Do Nettles Sting When You Eat Them?

Common Nettles would sting you while you are eating them if you ate them raw and fresh from the field. Young nettles are the least stingy. Even so picking young nettle shoots is best done wearing protective gloves. The most tender baby leaves of the annual nettle do not carry much of a sting and are eaten raw and chopped into salads in France. In this form they are a hugely rich source of vitamin C and iron. The leaves of the large common nettle are always stingy. Again these are best eaten young but should be cooked to remove the sting and tenderize the leaves. The classic recipe is nettle soup and mixing the leaves with sorrel or spinach makes for a milder burst of nettle flavour. Nettles are richer in iron than spinach, grow for free across the countryside and are considered to be hugely beneficial to health. Just watch which ones you pick. Any patches close to roads should be avoided because of possible pollutants.