First up and earliest to sprout is one of my favorite plants- stinging nettle. Don't let the name scare you, once dried or cooked the stinging hairs are rendered harmless. I use dried nettle throughout the year medicinally as a tea, it is helpful for joint pain, allergies, UTI's, as well as menstrual support.
I tend to get a lot of joint pain during this transition from winter to spring, luckily nettle isn’t too far behind. I forgo gloves when harvesting and just surrender to the sting. It might sound painful, but you quickly get used to it. I find it reduces the inflammation in my hands. While writing this newsletter I learned there’s even a word for what I do! Urtication which comes from the Latin name for nettles, Urtica dioica. If urtication isn't your thing, just use gloves while harvesting and processing!
I harvest nettles every few weeks, drying what I’ll need for the year. For more information about the benefits of stinging nettle, check out this blog post from local herbalist Brittany Wood-Knickerson of Thyme Herbal. Please also check out her recipe for nettle, mushroom, asparagus risotto. If you can't wait till asparagus season to try this, I think it would be delicious without it!
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