Here’s a wonderful video where famous herbalists such as Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed and Matthew Wood teach why they love nettles, how to harvest it and use them, their many health benefits and more.
The video begins and ends with herbalists David Hoffmann and Isla Burgess talking about why nettles are their favorite plants. During the main part of the video, herbalists Rosemary Gladstar, Susun Weed, Brigitte Mars and Matthew Wood give more information about the many benefits of nettles and how to use them. Each expert focuses on a different type of information about nettles and why they’re so wonderful.
Rosemary Gladstar talks about why she loves nettles, including the wonderful taste (she likes it cooked with a little olive oil, lemon juice and feta) and the many systems of the body that it’s good for. She compares nettle to a menopausal woman, saying that as long as you treat it sweetly it will take wonderful care of you — but it will bite if you don’t. She also talks about its long history, what makes the plant so special to her and how she got nettles established around her mountain home.
Susun Weed teaches a class how to harvest nettle by hand with scissors. She says to grasp it by a top leaf and cut just the very top (no more than 8 leaves) and put that in the foraging basket. Since nettles are so fibrous, she says to only pick the very tops. If the scissors have difficulty cutting, it’s too far down. She says that about 10 tops make an ounce of nettles. She also tells her recipe for nettle soup and talks about how she grows nettles and the proper soil conditions.
From there, Brigitte Mars talks about historic health uses for nettles. She shows how people have used nettles for thousands of years to help with pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia and more. This fascinating segment also talks about some of the other ways nettles have been used over the years, including as an early substitute for Viagra, with lots of examples of ways to use the sting of nettles to help with health, pain and constitution.
Matthew Wood tells the ways that all parts of the nettle plant can be used, such as the stalks for rope and fishnet and the roots for prostate problems. He also talks about the nutritional benefits of the leaves, pointing out that they are high in protein and minerals with a flavor similar to spinach. He also points out that the seeds are brilliant for healing the kidneys, saying that nettles have helped many people get off of dialysis and helps restore kidney function. He adds that they help get rid of allergies, both food allergies and seasonal ones, and lists many other health conditions that nettles help remedy.
The video is just under seventeen minutes long in total, with each expert talking for about four minutes. It’s well worth the viewing. Most foragers know how great nettles are for cooking and for health purposes. Even veteran foragers are likely to learn something new from these knowledgeable experts.
