno]

_the things you can eat that you see when you're walking down the street and they're free_

[@merinajoy4107]

I lost my Mom very suddenly on monday. Your videos are conforting, thank you.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Sorry to hear that. How awful.

[@merinajoy4107]

@@AtomicShrimp it was very sudden. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it. But your videos have always helped with calming my thoughts. Thanks for the reply.

[@kathimorrical9912]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[@Laralinda]

Sorry for being distracted but I need this spoon 5:50 😄

[@matildawhittington7132]

It’s a very fine spoon, I agree!

[@roberttractortaylor]

Hmm. That looks and sounds like it could be a new shrimp kitchen! Looking forward to the tour!

[@lydiaaddams4423]

Wonderful! I have a large amount of nettles in my garden that have gone to seed, so I think I will be making some nettle pesto for myself over the weekend. Thanks for making this video!

[@zerocasualteas]

This was so delightful! I love how creative you are with foraged ingredients. I can imagine how delicious this pasta dish is. Wonderful to see a bit of your lovely new kitchen. Enjoy! 🎉

[@illustriouschin]

Nettle tea was advertised on Amazon as being the most popular green tea. I bought an entire pound as it was the best value. It tastes like spinach farts and attacked my esophagus.

[@cphilips502]

I learned a lot in this video about the difference between male and female nettles, and I never knew that the seeds were useful. Interesting pesto recipe too. And loved the glimpse of your kitchen, those tiles are lovely.

[@kirstypollock6811]

I have lush and verdant nettle beds in a few places in my garden (as well as "salad beds" of dandelions). I don't make enough use of them, though i do love nettle tea (dandelion root coffee is great too!). I never knew about male and female plants, cheers for that.

[@Prawny]

Nettles are so great, I've been thinking of grabbing some seeds and growing some in a pot in the corner of the garden.

[@IAmMarwood]

Sneaky little Withnail reference. 10/10.

[@zzydny]

Beautiful tile! Great mortar & pestle. Would it perhaps be wise to put a kitchen towel under the M&P to avoid damage to the nice new stone counter? Will be so curious to see the rest of the new Shrimp Kitchen after this teaser.

[@AtomicShrimp]

It has a disc of foam attached on the base

[@pigeonlizard]

Omg I love your silicone spoon

[@annawilliams7650]

These seeds provided both the green herb and the nutty seed qualities needed for the pesto which is helpful.

[@eternalfizzer]

Thanks for this! My neighbour has a backyard full of these that I can harvest. We both love pesto, so this will make a lovely dinner one night next week. Looks delish!

[@duncanspiers8855]

I've been collecting and eating nettle seeds for years. I usually pick them by hand and don't generally get stung. I have been stung but only rarely. I also eat them raw and have never been stung on the tongue. They are a little glutinous but an interesting experience with a sort of nutty flavour. My dog also loves nettles. Despite his being short haired he doesn't seem to bother and seems immune to the stings to his nose. Don't know how.

[@DLC-sy7pp]

Apparently the seeds make a great tea when cured, not dried. I remember reading it in an old book i have somewhere. Informative and Interesting as usual Mike.

[@jeremys6387]

I looked up the Ph of nettles to se if it was the same a basil, and i read this: Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is a common perennial herb well known for its therapeutic, cosmetic and food use. Despite the popularity of nettle hydrolate, there is currently no literature describing its composition; likewise, there is still a lack of research describing in detail the parameters of hydrolates in general. WOW! lol

[@mrshannonite4016]

Just looking at your glass, towards the end, and started to hope that one day we'll see your homebrew videos one day. I'm hoping that you'll be doing beers and wines made from nettles, elderberries, beetroot and maybe even a cheeky cider using store bought apple juice.

[@chezmoi42]

Ha! You remind me that back in the fifties, cranberry juice was sold in gallon jugs; there wasn't always room in the fridge, so Mom kept it under the sink. My sister discovered that if it stayed long enough, it got a little fizzy and fun. Consumption increased. Cranberry Juice Cocktail, indeed. 😜

[@xxPenjoxx]

That looked rather tasty indeed. Id definitely wish to add some of your lovely tomatoes to it. Glad to see your kitchen is finished. Hurrah 🎉

[@stephen33]

In North America we have both woodland nettles and stinging nettles. They taste very similar if not the same.

[@chezmoi42]

What a good idea! It seems a shame to benefit from nettles only in the spring; this will make it worthwhile to have allowed them a spot in the yard. Fashion notes from all over: I enjoyed the subtle coordination of your shirt with the pretty bowl, at the end.

