Mature nettles?
2d 15h ago by sopuli.xyz/u/Korhaka in foraging@slrpnk.net
I have heard mixed info on harvesting nettles (Urtica dioica). Some sources say to only eat the leaves of young plants because as they get older and once the plant flowers they can be harmful.
However, it seems to be claimed it is due to calcium carbonate deposits in the plant, other sources mention there is no evidence these are harmful and also wouldn't stomach acid dissolve them pretty quickly anyway?
I am curious if anyone has tried and noticed any problems from eating large quantities of mature leaves, especially cooked ones. I have a massive source of them and it would be nice to make use of them.
From what I have read is that in general the older the nettle the tougher the leaves. So they get less edible because the are harder to chew. That being said I am collecting nettle for the first time this year myself
However, they are suppose to be great for drying for teas or other uses dry. The main hazard I know of is watching out for heavy metals in the soil. Since nettle is great at accumulating iron it can also accumulate any heavy metals like lead or arsenic from the soil. So be cautious in urban areas or around former waste sites.
Ok might avoid the park on an old landfill site. But there are also plenty of them around the local allotments.
Texture makes sense, of course for that it would depend on how you are consuming it.
I would avoid the old landfill site for sure. I primarily use nettles for tea so texture change doesn't really matter for me.