Foraging Stinging Nettle

Spring fever is different for everybody; for me there’s nothing better to look forward to then foraging for wild edibles after the thaw of winter is past. Along with juniper, forsythia flower, dock and dead nettle, I was excited to find a large patch of juvenile stinging nettle. Because of three excitement of the moment and my laziness to not run home and get a pair of gloves, I picked them barehanded. They did not sting bad at all. The sensation is like a bunch of sewing needles “massaging” over your hands uncomfortably. I did get a bountiful harvest of this glorious herb on this beautiful April evening. Although I do regret not wearing gloves, I’ll never regret finding and foraging this plant. The stings ability increases as it ages. Be careful and wary of your surroundings. My hands are still stinging from the picking- I did wash my hands with soap but to no avail. 45 minutes past and I still feel it like I just picked a whole other batch of tender nettles. There are little pink dots on my hands- I washed them with baking soda- but that didn’t do anything either. Moral of the story: wear gloves when picking stinging nettle and…. Don’t let laziness get the better of you.