Not so much a recipe, more just an idea of what to do with these wild vegetables. Usually, they’re steamed or boiled and used as a wild alternative to asparagus, but get them young and small enough and they make an excellent pickle.
Ingredients:
Apple Cider Vinegar.
Young Rosebay Willowherb shoots.
Method:
Pick young, small (less than 10cm) shoots.
Fill a clean jar with the shoots and fill with apple cider vinegar to cover all the shoots.
Leave in a warm, dry, dark place for 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
Rosebay Willowherb shoots have a little tanginess to them, so I use organic apple cider vinegar to balance that with the sweetness of the apples.
Stinging nettles have been used for dyes, fibres, herbal remedies and food for hundreds of years. During WW2, the British used nettles for their dark green dye for camouflage, and the Germans used huge quantities of nettles for their fibres to make military uniforms.
Habitat
It is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and naturalised in North America, and introduced elsewhere. It can be found on waste ground, hedgerows, woods etc, preferring a rich soil and avoiding acid soils. Patches of healthy nettles are said to be an indicator of fertile ground, and possibly an indicator of previous human occupation.
Description
It is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact (contact urticaria). Urtica dioica is a perennial growing to 1.2 m quickly. “dioica” refers to the botanical term, “dioecious” meaning that male and female flowers are on different plants.
Identifying Features
Stinging nettles
Leaves – The soft, green leaves are 3 to 15 cm long and grow in opposite pairs on an erect, wiry, green stem. The leaves have a strongly serrated margin, a cordate base, and an pointed tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent lateral teeth.
The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs, and in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs (trichomes or spicules), whose tips come off when touched, transforming the hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals causing a painful sting or paresthesia, giving the species its common names: stinging nettle, burn nettle, burn weed, or burn hazel.
Flowers – It bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in dense axillary inflorescences.
Roots – It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as are the roots.
Pictures
Stinging nettles
Uses
Food
Young leaves – can be cooked and used the same as spinach (i.e. boiled or steamed) and added to soups etc. They also make excellent fried crisps. They can also be dried for winter use. Nettles are a very valuable addition to the diet, they are a very nutritious food that is easily digested and is high in minerals (especially iron) and vitamins (especially A and C). Cooking the leaves, or thoroughly drying them, neutralises the sting, rendering the leaf safe to eat. Heating to above 60 degrees celcius renders them sting-less by bursting the sack of chemicals at the base of each sting. Dehydrating nettles breaks the needles, rendering them safe. The needles can also be broken by physical means, such as slapping, flattening with a rolling pin, etc. The young shoots, harvested in the spring when 15 – 20 cm long complete with the underground stem are very nice. Old leaves can cause an upset stomach. The juice of the leaves, or a decoction of the herb, can be used as a rennet substitute in curdling plant milks for making cheeses. Nettle wine is brewed from the young shoots, and a strong nettle decoction can be added to brewing ale for flavouring.
Nettles have a long history of use in the home as a herbal remedy and nutritious addition to the diet. A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used as a cleansing tonic and blood purifier so the plant is often used in the treatment of hay fever, arthritis, anaemia etc.
Other uses
A strong fibre is made from the stems. Used for making string and cloth, it also makes a good quality paper. It is harvested as the plant begins to die down in early autumn and is flattened and dried before the fibres are extracted. The fibre is produced in less abundance than from flax (Linun usitatissimum) and is also more difficult to extract.
The plant matter left over after the fibres have been extracted are a good source of biomass and have been used in the manufacture of sugar, starch, protein and ethyl alcohol.
An oil obtained from the seeds is used as in oil lamps.
The leaves are also an excellent addition to the compost heap and they can be soaked for 7 – 21 days in water to make a very nutritious liquid feed for plants. This liquid feed is both insect repellent and a good foliar feed.
The growing plant increases the essential oil content of other nearby plants, thus making them more resistant to insect pests.
Although many different species of insects feed on nettles, flies are repelled by the plant so a bunch of freshly cut stems has been used as a repellent in food cupboards. The juice of the plant, or a decoction formed by boiling the herb in a strong solution of salt, if rubbed into small seams of leaky wooden tubs, will coagulate and make the tub watertight again.
A hair wash is made from the infused leaves and this is used as a tonic and antidandruff treatment.
A beautiful and permanent green dye is obtained from a decoction of the leaves and stems. A yellow dye is obtained from the root when boiled with alum.
Folklore
Being very common, the stinging nettle has much lore and myth surrounding it; here are some of the more common ones:
The name “Nettle” is said to have come from the Anglo-Saxon word for needle, probably referring to its stinging needles (hairs), or possibly referring to its value as a thread (seems less likely).
In Irish mythology, when the children of Lir (sea god) returned from hundreds of years in exile, they found their home overgrown with nettles; as did Oisin on returning to his great hall. Unsurprising when nettles are so commonly found in wasteland and abandoned places.
Dreaming of gathering nettles is said to mean that someone likes you, or that your marriage will be a happy one; Whereas dreaming of being stung means something bad is coming.
