How we Harvest & Store 1 year supply of Stinging Nettle

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Greetings all, the plant in the video is actually laportea canadensis, aka wood nettle. At the time of shooting I had mistakenly concluded that it was one of the 4 sub species of Urtica D. So sorry for the confusion. I can confirm though the antihistamine effects of this plant are very real. a few sips of a tea made from this and i get immediate and noticeable relief from my allergic reactions to pollen.

[@lessummers5738]

How long do you boil it also how do you store it? thanks

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@lessummers5738 steeping the tea only takes a few minutes, very similiar to actual tea in how fast in infuses. as far as storage that depends a bit on the container you use, but ive kept it for 2 years before and it was still good, with no noticeable degridation to the flavor

[@lessummers5738]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors Ok thank you👍

[@yodab.at1746]

Its important to add that only the top part where the new leaves form should be picked. The plant will then put out 2 new shoots, so over time you encourage it to grow more. But more importantly, the lower leaves begin to develope crystals that are irritants to the kidneys. This happens all over the plant as it goes into flowering. So only pick at the beginning of the season. Once the plant has developed seeds, these can be harvested and are an excellent tonic. Btw, what you are picking are not the sub species that are normally used for healthy tea. Urtica dioica is what you want and has much more serrated and elongated leaves.

[@bdub1934]

yeah I think hes getting wood nettle

[@huckfin1100]

I grow SN too and the tea taste like drinking grass/weeds, it helps to add some mint or lemon !

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Really… I actually don’t find the flavor to be too bad, kind of like a vegetable broth. But I do grow lots of stuff just for tea. Spearemint, stevia, chamomiles, goji berry and lemon grass makes any tea taste good

[@jeffsollenberger4889]

Nothing better than stinging nettles, my tea recipe, nettles,elderberry flowers, mullein, and mint

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@jeffsollenberger4889 sounds delicious!

[@timothylongmore7325]

The creek bottoms where I forage is loaded with this variety. I use a stick to gently ease them out of my way. But every once and a while they'll get me. I was happy to show my daughters that when you get stung just leave it alone and go to the creek and wash the area with creek water for instant relief. Our local gulfs are in great danger and I wanted to educate my children on how the place we love will probably be destroyed ( as we 've known it) in their lifetime. Japanese knotweed is taking over the sunny areas and the wolly adelfids are killing the hemlocks which hold the clifts in place. I'm new to nettles. I have a sun loving variety in my barn yard which I sampled for greens and made a dual extract. The greens were delicious and I'm adding the tincture to my reishi, pimmento, chaga, hair restoring tonic. My nettles died off immediatly after I harvested from some unknown cause. Dissapointed by that as I was going to reharvest and use roots and stem later for the fiber.

[@vivienne7945]

Thank you so much, a no of my questions were answered, South Africa

[@tylerhoffmann3409]

An interesting home remedy if you get stung is to rub some toothpaste on the affected area, and the pain will go away in seconds. Reapply if the pain starts to come back. Something to do with the fluoride creates a chemical reaction with the nettle and neutralizes it.

[@justdoeverything8883]

I wish I had read this yesterday lol 😆. Good to know for next time

[@gustavgnoettgen]

With the flouride? But how?

[@larosity]

I make an infusion every day in a 3 cup pot and drink the entire pot throughout the day. Also have found that crushing the stems up against my painful knees provides 24 hours of relief from the arthritic pain. My favorite herb; I have stopped taking commerical multi vitamins infavor of nettle tea...feel a whole lot better; thanks for the video!

[@FlashTwoSix]

not trying to be a nerd but those are wooded nettles and not stinging nettles.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Ok let’s nerd out. So what species are you talking about. Common names are too general. The term stinging nettle is broad and covers several sub species. I find differentiating them to be challenging. So if u have experience with it I’m all ears

[@sweatingbullets4235]

To answer the ? You are seeking. The botanical name is laportea canadensis also know as wood nettle

[@sonicplanet9193]

Nerd out. Go full nerd. Embrace your inner nerds. Nerds change/rule the world.

[@sonicplanet9193]

And, yes, those are most definitely not stinging nettles.

