Subject: Re: Singing Nettles - Info. Req.
From: [email-masked] (Thomas Bjorkman)
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 1994 09:39:44 -0500
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Edward
Fasula) wrote:

 2. Nettles as a food source:  apparently, nettles have a higher level of 
> protien than soy.  When cut in spring, they are supposed to be better than 
> spinach.

I very much enjoy nettles.  I use them in a soup that is made essentially
in the same way as spinach soup.  The result has a more delicate and
complex flavor.  It is also one of those once-a-year treats that the annual
cycle provides.

I wear rubber gloves to pick them, but that is the only precaution
necessary.  Pick the tender shoots that are 4-8" tall.  Anything older will
be tough and tasteless.  In a good nettle patch at the right time, it's
easy to get a big basketfull.  Blanch the leaves in boiling water or soup
stock and they will be disarmed.  

Since 2 bowls of soup per year represents a negligible part of my total
diet, it really does not make much difference how the protein content or
quality compares to soy.
-- 
Thomas Bjorkman    Dept. of Horticultural Sciences   Cornell University