In Germany and Wales, folk songs associate nettles with love and fertility.
Across the British Isles, many stories exist concerning the origin of nettles, including that they mark the spots where Satan and his fallen angels fell to earth, that they grow from dead men’s bodies or from the spilling of innocents’ blood, and that they grow from human urine (though they do prefer nitrogen rich soil, so there may be some truth in that one!).
Known hazards
The leaves of the plants have stinging hairs, causing irritation to the skin. This action is neutralized by heat or by thorough drying, so the cooked leaves are perfectly safe and nutritious. However, only young leaves should be used because older leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths which act as an irritant to the kidneys. Possible interference with allopathic drugs for diabetes mellitus, hypertension. Central nervous system depression drugs (e.g. morphine, alcohol) may also interact with nettle. Avoid during pregnancy.
Harvesting
It is in leaf from March. It is in flower from May to October, and the seeds ripen from Jun to October. For medicinal purposes, the plant is best harvested in May or June as it is coming into flower and dried for later use.
Potential lookalikes
White deadnettle (Lamium album) can look very similar, but bears distinctive white flowers. Also edible.
Sources
Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica
It’s difficult to think of nettles in anything other than savoury but I hope this recipe will change your mind . The reason I like this recipe is because I wanted to find a use for the older nettle leaves that I can’t use for eating fresh like you do with the nettle tops. This is perfect with ice, goes nicely with a G&T and with tonic water.
I will often make this with the discarded nettle leaves I won’t use for making crisps.
Ingredients:
200g nettle leaves.
500g caster sugar.
4 Squeezed Lemons or 4tbsp lemon juice.
500 ml water.
Method:
Put your nettles and water in a large pan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes.
Strain the nettles out of the liquid through a fine mesh colander or a cloth.
Take the strained juice and add the sugar to it.
Put this back on the heat and warm slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Allow it to cool and place in sterilised bottles.
Use within 6 months, once opened keep in the fridge and use within 2 weeks.
Enjoy with sparkling water, water or add to jellies, ice lollies to give a wild nettle flavour.
Winter is upon us, the frosts have started already and it’s tempting to wrap up warm and stay indoors, but there’s still a whole world of food to be had out there. For this article I want to pick on a commonly used plant that seems to not get much use outside of making booze. I am of course talking about the humble Sloe of the Blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa).
I’m not going to dive into recipes or variations for sloe gin, Epine aperitif, or even sloe wine (another of my favourites). After all, it’s very simple and there are tons of recipes out there already; not to mention that you can now buy sloe gin off the shelf (and I won’t start on all the reasons why that’s wrong!).
Blackthorn bushes in blossom
Species
Blackthorn is a member of the Rose family and like most fruit of the Rosacea, it has seeds/stones containing compounds which can convert to hydrogen cyanide in the stomach, however you’d have to consume a lot of the seeds for it to affect you, and we’re discarding the stones today anyway; It’s that hydrogen cyanide compound that gives almonds their flavour, and which comes out in sloe gin if it’s infused for a long time. Trust me, it’s a good thing.
Identifying Blackthorn
Blackthorn grows in dense tangled bushes, with evil black spikes up to a couple of inches long, so when picking the berries it’s best to wear suitable clothing or be very careful. If you’re looking to identify it in spring Blackthorn and Hawthorn can have very similar flowers and spikes, but where Blackthorn flowers before its leaves appear, Hawthorn flowers after its leaves have appeared. If the leaves are out it’s much easier. Blackthorn has simple small leaves, Hawthorn has lobed leaves.
Blackthorn thorn and leaves
Eating Sloe Berries
As you probably know already, sloes are a wild plum but are incredibly sour and astringent until they’ve been frozen. Whether by the natural frosts or by putting them in the freezer for a day or two, the freezing process releases more of their natural sugars and makes them much more palatable for our infusions. A few years ago, I was licking my fingers after preparing some berries for wine and it struck me that now they’re nice and sweet, why not use them like a normal plum?
Sloe Dumplings
This is your recipe for this issue. I adapted it from a family recipe which used shop bought plums, which was lovely but I think that these small snack size versions are even better:
Ingredients
12 frozen sloes
1 tbsp caster sugar
125g peeled potatoes
20g butter unsalted
50g breadcrumbs
20g granulated sugar
1 egg
60g plain flour
Pinch salt
Pinch cinnamon
Method
Put your potatoes on to boil. You want it nice and soft, like your going to make mash.
Clean your sloes and make sure that they’re defrosted. Remove the stones keeping as much of the flesh as possible. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the sloes.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the breadcrumbs. Cook gently until golden brown then remove from the heat. Stir in the granulated sugar thoroughly and set aside to cool.
When the potatoes are done and cool enough to handle, shred them into a bowl – I just mash them with a fork.
Add the egg, salt, cinnamon and flour and mix into a sticky dough. If it’s too wet add a little more flour.
Get a pan of water on the boil.