[@aleksandardjukic8534]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors You would know if it is stinging nettle if you walk trough it in shortz 😂

[@ellarussell8769]

I have a ton of Urtica dioica around my property. They do sting and you'll feel it hours afterwards. The leaves of Urtica Dioica are opposite each other with square stems

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Yea, I identify the difference shortly after the video, but the storage and usage principles were the same so I just left the video up. Thanks for watching, maybe I’ll do a follow up and fix my mistake

[@davidsawmandave8731]

Seen TON of these in the shennandoh National Park in the mountains this last weekend , i too am thinking this is wood nettle , i assume they are thw same

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Yes it is wood nettle. Same nutritional benefits….

[@tuffemme3885]

Very interesting! Gonna try it. 🙂👍

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

You will like this one. I think the flavor actualy reminds me of tea leaves a bit

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Ill try to bring you some next time derek has a shindig

[@tuffemme3885]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors Awesome, thanks! 🙂

[@ceepark114]

You are a brave person walking among the nettles! When I get stung by a nettle it lasts a couple days, feels like a nerve tingle, don't care for it. I plan to go harvest some today and put in my chicken soup.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Oh that will go well in chicken soup! It’s a wonderful flavor. I have heard some people say the irritation lasts longer for them…. I wonder if it’s a different subspecies…. What part of the world are you from? Just out of curiosiity

[@ceepark114]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors I'm from the Pacific NW, WA state.

[@Zan823]

The effects least 2 days for me too when stung directly by the plant. I'm in the UK 🇬🇧 I wondered, as well as specices type it could have something to do with individual histamine responses? I have some arthritic issues so being stung, after nitially being got by them feels quite good😂 Oh and ps thanks for sharing your knowlege.

[@martinlanigan803]

This old cure for different ailments in sixties i seen person boiling nettles he said it cleans blood dont know if this is true or not then i seen video its good for arthritis i wouldnt like to eat them its hard to know outcome without proper medical evedence

[@iwantcheesypuffs]

I usually wear long sleeves and pants. Cutting just the tops means there will be more for next year. Also makes excellent cordage.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Most people would wear long pants and sleeves when harvesting, im not most people LOL. Never made chordage w it. I find yucca or agave to be my favorites for chordage. Maybe I’ll try the nettle sometime

[@leannaerickson9745]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors Chordage or cordage? Are you a musician? Sorry, I really don't know. For what do you use cordage?🌿?🎻?🤔?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@leannaerickson9745 haha, Well Im no musician I assure you! also I am no spelling B champion, but Cordage is rope, which the nettles are well suited for. Nice emoji work BTW LOL

[@leannaerickson9745]

I've been trying to find out how to harvest stinging nettle, store and use it for quite a while. My SN doesn't look like yours. It's rougher and the serrations of the leaves are larger and sharper, the plants are shorter, and already starting to bloom. I'm going to use my field guide to be sure it's the right plant. Thanks for a very useful video.🌱🌿🤔

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

So technically, the one I’m working with is called Woodnettle. Same properties, medicinally and the same sting. There are a few different sub species that fall under the common name, stinging nettle.

[@The360Forager]

👏👏👏 Really enjoying your videos. Mushroom Identification has come fairly easily to me but the plants I have always had a hard time with. Great teaching.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Thank you so much! let me know if there are any topics you would like to see covered in a video. As far as plants vs shrooms I am the complete opposite. I started off with Mushrooms and it took my like 10 years to get what I would call pretty good at it. I think I learned the same number of edible plants in 1 year that it took me 10 years to learn shrooming. peoeple just learn in different ways i guess. I spent like 20 hours this spring trying to ID an agrocybe shroom down to species and never did get it. I don't think I have ever spent that kind of time on a plant. although I do think Identifying the stinging nettle to sub species might take me some time. anyway stay in touch on here. I like to hear from other folks who play this foraging game...

[@TrueAmerica2024]

I neeeeeed to try that tea mate

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

yes you do! I think u will like it

[@thechannel4grief]

Plantain or dock leaves will take out the sting. Pick a dock leaf spit on it and rub on area. They always grew near nettles in the UK so as kids we learned fast what plants give the antidote to the sting!!

