Eat Dead Nettle: The Best Tips and Ideas

Eating dead nettle: the wild herb is so healthy

Since the dead nettle is not poisonous, you can use the herb in many ways. For example, like dandelions, add them to salads. The so-called white dead-nettle is related to the herbs thyme and oregano. There are also deadnettles with pink and yellow flowers.

• According to the Federal Center for Nutrition, dead nettle has many healthy effects. These include, for example, their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, diuretic, and digestive effects.
• On the one hand, the many mucilage and tannins are responsible for this. On the other hand, the dead nettle contains many minerals such as magnesium and calcium. But weed also contains flavonoids, saponins, and essential oils.
• The dead nettle has been used for generations as a remedy for stomach and intestinal complaints, flatulence, and respiratory diseases.

Excellent for salads

For example, prepare tea from dead nettles. Or add the plant to the salad.

• For a deadnettle tea, take two teaspoons of the medicinal herb. Pour hot water over it and let the tea steep for five minutes.
• You can use all parts of the plant, i.e. shoots, flowers, and leaves, for salads. However, young shoots are best for consumption. They taste less bitter.
• For example, you can use dead nettle together with stinging nettle in the kitchen.
• The herb not only tastes good in salads but is also suitable for a number of other dishes. But always make sure that you only steam the weed for a short time. Otherwise, it not only loses its aroma but also its active ingredients.
• You can use the herb for casseroles, as an accompaniment to meat, fish, soups, or as pesto.

Recipe example: pigeon nettle on toast

How about a pigeon nettle toast, for example? All you need is 200 g of dead nettles, four slices of toast of your choice, a tablespoon of butter, 50 ml of cream, two to three small tomatoes, and an onion.

1. First, toast the toast. You can do this in an oven, for example. Or use a toaster for this.
2. Fry the finely diced onion in the butter.
3. Add the washed and chopped deadnettles to the onions. Also add the chopped tomatoes, such as cocktail tomatoes.
4. Deglaze everything with cream. Now all you have to do is salt and pepper the mixture.
5. Let everything boil until the mass has become a bit tough.
6. Then spread the deadnettle mixture on the toast.