Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Stinging Nettle

I resurrected a blog draft from April of 2019.  The only thing in the draft was a photo of wild growing stinging nettle.  The only thing I can think, is maybe I was sharing what it looked like?

Always do your research before foraging for this weed.  You can also buddy up with someone who is familiar with foraging and learn that way too.

I know I dehydrated some in the past for teas, and did you know that if you blanch them, you can ice bath them and freeze them for eating in future meals?

You do need to have very thick protective gloves on to harvest this medicinal weed.  It's prickly spines will leave a nasty, itchy rash on you if you do not.  Just ask my husband.  He was mowing in shorts one time, and brushed against some growing here on the property.  I had to lather him in chickweed salve. Chickweed is another weed to talk about when it arrives this spring/summer.

I wrote up a post about how I made a tea infusion for hair and nail health.  I don't make the tea infusion as often as I did back then, but it is a nourishing tea with oat straw.  You can do your own research, but the post can be found HERE.

2 comments:

Jackie said...

We have lots of chickweed growing here, and I never realized that it had medicinal properties. Time to do some research.

God bless.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Jackie, yes, do read up about chickweed. Not only can you eat it, but the salve from it helps with small cuts, rashes, poison ivy, helps with sunburn, and helps heal mosquito bites.