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

So I’ve heard the nettles in the uk are purplish when mature and have a wicked sting? And for sure the plantain poultice is a go to! Personally I use dock mainly for culinary or to lubricate the spindle for fire starting

[@ChristopherJones16]

That my friend is Wood Nettle. Very common around here in Pennsylvania. Have it growing out back in the shade around my rain harvester. Its not as healthy like Stinging Nettle.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Yes, I am aware. The antihistamine properties of wood nettles are impressive! So what are you basing your assessment of its properties off of. Can you cite some reading or a study?

[@pearlmambinge451]

New subscriber thank you for your informativi video ❤❤❤

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Thanks, and welcome to the channel!

[@DanielMentz_]

you are truly blessed to have this awesome plant growing in your backyard or the forest, I am looking for it and can only find the dwarf nettle and I am not sure if it has the same properties, watching from South Africa

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Thanks for watching…. Can’t say for sure about the dwarf nettle but most of that family of plants does have the same properties. At least from my reading on the subject.

[@TheRealGunGuyTV]

I think you're actually picking wood nettle. The alternating leaves give it way.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

You are correct

[@evelynfakira5612]

Rub a sting with a dock leaf to stop the pain at once

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Good information

[@originalramonavalos]

Thank you!

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

You're welcome!

[@DrCorvid]

The growing habit of those nettles compared to ours here is much slower, much more polite. When I gathered 3 black trash bags in 3/4 of an hour I only had to grab and snap the fleshy tops with both hands like a bear, no tools; yeah the leaves were great and plentiful all the way down but the leaf stems get a bit tough so I snap off tops and get 2-3 leaf sets (wherever it snaps) and the leaves wouldn't be half open... I harvest mint twice, early in the season before the spitbugs and baby spiders are out, and I have the feeling that with a boisterous patch of nettles you could probably go through and cut tops off twice as well...

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

For sure, they can be harvested a couple times a year… I grow a lot of other herbs as well. Spearimint is the main mint I use for teas…. Reduces gas so my wife likes it LOL 😂

[@dcfromthev]

Someone get this guy some new gloves! 😂

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

hahah! valid point... i tend to use my gear to the very end LOL

[@DannaGesellchen]

What you've found there is Wood Nettle, which also stings and is also beneficial.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Yes, Agreed

[@connieking4167]

Can you harvest year round, or does it loose it vitamin and mineral content?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@connieking4167 I’ve harvested pretty late in the season just by using the new growth at the top. Can’t speak for the mineral content but the flavor is still good

[@connieking4167]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors Thank you.

[@DrewInGodsCountry]

I’m no expert by any means but I’m wondering if the mystery plant at 4:30 is white snakeroot? Maybe not, but I believe you made the right call not to eat it

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@DrewInGodsCountry hmm, been a while since I made this video. Might have to go take a look

[@mriceagegrillz1]

Wood nettles and stinging nettles. Do they have similar properties

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Yes, almost identicle

[@osar2870]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoorsare you sure, I can’t find any data on them just speculation assuming they are similar, can you send me a link to the data?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@osar2870 well it’s not speculation it’s more experience, and specifically the anti-histamine properties. The wood nettle has the same pronounced and noteworthy effect when I have used the tea to treat my pollin allergies. As far as the vitamin and nutritional values I dont know for sure, I can only tell you this. Around 2016 er so I was on a survival trip in Kentucky, first 3 days all we had to eat was 1 catfish, some platerful mushrooms, and cooked greens/soup made from wood nettle and white tree ears. The nettle was delicious and felt nutritious. In fact the nettle alone was what sustained us over the full length of the trip for the most part. So if you are looking for an article to geek out on sorry I’m not your guy. I have piles of books I’ve used over the years and that’s where my knowledge base comes from, but I was never a good student, hence most of what I share in my videos is about my personal experience with a plant or mushroom as opposed to what I read and regurgitated. Eating them, they taste similiar and make me feel similiar after eating. Truthfully I don’t think anyone has written anything on the details of wood nettle as far as I know. Maybe Adam Herrington will do a video on it. That guy has a doctor level memory.