[@zeldajunkielol2]

really enjoy seeing pesto made in new inventive ways, just a couple weeks ago I made pesto gnocchi with beef tallow and asiago cheese and it came out very nice! Lidl here in the US sell shelf stable gnocchi which is definitely a nice thing to keep around!

[@chezmoi42]

One of my favorite variants on pesto is made with arugula/rocket. I've also made it with wild garlic/ramsons.

[@zeldajunkielol2]

@@chezmoi42 I'll have to try arugula pesto! sounds great

[@THErealLOWTEQ]

Always enjoy your foraged foods videos. Thanks for another great one. I would not have thought to make a pesto from the seeds.

[@rennieknight69]

The shrimp makes me happy

[@MimoTooThanks]

what the hell? I just watched your nettle soup video yesterday... The timing!

[@fixswords]

I have literally just come from his nettle and wild garlic one. Spooky.

[@NathanBenedict45]

I'm Italian and I always use cheddar cheese in my pesto 😊 I used to go on holiday with my parents in England as a kid, and we put cheddar on the pasta 🍝 since we couldn't find Italian cheese. Honestly I think now I like it even more than parmesan 😅

[@AtomicShrimp]

Cheddar is a world-class cheese, I think. We do get some excellent Italian cheeses imported here too now, and I love to explore them.

[@azokalum]

Thank you for sharing this delightful looking way to prepare nettle seeds! 👍 (Plus a comment for the YT algorithm.)

[@ZombieLogic101]

Huh......Well son of a gun, didn't know the seed pods were worth the hassle of getting near those lil stinging turds. Will keep an out to see if I can find any here In Florida. The dish did look pretty spot on for the part, wouldn't know right away unless I'd watch ya make it! Cheers Shrimpy, eager to see the new cottage cookery corner!

[@defalur]

You can also get fibers from the stems that you can then make into strings or thread, every week I spend a couple hours in the middle of stinging nettle patches to harvest the stalks, it's a great plant! You can watch Sally Pointer's videos on the topic for more details

[@ZombieLogic101]

@@defalur I wonder how good the string would be....Hum another nugget of information for the ol' brain to chew on! thanks!

[@defalur]

@@ZombieLogic101 I tied a piece of nettle string around my wrist and it stayed there for around 3 months before it broke, so I would say that it can make pretty good string

[@plowestv]

Lovely. Foraging and making meals with the foraged material is rewarding and fascinating but time consuming and impactable for most with busy lives including me. But I so enjoy your voyages into nature's larder. So much in fact that I found myself jumping over a fence to a lawn of an abandoned house FULL of primroses! I wanted to try your pickling idea but feared arrest and retreated. Keep posting your great content please :-)

[@rekleif]

In my childhood in the 70's one of my favorite spring meal was nettle soup so curious about your experience with nettles...

[@rekleif]

She used a heavy pork bone broth though. Ahh the life without MSG huh(not easily available in scandinavia at the time)............

[@zerocool6370]

I love nettles as a tea or in a pasta loved hearing your take on them

[@samhenwood5746]

I could see a little peek of the new, shrimp cottage kitchen & can’t wait to see the rest 🤗The nettle pesto looked delicious & thanks Atomic shrimp 🦐😋👍

[@notsonominal]

Thanks for inspiring the internet to get out and forage weird and wonderful stuff!

[@ryangooch6701]

Love that spoon at 5:45 !

[@hookedonherbs3825]

When ever I work with nettle I make a spray bottle of strong yarrow tea. It stops sting instantly.

[@nwrth]

I had no idea this was a thing. 😮 Very inspiring. Thank you. 🙂

[@kittyoreo3870]

Nice video! An interesting fact about nettle seeds is that they are packed with several essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C, and E, as well as minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium. Furthermore, nettle seeds are a rich source of protein and contain all essential amino acids, making them a valuable nutritional supplement.

[@nian60]

American nettles have male and female flowers on the same plant. I found this out when researching nettles a few weeks ago. Thanks for this video. I picked and dried some nettle seeds but wasn't sure how to prepare them.

[@annieclaire2348]

Fascinating! I didn’t know about the male and female flowers on nettles!!! Thanks ❤

[@sarahstrong7174]

When will you be doing the video where you ret the nettle stems in a pond or trough & spin the fibre, weave cloth & sew your own shirt? I feel that eventually you will get around to something like this & I am looking forward to it very much. I imagine this will involve a series of interesting experiments initially.

[@simonhopkins3867]

Have you seen any videos by Sally Pointer? Lots of stone / iron age fabric stuff.

