Stinging Nettle Seeds - How to Gather them, and Why You'd Want to

Stinging Nettle Seeds are a powerhouse of nutrition and healing benefits. They are also free to anyone that chooses to forage for them :)
Here's the article that goes more in-depth in the benefits of stinging nettle seeds: hedgecombers.com/stinging-net...
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Until next time, happy camping!
Jane x
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[@ginavandam735]

In Sweden, to get the seeds, we pick the nettles when they are ready with seeds...pluck them in a bunch and hang them up-side-down to dry in a paperbag...because when they dry.. all the seeds fall down in to the bag...much easier way of drying them. Try this!

[@babkeebabkus8177]

so can just have a small rope as a line to hang the nettles using pegs and let the seeds drop onto newspaper spread under them is good enough...would drying them in the sun damage them?

[@babkeebabkus8177]

by the way do you know it is has been proven that a person can live on nettles only for decades? just eating the boiled leaves and drinking to tea is enough to be healthy and live for a long time (celibacy and most time spent in meditation important too) ..this knowledge is handy to know if everything crashes and people need to live on the land...IF it all crashes though I think the issue for survival would not be food but trying not to be killed by other people...if the system crashes there will be killing everywhere in massive numbers

[@ginavandam735]

@@babkeebabkus8177 all herbs should be dried in a dark dry place but not in sunlight

[@babkeebabkus8177]

@@ginavandam735 oh thanks for that...I am going to gather them from some land soon and try them...the root is supposedly high is vitamin c...so much good stuff in it...it's really amazing...I first stumbled on this when I read a book about the tibetan yogi mllarepa and how he survived living in a cave for decades eating only nettles...his skin went a green colour and even his hair had green colour...anyhow it is a small comfort to know IF one had to live on the land and violence was not taking place everywhere healthy survival is possible with only nettles needed...hey check out "all inclusive consciounsess theory" on my channel...you may find it refreshing....I will just add that being able to go out in the bush and camp for a few days sometimes just living on nettles would be great experience ...for piluprose of meditation...being grounded in the earth...sleeping on the earth is great energy too...walking barefoot all the time...one cannot do certain things in society without problems but in our natural habitat the wellness abounds and our moves flow with that...maybe some folks would not wear clothes either (for warmer months)

[@ginavandam735]

@@babkeebabkus8177 Thank...I might try that...sleeping outdoors only live by what naturen gives...nettles is a great gift...You can make thread of them and make clothes as well. Medicine and food...enjoy!

[@MrWarrenporter]

For years I would come down with fatigue every so often where I would just feel worn out. After I discovered nettle seeds and then started to eat about a teaspoon per day for a few days the fatigue left and did not return. I do maybe three days per per week as maintenance. If I stop for a few weeks the fatigue returns. I am in a rural area and have several nettle patches I let grow. I use to mow them down prior to understanding their value.

[@debbiecurtis4021]

I think nettle seeds would be good in baked good.

[@LJAG77]

@@debbiecurtis4021 while that sounds like a good idea, I’d only be worried that the nutritional value might be degraded from the heat.. I’d prob add them to yogurt or smoothies.. just a thought..

[@ehumphreys8253]

Me too with the fatigue, quite remarkable! And now also like you I have gone several weeks without and am feeling fatigued again - hence being on here to learn how to make my own!

[@AndreaDingbatt]

@@ehumphreys8253 I am hopeful these are going to help me with the chronic fatigue and fibronyalgia!!

[@mildrediawphniaw1697]

People in Sikkim sell and buy these plants and it was a great surprise for me. In Meghalaya , India we don't touch these dreadful things. Your explanation helps me now to value the plants.

[@undefinednull5749]

Wow, it's quite interesting that nettle seeds are slightly stimulating. I discovered that still orange rowan berries are stimulating for the mind.

[@rutheladynred]

if you do get stung, all you do is split the stem in half w/your thumb nail & rub the inner core on the sting & it's gone in a minute, that long but the sting stimulates blood flow to the joints & it will eliminate arthritis.....usually I would spend April in the Himalayas in northern India picking the nettle there, which is full up in April & super powerful at that altitude & then i return back to Canada beginning of may when it's starting to pop up......in India, I stay in vashisht right beside a temple w/a hot spring bath & I would pick some fresh nettle sting my joints before getting in the tub in the morning.....then by evening the sting would have disappeared but when I go back in the bath the sting would come back & it's like a long lost friend would come to visit.....I have nettle every day in some form or other, not only allowing me not only to survive pain free, but to thrive!!!