[@osar2870]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors ah ok thanks for the response, I just wanted to know because I have been eating a lot of it and it’s the only nettle I can find I just wish I knew the nutritional info because everyone always talks about how healthy stinging nettle is but never wood nettle

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@osar2870 ah gotcha, have you ever tried clearweed? To me it’s the best lookalike for stinging nettle. But it has a taste that would gag a goat!

[@chainraiderdiscgolf]

Only lasts for 10 minutes?!!? My leg was on fire for over 8 hours!

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Dang, did you try wetting it? There are different subspecies that sting worse than others

[@chainraiderdiscgolf]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors I did and it did not work.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@chainraiderdiscgolf u may be allergic

[@FoundationForFamilyFreedom]

Should have used plantain or another plant, chew it up and rub it on irritated areas.

[@Jacqj64]

You can also, if you have a lil water with you. Make a lil mud pie and apply to the area!

[@EllaKolee]

How can i get some of that from you?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Well I don’t really sell stuff like that. Where are you located? Maybe I can give you some pointers on where to find it

[@toriphillips7383]

The older leaves would be great for a compost tea

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

For sure

[@selenab-qg8yj]

Please where can I order or get it seeds? Thanks Sir.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

hmm thats a tough one. I would try Etsy.

[@nancysalerno7036]

Your nettles leaves are not opposites one of the number one identification traits.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

please see the pinned comment at the top

[@gdawg4ever119]

If it stings or hurts your leg walking to rough it , how the heck or why the heck would you eat it ? Lolol I mean does it not sting or cut your mouth ?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Correct, it does not sting your mouth. But I get what your saying

[@DrewDubious]

That is wood nettle not stinging nettle, stinging nettle has opposing leaves while wood nettle has alternate

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

👍

[@atap4832]

I thought that was wood nettle?

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Laportea canadensis, u ever used it?

[@chantel410]

Nettle is Nettle

[@r.t.7925]

This is not stinging nettle :) . The one by the river is.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Laporta Canadansis….. u r right, well except the part about the one by the river, that was actually Pilea pumila.

[@FoundationForFamilyFreedom]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors love your responses to comments. God bless your wisdom 🙏

[@Able1212music]

thats wood nettle not stinging nettle... the leaves are offset not side by side

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

👍 agreed

[@shanghunter7697]

Most comments are telling him it isn't stinging nettle, why not do a quick scroll before we comment. Works wonders !! 90 people told him the same thing for a yr.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@shanghunter7697 I like you man! Soi the hilarious part to me is that the YT algo is so messed up that it pushes this video because of all the comments. My channel would be huge if I just miss identified plants all day LOL. So in that light I welcome the comments.

[@shanghunter7697]

@@reliablyrandomoutdoors T.y. for explaining this to me as i don't know how all this works. Kind of blew my mind that most comments were just about "correcting you". Whenever i see someone that has to correct others grammar (in y.t. land) i just have to tell them that they're insecure, it makes them "feel good" to correct others. Insecure people do such things !! This was a very good video brother ! Keep up the good works and hope you have a great, safe summer, very best wishes to you and yours brother.......PS I've been a practicing herbalist since 78 and st. nettle has always been my most used and consumed plant. So many benefits, i eat pounds every yr and garlic as well ethically and sustainably and also grow MANY edible and medicinal plants and shrooms. Stay safe out there.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

@@shanghunter7697 since 78, wow! Started getting serious into it about 15 years ago for me. And yeah most people in the comments are just exercising something they just learned. Most people are pretty cool about it, and since I did F it up I don’t mind. Mushrooms are my strong suite anyways. I almost took the video down when I realized it but since it was about storage of and not identification of I decided to leave it. Anyway thanks for the kind words! Hope you stick around for some future video. With your 40 years of experience U can tell me quick if I screw something up LOL 😂. Cheers mate

[@SP-sn8qg]

That is not stinging nettle. The leaves are opposite each other.

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

Common name woods nettle

[@ramarro-9104]

that's not Urtica dioica

[@reliablyrandomoutdoors]

it is laportea canadensis.