[@sarahstrong7174]

@@simonhopkins3867 Thanks. I will look out for Sally Pointers videos.

[@pieduckman]

That look Delicious, great job

[@DeliciousChives]

I liked the look of lunch... I loved the look of the tiles! 🎉

[@ilanakali1030]

A foraging hghlight of my year. For some people it wild garlic, for me, its nettle seeds. 💚

[@bazsuperbi]

Coming to the end there. A little like peppercorns. So 🤔 maybe try them in a pepper mill? You have inspired me to go harvest and dry some. Worth a go. I love pepper on everything too. ✌

[@icemelbad058]

I swear you can make anything out of anything - love it :)

[@christinerobshaw8246]

Years ago it was a 'thing' to eat cooked nettles with a hot breakfast. Always wanted to try this, but never did. I expect it might taste a little like spinach? Have you ever tried this Mr Shrimp? Love all your videos and now cannot wait for the next one x

[@zeracohw]

In Armenia nettle soup is a common soup we enjoy in winter and it's quite delicious. Just boil nettle, some potatoes and add garlic towards the end.

[@amberdy12]

Just at the right time for harvesting tne seeds - cheers

[@HolyFreakinDragonSlayer]

Nettle seeds are also good bakedbinto bread, dried and used as a topping for soups and salads etc 😊 great video Mr Shrimp, I live using nettle. Have you ever tried brewing nettle beer? My grandparents did it when i was a child. Edit: I forgot to mention that the seeds do still contain the hairs and can cause mild throat irritation if not processed correctly, good to mention that.

[@kneuromancer]

They contain acetylcholine and serotonin, also vitamin c. Don't exceed 30 grams a day.

[@JuusoAI]

Ooh, this is interesting -- I've been planning to forage nettle seeds for the first time this year. Interestingly enough, the seeds of Himalayan balsam are also edible. They're supposed to have a nutty taste, but I've yet to try them myself. Maybe later this year...

[@arnoldmmbb]

Love foraging videos!! Have a good day Mike, regards from the Canary Islands

[@yokeloeulci8001]

Looking at all the comments it seems like the hedgerows are going to be crowded this weekend! Guess I'll see you all out there!

[@SheyD78]

Makes me wish local foraging was possible, but here in Australia there just isn't much unless you're in the right area, preferably with someone who knows a lot about bush tucker.

[@DjDolHaus86]

I've always found nettles to have a stimulating effect. They stimulate me to stop touching the nettles

[@foamcow]

Loved the Withnail reference :)

[@pickingupsticks6767]

Brilliant. I love nettle leaves but never knew nettle seeds are also edible. Thank you.

[@taggat]

Doctor Adam Shrimp said I could have this.

[@HappyCodingZX]

very interesting - I wonder if you can toast them and put them in a coffee grinder, not just for pesto but also potentially to make a coffee substitute.

[@kirstypollock6811]

Try that with cleavers (sticky willies). They even have caffeine!!

[@mrtecsom6951]

It’s the exact opposite in humans. At our ages I droop down and my wife sticks out sideways 😃😁

[@dd7521]

😂😂😂

[@M50A1]

Absolutely wild

[@bxmachine]

Spotted the Withnail & I reference!

[@MuzikBike]

It's about the time of year where hogweed seeds become available as well - any idea as to how these could be used in cooking?

[@willchalloner706]

Love the Withnail and I reference 😂

[@lurgutrenalpak8398]

I gotta say, that looks very tasty indeed. I just wish you would have used an unprinted bowl. It's surprisingly adept at concealing your pasta

[@MazzJ77]

Rainbow spoon! ❤ I always do the like button at the start of your videos because I've never watched one I didn't like, so I just get that out the way first.

[@134StormShadow]

Interesting, I knew something about nettle soup (I'll watch your video about that next) but not about the seeds being edible. I think I can easily harvest a couple of kilograms of seeds from the gigantic nettle plants in my front garden (over 7ft tall) and the 6ft ones by the pond in my back garden.

[@panikoszulowa]

are those new kitchen tiles??? soooo in your style :D I was afraid of boring subway tiles backsplash :D

[@sandywools2655]

Looks delish

[@TacticalTurtle88]

An alarming lack of basil

[@derrmeister]

the only stimulant I noticed was the thought of a new experience, viewed throught the filter of youtube. joyful as ever!

