Nettle

Urtica dioica · Leafy green

40 pairings

Nettle (Urtica dioica), the common stinging nettle, is a wild perennial green famous for the burning sting of its hairs and prized, once cooked, as a deep, dark, mineral-rich leaf vegetable. Heat or drying instantly disarms the sting, leaving a flavour close to a richer, earthier spinach — green and vegetal with a faint nutty, almost savoury edge — and the young spring tops are turned into soup, pesto, gnudi fillings, beer and a grassy herbal tea.

Picking a good onedrag

Stiff young tops, deep greenYellowed, limp and slimy

Shop freshThe everyday bunch: blanch, squeeze dry, and use it anywhere spinach goes.Everyday best

LeafEven green, leaves flat and open

SpringSoft in the glove, still lifting clear

Cut endsRim drying, still pale inside

SmellFaintly green, almost nothing

What to look for, from stiff young tops, deep green to yellowed, limp and slimy.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 5× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95-98%

Near-saturated or nothing. Tender tops wilt long before they rot, and bare fridge air limps a bunch inside a few hours - bag it damp.

Airflow

Perforated bag, kept cold

Perforate the bag and get it cold fast. Warm and airless, bacterial soft rot runs up the cut stems and the whole bunch goes to slime.

Preparing