[@katzwhite5962]

Wow! Thanks for the tip about how to alleviate the stinging sensation. Although, I might find it hard to trust the stem to help me after its leaves have caused me pain😉🤔

[@user-jw1lm7cl8d]

That's funny that you do that to cure the sting....I grab a nearby burdock plant leaf...the big umbrella leaves...rip the stem in half and use that for nettle or poison oak...etc

[@rutheladynred]

@@user-jw1lm7cl8d people are funny & some can't tolerate the sting, let alone the thought of doing it again to see if they're more tolerant, that cure was for them.......as for myself, I love the sting & will go out of my way to find it.....even to the Himalayas

[@user-jw1lm7cl8d]

Yeah..nettle usually wont bother me at all...and i think i must be immune to poisen ivy as much as im in the woods ive never had it. I came up w the cure because of one time having my son out w me in the woods. He was young and I wasnt paying attention to the fact that we just walked through a whole batch of poisen oak. He started crying and his legs looked like i would b rushing him to the emergency room. I thought there has to be something here to help this. We used those burdock leaves as traps when we kids building forts and the stems were always filled with plant juice. I ripped 5 of them open covered his leg with the plant juices and raced him out of the woods. 5 min later we were to my car...and he had no rash anymore. Ive been told since then it has antiseptic properties idk it worked thats all i cared about.

[@rutheladynred]

@@user-jw1lm7cl8d good to know.....they say knowledge is power & you just made me a little more powerful.....thx

[@myjaney]

when harvesting those mushrooms it’s best not to pluck them out of the ground like that but rather to cut them so that you don’t disturb the mycelia growth! this way more mushrooms will come back:)

[@saitamab3699]

@@theyard6958 Pardon me, but I think your douchiness may be showing:/

[@MaxSafeheaD]

This is a myth. Same as pulling or cutting an apple from a tree, the mycelium does not care in the slightest whether you pull or cut. The only difference is cutting will save cleaning later on, but then you can also pull them and trim them more conveniently.

[@Zepster77]

@@MaxSafeheaD My experience differs. I picked an area of boletus edulis without cutting stems… I have never seen them in that same spot again. So you can call it a myth, but… I will ALWAYS harvest boletes by cutting stems never wrenching the “root” from the ground again!

[@Zepster77]

@@saitamab3699 on the contrary: I think courtney’s advice is sound. In my experience, it has proven to be so. Thus dont be so quick to judge someone…. 🌠❤‍🔥🌅

[@MaxSafeheaD]

@@Zepster77 they don't have roots. the mycelium extends for meters underground. In the case of the famous Honey funus in the US, it covers several square kilometers. Anegdotal evidence is just that. There may be any number of reasons as to why you have not seen a fruiting, "damage" to the mycelium from picking simply isn't a thing.

[@gbflater]

They produce a lot of seeds. Been harvesting for a few years now. Put them in my oatmeal . Yummy

[@OldMysticFantasist]

I like this idea. Cheers Mate!

[@OldMysticFantasist]

I like this idea. Cheers Mate!

[@babkeebabkus8177]

it's been proven that a person can live on nettles alone for decades and be healthy just eating the boiled leaves and drinking the tea only so it's very important to know about in the case of everything crashing and going to live on the land...easy to make fire for cooking with a magnifying glass and cast iron pots last forever...of course some chickens for eggs would be good but actually if everything crashes living on the land would be hard because people everywhere would be killing each other (surviving on food not the issue but trying to survive other humans)

[@katzwhite5962]

Do you cook the seeds first before adding them to your oatmeal? If no, do they not sting?

