Urtica Mystica
Posted on Apr 4th, 2008
by 
Entheochef
Entheochef
An immense amount of my current time is being spent with Nettles. Stinging Nettles at that! (Urtica Dioica) If I'm not harvesting or processing them, I'm thinking about how many different ways I can bring this bounty to the masses. I'm on a pretty serious Nettle mission this year. Last spring sort-of kicked it off but the abundance of Urtica this spring has affirmed it:
I'm going to make my living and support my family with Nettles!
Nettles are a plant. In the same class as Mint: Magnoliopsida - or Flowering Plant. It grows pretty big and is a common and abundant "weed". The young shoots look similar to Lemon Balm or Mint or Catnip but a little more aggressive... rigid, angular. They have the highest iron content of any plant and are sooooooooooo delicious. when these young shoots are steamed they taste incredibly sweet. almost like blood. No need to salt or to season in any way. YUMMM! They also are superb in pesto or in scrambles.
The best thing about Nettles though is that they're free! If you find a patch, you can tend to it and it will thrive and feed you and your family for years and years. I'm guessing that by this time next year I will be cultivating them. Perhaps even in greenhouses. I've been pretty passionate about plants and about Nettles specifically for many years. It feels like I'm being told that it's time to turn that passion into a comprehensively sustaining passion.
Nettles are pretty all-over the place in bushy and fieldy places. Go find your patch today!! just make sure to be mindfull (even wear gloves until you learn how to grab them) while you're cutting them. In my opinion it's worth it to get stung, just to see how it feels. It's more difficult to intentionally get stung though. It's a really surprising thing that happens when you accidentally brush up against the plant. Kinda like a little electric shock. Then, depending on how severe the 'bite' the affected spot will go through some fascinating sensations for the next several minutes, hours, days. it may even produce a mark or some redness.
Im wondering if we can use the Urtica sting to access mystical realms. It wouldn't surprise me and it's certainly food for thought as I explore all things Urtica these days.
I probably talk about Nettles, Cannabis and Fungus forever so deep runs the passion for these magnificent beings.
I'm going to make my living and support my family with Nettles!
Nettles are a plant. In the same class as Mint: Magnoliopsida - or Flowering Plant. It grows pretty big and is a common and abundant "weed". The young shoots look similar to Lemon Balm or Mint or Catnip but a little more aggressive... rigid, angular. They have the highest iron content of any plant and are sooooooooooo delicious. when these young shoots are steamed they taste incredibly sweet. almost like blood. No need to salt or to season in any way. YUMMM! They also are superb in pesto or in scrambles.
The best thing about Nettles though is that they're free! If you find a patch, you can tend to it and it will thrive and feed you and your family for years and years. I'm guessing that by this time next year I will be cultivating them. Perhaps even in greenhouses. I've been pretty passionate about plants and about Nettles specifically for many years. It feels like I'm being told that it's time to turn that passion into a comprehensively sustaining passion.
Nettles are pretty all-over the place in bushy and fieldy places. Go find your patch today!! just make sure to be mindfull (even wear gloves until you learn how to grab them) while you're cutting them. In my opinion it's worth it to get stung, just to see how it feels. It's more difficult to intentionally get stung though. It's a really surprising thing that happens when you accidentally brush up against the plant. Kinda like a little electric shock. Then, depending on how severe the 'bite' the affected spot will go through some fascinating sensations for the next several minutes, hours, days. it may even produce a mark or some redness.
Im wondering if we can use the Urtica sting to access mystical realms. It wouldn't surprise me and it's certainly food for thought as I explore all things Urtica these days.
I probably talk about Nettles, Cannabis and Fungus forever so deep runs the passion for these magnificent beings.
Access: Public
love
July 2008 