Hi everyone,
The world is turning to all kinds of practical superfoods, we’ve all heard of chia seeds, matcha powder, chlorella… And I wonder, have you ever heard of nettle seeds?
Identification
Male flowers Female flowers
I’m sure you all know what nettles look like. To collect the seeds,
look for flowers that are drooping and grow in dense clusters. These are female flowers. Male flowers have a lot less and don’t droop as much.
You can see the difference in these 2 photos. On the left, we have male flowers, not drooping, very few of them. On the right, we have very dense clusters of flowers that are drooping.
Benefits of Nettle Seeds
Nettle seeds are a stimulant and can be taken as a mood booster too. If you want to find out more about nettle seeds, have a read here. They are useful for chronic exhaustion, adrenal fatigue and burnout, nettle seeds have also been used to aid kidney function in both people and animals with degenerative conditions.1
Harvesting
Stinging nettles sting. It’s such an annoying characteristic! I have very sensitive skin so when I get stung, my skin becomes very irritated and can sting for 12 hours. Ai! However, you can buy yourself a pair of gardening gloves for £5 and you’re good to go. As well as gloves, bring along scissors and a basket. Cut the nettle about 20cm from the top. That way, you are leaving some of it behind so that it can continue to grow and reproduce.
Preparation
Now you have your nettles. So what now? You can either put them in a dehydrator on the lowest setting OR let them dry naturally (on a windowsill, for example). Once they are dry, you can pick them up and not get stung. Use a sieve to collect all the nettle seeds, throw the stalks out. Now you can sprinkle them on your porridge in the morning, have them in smoothies, use instead of sesame seeds on bread or crackers, sprinkle them in salads or soups or just chew them on their own! Just make sure you don’t eat them too late because they could stop you from falling asleep.
Nettle Hair Rinse
If you picked nettles with leaves, why not use them as a scalp treatment? Nettles enhance blood circulation and are packed with antioxidants. This means that it stimulates hair growth! Boil them for 2 hours, add white wine or cider vinegar and use after washing your hair, don’t rinse out.
I hope I’ve inspired you to go out and try some nettle seeds for yourself. And if not, I hope you’ve found this blog post interesting!
Stay safe,
Ellie