[@sheilasen4202]

@@katzwhite5962 the seeds dont sting its the hairs on the leaves and stalk that do

[@firebug_shevmac8711]

Thank you so much! I'm here to stay! I live in Scotland and I'm struggling to find UK based foragers and herbalists. Thanks for the info lovely! You have a beautiful face 🥰

[@hedgecomber]

Aww, thanks 😊

[@olgawhittaker962]

Hi Firebug. I am a Scot living in N.Z. On one of my frequent visits home to Dundee a few years ago, my sister and I went to visit an ancient site, a hut built on stilts in the River Tay, connected to the mainland by a wooden walkway where the cattle were brought over for safety at night The guide was explaining how thread and rope was made with nettle stalks and soup was made with the leaves. The immediate response from the audience was a disgusted 'Yuck!" We pulled out our flask and offered a taste to anyone interested. Something we eat regularly, our nettle soup was greeted with surprise and pleasure. To anyone reading this, do try it before you condemn it. take my word for it, it is delicious!

[@bunnibravo4647]

This is amazing. You should harvest them and also throw a small hand full onto the ground as well... so cool

[@BookandPaperArts]

What a delightful channel. New subscriber here and can't wait to dig deeper.

[@miriamfaris9035]

Lovely video and glad people are getting back to nature

[@friendoftellus5741]

They might have to these days...

[@greenland1164]

Awesome video. I like how you explain everything, the uses, the male/female plant etc. I'm subscribing.

[@TheSunRiseKid]

I absolutely LOVE your jar wall & the color behind! Oh and you have a new SUBSCRIBER!!!🌼🌱😊

[@rebeccawilliams2410]

Loved this video. I love your energy and I subscribed straight away. Thanks for this xxx

[@kirstysmith6677]

Love this video!!! I wondered if I was doing it right as it takes me so long ha ❤️😎 can’t wait to go again xxx

[@dorode3222]

Thanks for your nice and informative video!

[@janwallace5005]

Thanks Jane 😊

[@iheartherbs]

Lots of Love and Appreciation from Maine. I LOVE the background music as you harvested. New subscriber

[@flexjuva]

I always tell people. Keep on smiling.. Wonderful video

[@Pausereflectandbreathe]

Thank you for sharing this! Now I know what to do with the seeds! 😇

[@DeperiviAnimae]

I absolutely love your personality, so cheerful! Thank you so much for making videos. ❤️

[@nicolehague-andrews1555]

Great teacher thankyou!

[@LisaTrunkenbolz]

I have dropped fully in love with the videos you make. I'm so happy I found you. I am very very inspired to expand my own herbal cabinet

[@amama5242]

Adore your lovely personality! Thanks for sharing such important info!

[@evag8264]

Thank you for your beautiful channel ❤

[@bernadettestapleton2016]

You are so knowledgeable, lovely & friendly a pleasure to watch. I've just discovered you & subscribed. Thank you

[@judithcoupe7002]

Brilliant, thank you.

[@multi_misa72]

Thanks a bunch, nice video.

[@TereseJames3]

thank you so much I have a beautiful bush of nettles in my yard and been studying up on them but never encountered info on the seeds! thanks again

[@isabelladavis1363]

you are delightful! Such positive energy and great to have come across your channel..stay blessed..

[@ianfosterUSA]

Great thanks 👌 I'm in Godolphin and love nettle soup and just started collecting nettle seeds.

[@ianofsjkartwork]

That was interesting vlog Jane....great to see you keeping well....stay safe....thanks for sharing

[@hedgecomber]

Thanks Ian, hope you're staying safe too :)

[@thomasomara7969]

Beautiful been eating and blending loads and using the juice in my hair👌

[@mggg3010]

Just started watching your video and after 1.5min I've subscribed. You are very charismatic and your explanation is very interesting and drew me in :) will be following for more foraging!! Thank you for a wonderful video and please keep making more

[@Leethecumbrian]

You've just gained a subscriber 👌😂 Hunting for nettles this weekend now!

[@jeffsollenberger4889]

Starting in the spring I start harvesting nettles along with mullein which helps with copd, your video is spot on

[@marzisharifi9491]

If you get stung by nettle use plantain leaves ,,rub it on the itchy spot and i swear it will be gone less than a minute.I grow most medicinal plants and nettle is the best for allergy specially for skin issues.i make tincture and salve .so many good things i’ve seen from these plants.

[@eveningrose93]

Do you have a channel? Can you recommend any good ones .? ❤️🌱

[@autotraileksmh-travelandea8723]

Jane I loved this video -thank you - I admit I had to google to see if we had them in Australia and we do - not far away apparently from were we live so maybe a little foraging coming up.

