Early spring is the time to pick your nettles I’ve heard,apparently they get tough after that.

It seems just as your getting into spring, its already speeding past, so I marched myself out on sunday, dentist latex gloves to hand, and went nettle hunting. Harder to remember where you last saw a lucious big clump of them than you might think!

I’m told you can pick nettles bare handed if you know how, always run your fingers upwards along the stem and your golden. I didn’t risk it, and was bemused to find my double layer of latex gloves still allowed the sting to cost me for my harvest!

Accomplices

I was surprised to find a Nettle soup recipe in ‘Rachel Allen’s Home Cooking’ book and this is what inspired my mission.

It turned out rather unnattractively, not the ideal ingredient for a soup I’d day, it doesnt merge itself into the rich bright velvet texture of perfect soup. Was it tasty? Yes, but the texture was off putting!

I served it up with some smoked haddock pate and bread so a hedgerow lunch was still achieved!

If you’re up for some nettle picking, here are two more recipes you might like to try,  Nettle Spanakopita and Nettle Lasagne. Don’t forget to report back if you do!