Nettle is known to everyone, since childhood, as a plant that stings a lot and causes pain. It is found mostly in ashes, ditches and shady gardens and wooded areas, where it grows like a weed.
However, this wild but edible green leafy vegetable should only be picked in places that are well known and unpolluted. From the plant, the heart-shaped young leaves covered with stingy hairs are used. They are picked only with gloves, as the formic acid contained in them can cause burns, which are unpleasant.
The best time to pick nettles is from June to August. Nettle contains oxalic acid, which binds calcium.
Nettle has a huge range of healing properties, has long been known for its health benefits - it is used to treat wounds and it is diuretic, tonic, laxative, vitamin, anticonvulsant, expectorant.
To make the nettle edible, it must be cleaned and washed.
In order to clean the nettle, the leaves and tips are boiled with hot water first, then they are strained and are prepared for heat treatment, eiher whole or cut into strips.
When it comes to cooking with nettle, you can prepare - nettle puree, nettle porridge and nettle soup.