[@hedgecomber]

Oooh, fingers crossed you find some! You could always plant some of the seeds you find closer to home, just be warned that 99% of the population see them as a horribly invasive weed 😆

[@annafepanelolungsod4695]

Thank u for info

[@cafarmgirl3279]

So glad I found this! Dehydrating my nettle leaves right now but was wondering what to do and how to collect the seeds. Thank you for posting. Oceanside,California

[@hedgecomber]

Ahh, great news Julie, happy to help 😊

[@thornhedge9639]

Charming, cheeky, and informative! You have a new subscriber........

[@hedgecomber]

I'm honoured... sorry, we're honoured to have you here😁

[@thornhedge9639]

@@hedgecomber Yup; Cheeky! Great channel. Sort of found it by accident but it looks like Binge watching in future!

[@lorrainebrooks8477]

Interesting to see a different way of harvesting. I cut the stems then pluck the leaves off separately before I then remove the seeds. I started it this way before I got a dehydrator and used to lay out the stems to dry

[@shimkonise357]

Thanks for sharing.

[@hedgecomber]

My pleasure Ericka 😊

[@angelahughes5192]

Thankyou for this Jane. I'm so looking forward to harvesting my first nettle seeds I spotted on our shoreline a few days ago. I haven't got a dehydrator yet so might try and dry them in sun. You have most definitely inspired me. First forage coming up 😁🥰

[@woodsie5796]

Drying in the sun can deplete the medicinal value. Best to dry in dark, like the paper bag trick above,

[@joannahart1604]

Great video 😊👌💞

[@chrisvanderburg5568]

you are simply a lovely woman. respect

[@AndreaDingbatt]

Thank you very much, and a new subscriber here!!

[@hedgecomber]

Thank you Andrea ☺️

[@hazeltwigg8996]

I'd not thought of using the seeds before but I do use the rest of the plant. Just wondered why you suggested throwing the leaves on the compost. I cook them instead of spinach. I dry them for tea. I've found they really do help my arthritis. I also bung the stems and roots into a barrel of water to make a plant feed for the polytunnel. Damned good all rounder

[@hedgecomber]

Hi Hazel! Sorry I didn't make that bit clear, when the leaves are 'old' (ie when the plant has gone to seed) the nutrition in the leaves is greatly diminished. The best time to pick the leaves is when the plant is fresh and young, most often in Spring, but here in a mild UK climate I can cut plants back hard and they will regrow new shoots for about 9-10 months of the year.

[@hazeltwigg8996]

@@hedgecomber Similar here in central France. The harder you cut them back the faster they grow. Some years I've still been harvesting nettles in Nov and often start my harvest as early as March.

[@katzwhite5962]

@@hedgecomber My plant has seeds on it so its old. I have not got a compost heap. Can I cook the old leaves or should I bin them if they don't have much nutritional value. Also, I live in Bristol and wondered if you ran naturalist, knitting courses etc

[@suecollins3246]

Hazel, you are the first person outside of my grandparents that I have ever heard to use the word 'bung'!

[@ehumphreys8253]

@@katzwhite5962 My take on using old and large leaves when that's all you've got is to let them dry and use them to make tea, but maybe make it with a lot more leaves than usual and expect to have to flavour it further with some other herbs or even sweeten. Then you still get a nutritive tea worth drinking, - but overall obviously better to pick lots of leaves when they're at their best and dry them so you don't need to bother :)

[@stevenrldenault7451]

Hello Jane , thank you for this video, just what I was looking for. Have you tried making micro greens or sprouts from the seed in winter time? Steve (67yrs) Manitoba

[@jopitcairn1909]

Hi Jane, just made my first batch of gomacio, with nettle seeds I dried in the sun. Tastes yummy (with roasted sesame and wakame and sea salt) My question is do you know if all the good properties in nettle seeds are destroyed by cooking?

[@naseeha101]

Hi Jane I was wondering if I could also leave the seeds to infuse for a few hours? Thank you for the video :)

[@miaash3870]

very enjoyable

[@kathrynoconnor7921]

I loved your video. I would like to know what to do if I can’t tell the difference between male and female. The nettles in my yard aren’t as robust as the ones you show.

[@elainroles7217]

Pretty place you live. Enjoyed your video.