[@pigeonlizard]

If you pound the seeds instead of swirling the mortar and pestle it might help better

[@TheCotzi]

stinging nettle seeds eaten fresh raw are helping when you have diarrhea

[@fafski1199]

If nettles are really so nutritious and good for you, then why on Earth aren't we already farming & cultivating them for food and adding them into our meals? it really can't be that hard to cultivate them in large numbers (fields), since as most people know, nettles seem to be able to grow almost anywhere and often in great abundance. Plus, they are often so hardy that they barely need any special attention while they are growing. They seem to barely need any watering, feeding or pest control and seem to be able to grow in most soils. Plus, if they where farmed correctly, farmers could possibly get 2 or 3 harvests out of them them every year. Although I guess, the real issue would be to try change the negative perceptions that some people have about eating so-called "weeds". Especially when those "weeds" are well renown to be able to painfully sting you. Plus I guess, if they where sold just like current vegetables are, they'd could be an absolute "pain" when it comes to preparing them for a meal (also need to be cooked) Maybe a better approach would be to first test out farming them on a modest scale for food production and then add those as an ingredient into pre-prepared meals (ready meals, tinned soups ect.). And then through that process, try and change people's negative perceptions that they might have about eating nettles. Also touting them as a beneficial "super food", would likely help. BTW, I believe nettles are already being cultivated but only on a very small scale (100 tons worldwide, per year). However, the vast majority of those are currently destined to be used for medicinal purposes.

[@nian60]

We used to, before industry farming. Hence why you can see nettles growing near old farms.

[@Mkbshg8]

I'd never considered using other things than basil in a pesto but this has got me thinking...

[@katrineroberts4084]

I discovered thwt i do not like pine nets. I am wlways excited by the idea of food for free and i make revenge soup each spring. I feel quite intense nausea after eating pine nuts.

[@AtomicShrimp]

Me too. About half of the times I've eaten pine nuts I have been violently sick within minutes. I don't think it's an allergy as such, but rather some other kind of digestive reaction.

[@timothylongmore7325]

Any suggestions on harvesting the seeds for future cultivation? Also do ripe , (fully developed) seeds have edible/medicinal uses. I've ate greens from this patch of mine , harvesting seeds , later roots and stalks for fiber experiments.

[@PandemoniumMeltDown]

It' spinach thirsting indeed.

[@IMBlakeley]

I picked some a while back, no gloves and my fingers tingled for a couple of days.

[@SierraNovemberKilo]

Will I risk trying them? I've made nettle soup, nettle muffins and nettle omelette and they all 'stung' my tongue even after they were cooked. 1 tiny muffin - nice taste - ooh ouch, my tongue hurts!

[@chezmoi42]

You may be one of the unlucky people who are allergic to nettles.😥

[@joshschiano3538]

I love the withnail and I reference to the gloves. Perhaps you could throw some more differnt one in sometime. I often use "im making time"

[@AtomicShrimp]

Are you the farmer?

[@joshschiano3538]

@@AtomicShrimp funny you should say that... seeing as I am a decorator i am ofter covered in paint and obviously I am a decorator.... and I always get asked if I am decorator in shops or on the street. To which my friend always says "of course he's the fu%%in decorator.... stop saying that" 🤣🤣🤣

[@jeremys6387]

As Americans, we tend value the wrong things. We buy the latest gadget or gizmo, hoping it will fill the void created from the lack of balance, and real interactions with people. Oh, to just stop, and smell the flowers, and watch the bees do their work. No cellphones or internet. No infotainment. Just nature, and being in harmony with it. Just listing to the birds chirp, and the wind whisper. I can't imagine how nice that would be! lol

[@rundattmedia2106]

I honestly feel sorry for Americans. Most are brainwashed. "Land of the free" yet one of the most controlled countries on the planet.

[@DudokX]

Thats a nice spoon!

[@saulcontreras313]

Never seen the seeds, quite interesting, wonder what else can be done with them.

[@kinn1647]

Nice looks good

[@gafrers]

Wonderful.

[@philipareed]

The kitchen has noticeably less of an echo.

[@GreatSageSunWukong]

I like those wall tiles

[@ixchelkali]

Stinging nettles have been the bane of my existence since childhood. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but they do make working in the garden infinitely harder. It took me a long time to realize that people differ in their sensitivity to stinging nettles' toxin. All I have to do is brush a knuckle against an emerging dicot and I get a big red welt which stings about like a bee sting. Since stinging nettles are a persistent and prolific weed in my garden, I have to wear heavy leather gloves for all gardening. When I learned that people eat the stuff, that seemed mad to me. But even more so when I found out they actually plant them. Here, have mine! You pick. Yeah, I heard that once they're cooked the poison is denatured. I don't care; you still have to pick them. No, thank you!