Foraging for Nettles and making Nettle Chips
Have you ever been stung by stinging nettles? They're so prickly and definitely warrant caution when you're walking along the hiking trails, but did you know that they are actually also extremely nutritious?
I often recommend nettle tea infusions as a mineral-rich tonic for women- especially those who are on their moon time, pregnant or breastfeeding. It's a key ingredient in my Postpartum Tea (recipe found in my ebook). But today I wanted to share with you how to forage for them and a super easy recipe on how to make them into chips.
Foraging For Nettles
Stinging Nettles (urtica dioica) have their name for a reason: they sting and can cause urticaria (itching). Though the stings are nowhere close to as painful or itchy as a bee sting, they are still uncomfortable. When foraging for nettles, be sure to wear thick gloves (my gardening gloves work just fine) and bring garden shears or scissors to cut the leaves off.
Nettles in nature usually are found alongside a trail and nearby running water
I recommend using a woven basket or a foraging bag (like this one) instead of a reusable canvas shopping bag to store the picked nettles so that the thorns don’t get stuck.
Making Nettle Chips
Ingredients
3 cups fresh nettles
3 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp sea salt
Squeeze of a half lemon
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 325F.
In large bowl combine the nettles and the oil. Using tongs (not your hands!), toss the nettles in the oil until well-coated.
Squeeze the lemon over the leaves and toss again.
Lay each nettle leaf flat on a baking sheet (again, with tongs) and sprinkle evenly with sea salt.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the nettles for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, flip each leaf and return to the oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Enjoy immediately!
Enjoying some nettle chips as a side to an even more nutritious ButcherBox Ribeye Steak and a purple Sweet Potato