[@hedgecomber]

Thank you so much!

[@julesmarkham8962]

Hi Jane, just a quick question, what make of dehydrated have you got? I haven’t got one but I'm seriously contemplating purchasing one. Many thanks.👍🏼

[@johndo3418]

Thank you for this beautiful and healthy information. I was wondering what type of hydratation machine you use? Thank you in advance. Keep up the good work learning a lot 👍

[@billiverschoore2466]

@johndo3418 I would recommend a stainless steel, 10-tray dehydrator. Avoid those fancy handle bits at the front of the trays because you want to be able to take out any of the trays any time, as opposed to having to start taking them out from the bottom up. I got mine from Royal Catering (uk) and am very pleased with it. I live in a small upstairs flat but really appreciate having a store of dehydrated food that isn't dependable on a steady electricity supply like freezers are, and doesn't require the use of salt, sugar, vinegar or alcohol for preservation. Happy dehydrating! 🌳🕊💚

[@TheVigilantStewards]

what a cool channel to come across

[@hevchip741]

I have just found you and really happy I have. Can you tell me if you can use any nettle for this, even the ones with the purple flowers?

[@adamchapman4329]

I drove a dirtbike through a giant patch,with shorts on once . first experience Salt Spring Island BC.

[@phillipabaker3460]

Hi Hedgecomber, can I dry the seeds whilst still attached to the storks in a well ventilated shed? Or do I need what you used?

[@kristinajamieson9760]

How long do you dry them in the dehyrator and what temperature- thanks! Fab video!

[@Yuzu_1205]

Hi Jane! I really enjoy this video! I think we have Stinging Nettle around my area (btw, I'm from California :) I'm going to try to look for them! Those huge mushrooms!!! How do you cook them beautiful senary, so peaceful!

[@hedgecomber]

Thanks Yuzu! I actually dried all the mushrooms in a dehydrator then powered them to use throughout winter in gravies and casseroles etc. Good luck with the nettles! Ps I hope youre safe over there x

[@christopherellis2663]

that was a nice ig stalk of dried dock seed there, I am laughing at all the books that advise not to pick mushrooms that have been nibbled by insects, good show. I would be content to keep the leaf and seed dried together

[@username566790]

Your hair is beautiful !

[@katzwhite5962]

I loved your video. I love Cornwall. I live in Bristol and always keep a small patch of stinging nettles in my average size garden. I make tea with it and eat the leaves after. You spoke of making a tincture with nettle, soaking it in alcohol. Do I buy a bottle of vodka and soak the seeds or do I have to purchase a special alcohol? There are seeds on my nettle. Mine are tinged with white. Unsure whether I have male or female seeds. I did try and compare them with pics you put up on this video but im still none the wiser. 🤔The mushrooms looked so delicious even before they were cooked. Lovely life you are living. I could happily move to Cornwall. Also, I dont have a dehydrator, so can I lay it on newspaper and dry in a cold, dark space?

[@coolasjewel]

Not sure if that's what you meant Katz, but eating the nettle leaves once the plant has produced seeds isn't a good idea as by that time leaves contain insoluble levels of calcium that could contribute to forming kidney stones. Nettle shoots grow in spring, or any time later in plants that have been streamed/mowed. Young growth for leaf consumption, basically.

[@littlelion2544]

I raised some nettles from seed by winter sowing in jugs. How invasive are they and do you have some tips on growing them? I have less than an acre, so I don't have unlimited space.

[@samuelmichelmore1489]

Wow! I would love to do this! I tried stinging nettle soup once, it was delicious! Now I know how to plant them, thanks!

[@hedgecomber]

Fab! They are such an underrated resource, but I just love them!

[@samuelmichelmore1489]

Agreed!

[@getreal200]

@@hedgecomber is there a way to plant them so they don't take over my yard?

[@deanablythe9394]

@@getreal200 Maybe try containers

[@goundreykruse]

How do you feel about leaving some of your foraged mushrooms for others/ nature? Is that necessary or are their so many near you that you don’t need to?

[@stevehammond]

Great video! I’m Absolute beginner (not even that really cos at the moment its just a nice idea) but was inspired by your video. It seems that nettles are THE super food so I will give it a whirl - what time of year in Uk is best for the seeds? Mushrooms look lush but I wouldn’t trust myself to know which ones are poisonous?