Take a small piece of dough at a time, flatten it into a 5mm thick circle. Add the sloe, fold the dough and shape into a ball. TOP TIP: If you find the dough too sticky to mould in your hand, wet your hands; It makes it much easier.
A few at a time, drop the dough balls into the simmering water and cook until they rise to the surface.
Remove using a strainer to drain excess water and put straight into the breadcrumbs. Roll them around so they’re coated and leave to cool.
Serve the dumplings cold, maybe with custard or a little Sloe port.
Sloe dumplings
Health Benefits
Sloe berries are rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E, and also have concentrations of potassium, calcium and magnesium. They’re also packed with antioxidants, phenols and essential fatty acids, all of which are good for maintain health and reducing the likelihood of chronic disease.
Sloes
Summary
When we’re looking at foraged food it is sometimes easy to stick with what we know, even making small changes to recipes, and we often overlook the basic nature of a thing. Sloes are wild plums and we know that they sweeten up when frozen and defrosted, so why not use them as tiny plums? OK, so they’re a little fiddly, but I think it’s well worth the effort. I can promise you that they make lovely desserts, sweet and sour sauces, and this year why not try a lovely rich sloe sauce to go with your Turkey?
I recently stayed on the East coast of Corfu (Greece) for a week, and whilst the intention was to have a week of complete relaxation, I don’t think it’s possible for a forager to ignore plants, ever.
Anyway, I was pleased to see so many plants that I recognised from foraging in the UK, but there were also plenty that I wouldn’t have a clue about – that’s where some local knowledge would help if I intended to stay there and forage!
Quite often on foraging walks, we get onto the subject of lost knowledge, and how in other parts of the world (including some of mainland Europe) they don’t have “foraging” because gathering wild edible plants is just part of life. However, whilst it was encouraging to see some evidence of wild food gathering, it was also clear that the practice is beginning to die out in Corfu too.
Horta forager
In Greece, they have a dish called “horta” which just means greens and will probably have different contents from one restaurant to another. It can include dandelion leaves, amaranths, mustards and chicory. Interestingly, the Greek for vegetarian is hortafagos which translates as “weed-eater”. Anyway, it was encouraging to see that you can still buy horta, gathered by a local forager, from the markets.
Horta in the market
Slightly less encouraging was the amount of perfectly good olives, grapes, prickly pears and other edibles rotting on the plants, or on the floor beneath them.
Edible plants in common with the UK
So what can you recognise their from your foraging here? I’m sure that there is plenty more, but this forager saw:
I was out for a walk around the Lee Valley last night, particularly looking out for Elderberries and Yarrow for some home-brewing projects I have planned. I found what I needed, but I could help also noticing the huge amounts of pink flowering Himalayan Balsam along the river’s edge just about everywhere.
Himalayan Balsam
Whilst it looks very pretty, it’s a controversial plant as it’s the invasive immigrant, Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). It is highly invasive, and tends to choke up rivers quite quickly.*
Himalayan Balsam
It does this with an amazing seed spreading system, which involves the seed heads ‘exploding’ and flinging the seeds up to seven feet away.
Exploding Seed Head
However, there is a positive aspect to this plant. Most of it is edible, and being in such abundance and widely hated, there is no reason not to collect some (carefully) and cook it up!
*Himalayan Balsam and the law
I’ve been asked by the Non-native Species Inspectorate, quite rightly, to point out that the transportation of seeds or whole plants of Himalayan Balsam is an offence under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 in England and Wales and Section 14AA of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in Scotland. This means that no seeds or plants should be removed from the site where they currently grow, and sowing seeds or planting elsewhere either deliberately or accidentally would be a particularly serious offence.
So in other words, pick it and eat it/use it where it grows, and don’t take it somewhere else!
Himalayan Balsam Recipes
A quick internet search for “Himalayan Balsam Recipes” will turn up plenty of results for you. I won’t copy them here (unless it’s to review them after I’ve given it a try), but some of the things I’ve seen include:
https://foundfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Exploding-Plant-GIF-1.gif346615Gavinhttps://foundfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Found_Food_Foraging_newlogoWhite-300x168.pngGavin2017-08-16 11:38:262023-12-07 12:00:15Himalayan Balsam – Invasive Pest or Tasty Food?
So this may be a basic one for some people, but I’d never heard of crow garlic until last week. So on Sunday I was looking out for it and there it was; By the side of the path in Lee Valley park. I thought it looked like the pictures, so I grabbed a few blades and rubbed them in my hands. The smell of garlic was so strong. As sometimes happens, I see it everywhere now, by the side of the road near where I live. Next I’ll be thinking of where I can use it…
Where to find it
Apparently, this is a good time of year for it as the usual undergrowth that crowds it out is low at the moment allowing it to push through. Before long the undergrowth will be crowding it out, but if you make note of where it is, it should keep you in supplies until early summer.
What it’s good for
Tasting similar to chives, it can be used in most savoury dishes, and like most of the garlic family it is supposed to have certain health benefits including lowering cholesterol and helping the liver to remove toxins.
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