Nettle – from wartime textile fibre to today’s food plant

Stinging nettle is one of our most well-known wild plants, notorious for its stinging hairs that cause an itchy, prickly sensation upon contact – a defense mechanism the plant developed against grazing animals. The stinging hairs contain, among other things, formic acid, which is the cause of the skin reaction.

The nettle's long history as a fiber plant

Before cotton became common, nettle fiber was used for fabric production in large parts of Europe for centuries. During the First World War, when cotton was scarce due to trade blockades, Germany resumed large-scale cultivation of nettle to produce uniform fabric – an example of how a seemingly worthless weed gained strategic importance.

As food

Young nettle leaves, harvested in spring before the plant flowers, can be cooked much like spinach – cooking eliminates the effect of the stinging hairs. Nettle is traditionally used in soup, as filling in pies, or dried for tea.

What nettle contains

Nettle contains chlorophyll, iron, and several vitamins, as well as amino acids.

Usage

Dried nettle can be brewed as tea – 2 teaspoons to a cup of boiling water, let steep for 5-7 minutes. Nettle powder can also be mixed into muesli, bread dough, or egg batter. Our nettle powder is an example of how the powder is usually sold.