[@ehumphreys8253]

July for seeds / end of June...

[@rebekahhodgkinson8528]

What a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge 💚 I was so inspired after finding your channel last night I’ve already been out picking nettles today. My nettles where an entire ecosystem for bugs. I’ve sifted through everything thoroughly but you seem to do every in bulk. My question is do you wash the cuttings/pickings first and what do you do about all the creepy crawlies? I’m wondering if I picked from the wrong wild location 🙈thanks x

[@hedgecomber]

Bugs are a good sign that you’re picking somewhere full of life! Just leave them outside somewhere dry for an hour or two before processing, and all the little critters should wander off to a new home ☺️

[@rebekahhodgkinson8528]

@@hedgecomber thank you for taking the time to reply 🙏🏻 I now have ample seeds and bunches of leaves drying on the stalks ready for herbal tea over the winter. I’ve also made the plantain balm you make in another video. Please keep doing what you are doing. You’re are an inspiration 🫶

[@michaelward1711]

so i want to brew say lemon balm tea could you infuse nettle seeds in ,by the way i brew nettle tea quite often say twice a month ,if i have any tea left my wife uses it as fertilizer for her plants

[@pamlucas3044]

Are the seeds in the little green husks and do we eat the whole lot or just the seeds? Thanks!

[@traceyj321]

Can we freeze dry the seeds and use just as you have the dehydrated ones? Am across the border from you and have found a fantastic area of nettles all in seed.

[@donnadavis453]

You sound like you are from England, are you. Beautiful landscapes.

[@lisachinn3309]

Hey just found your lovely channel, could you share your link to the dehydrator please? 💕🙏

[@svelanikolova5776]

Stinging of the nettle increases circulation to the joints. People do it on purpose in Bulgaria when they suffer from arthritis and any joint pain or lack of circulation to the feet due to diabetes.

[@sungazr7530]

The song during the mushroom picking was ethereal does anyone know what it is??

[@captainnemo190]

Yes, I wish to know this. It plays on my regular KZbin yoga videos. Maybe it is one of the stock pieces of music that vloggers can use.

[@pepperjordan3773]

Nettle is for use when smoking pot, when around junkies, and pioneering. (It is a sour uric acid replacement). A diuretic replacement.

[@lin9885]

Hi Jane! I do have a question, when I was separating dry seeds from the stalk of nettle (by rubbing them in-between my fingers) I noticed that there were little hairs getting stuck in my fingers from the seeds! Im curious if this is normal? I'm just nervous that if I consume them, the hairs will be irritating in the throat. Thanks for the great video!!

[@hedgecomber]

Hey Lindsay, yes those little hairs are a pain! If you sieve the seeds you will likely remove them from the mix, but even if little pieces of them are left, the hot water in your tea, the milk in your smoothie bowl or the saliva in your mouth will deactivate them before they cause you any irritation. I once thought it would be a good idea to make a smoothie from nettles to see if they would sting (seriously, what was I even thinking??!). Thankfully they didn't, and it actually made quite a tasty smoothie!

[@nomparfait]

Wonderful! U r composting the leaves? Don't u keep them for tea or cooking , or aren't they any good at this stage (once gone to seed)? Looking forward to more videos!

[@StillFukingHostile]

They are not good at this stage, so I'm led to believe - at least not in large quantities.. can have potential implications, I am not sure but I've read it mentioned a few times about mineral crystals (i.e. calcium carbonate??) collecting in the body.. which can be problematic when it builds up.. something like that.. worth researching

[@debbiecurtis4021]

I go foraging about 200 times a year. I'd love to forage with you.

[@andrewpeters3424]

Love your red hair!. 😊

[@kalamabdul1737]

For consumption and to reach maximum benefits is it better to drink stingle nettle leaf or use the seeds.

[@user-bg8ki3sb9m]

Hello I love your video! How would i go about purchasing some of your seeds?

[@derrickjones5000]

How can I get my hands on some nettle seeds I heard it had so many benefits and the leaves to

[@johabela8691]

Hi I was wondering why don’t you dehydrate and use the nettle leaves rather than throwing them in the compost?

[@donnadavis453]

How do you dry your stinging nettle?

[@GimmeADream]

I'm back! Hi Jane! You were a breath of fresh air this morning. I haven't done any youtubing in a while and I think I'll be doing a hedgecombing marathon this weekend. That said, I have managed to do my own amount of foraging for herbs this year. Sadly, I haven't found any stinging nettles in the area though. I've collected up the broad-leafed plantain and beeswax to make the salve. Like most of the world, we have broken all recorded records for drought and heat. Not a drop of rainfall for almost four months and temperatures well above the normal 28C. The gardens have been parched but are finally looking up and most of my neighbours are covering their tomatoes for overnight frosts. But the farm/ranch here is on the top of one of the highest hills so I might get (hoping for) another month before freeze up. Admittedly, I've been transferring tender perennials to the greenhouse.

[@hedgecomber]

Hey GAD, we were about to send out a search party for you! Wow your weather is more of a rollercoaster than ours. Fingers crossed your crops all make it :)

[@GimmeADream]

@@hedgecomber We were laughing at the predicament of PEI. We are now in a shortage of canning jars. Apparently, there isn't an empty mason jar in the province. There were no freezers to be bought last month (I don't know how that is going now). But new jars aren't expected before mid-October, long after the last harvests. I still have a few cases left to finish up..., I hope. The root crops can wait a while yet and then go in straw or sand in the stable. And heaven help the horses if they get into the spare stalls and eat the carrots and potatoes, lol. Gimme A Dream is a real pig for raw potatoes, hahahaha

[@hedgecomber]

​@@GimmeADream OMG aren't they poisonous to horses??! Fingers crossed you have enough jars to see you through!

[@GimmeADream]

@@hedgecomber Potatoes? Poisonous? Some people say so. I keep my horses alive and running with them. Not many but they will heal a lame horse faster than anything the vet can use. I don't feed a lot of potatoes though. They are great for arthritis in the hocks. And also when an antibiotic needs to be given to a horse who refuses injections and becomes dangerous. Got one of those. As for jars, well..., I still have the dehydrator and deep freezer, lol. I shall make do. I just find it strange that we are still in rotating shortages..., in the garden province hahahaha

[@hedgecomber]

@UC7x7_t8a_dp_dt%F0%9F%98%80%F0%9F%98%8A%F0%9F%98%8Awi18g8pVA Wow, that's so interesting! I love that they're used as a medicine. Real food as medicine, what a novel idea! 😄 Good luck with the crops, such a busy time of year!

[@ninatheambulancecamper]

Yeahhhhhh not convinced I need nettle seeds on my food lol. What do they taste like ? Peppery ? Wow those mushroom were big ! Could you make sloppy joes with them ? Something I still have to make from your brilliant vegetarian book :)

[@hedgecomber]

No, not peppery, they're pretty neutral in flavour on their own but if you toast them in a hot dry pan they taste, toasty! 😆

[@ScheminVegan]

Liked and subscribed

[@cheryl3973]

Can you eat the leaves once the nettle has turned to seed ? Do you dry the leaves ? I’ve just found you so I’m going to subscribe and hopefully learn lots . We have lots of things to forage in Nova Scotia . Take Care .

[@tal1989]

No, after flowering they produce calcium carbonate crystals called crystoliths. These irritate the urinary tract and have a laxative effect. Happy foraging

[@nirvana2939]

Do nettle seeds and nettle leaves give the same nutritional benefit?

[@jaclynfusco3127]

Does one stalk have both male and female parts? It looks like I have fluffy parts and the clusters of green seeds

[@SedriqMiers]

good ole ramble in the brambles.

[@MrsMagddaa]

how long do you dry them for..what temp

[@thewoolista8691]

What type of alcohol would you soak them in to make the tincture?

[@martycoyle6383]

❤

[@diane8472]

How long keeping nettle seed in container?

[@mylife8111]

I have what looks like stinging nettle but the leaves are a little slender and fewer stinging hairs on the stalk and underleaf. What might this be?

[@seth2854]

so THAT is what those little green things are! I've seen them flower (which are bloody gorgeous) but I have always thought that the seeds where dead flowers or something. xDD

[@hedgecomber]

It was a revelation to me too Seth! I've collected them for years, and not knowing the difference I must have collected both seed and flower. Every day's a school day 😊

[@seth2854]

@@hedgecomber ye!