Wild Edible Weeds ... ???

hoodat

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The irritant is nullified by cooking. Nettles are also supposed to speed up decomposition in a compost pile.
 

vja4Him

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Collector said:
That is interesting I wasn't aware that nettles were edible (live and learn)! So far all of my experiance with nettles whether it is hunting, fishing, or hiking has been negative for me.
P.S how do you itch your throat when you eat them? LOL
I just cooked up a pot of Stinging Nettles today! Used the juice for tea. It was pretty good. I drank about 1/2 cup, with some honey, then mixed in some Blackberry tea and more Stinging Nettle juice.

I'll eat the greens tomorrow with rice and other veggies.
 

wifezilla

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I can't believe I have been digging up and tossing out lamb quarters for all these years :he

Oh well, it least for the past two I have been giving them to the ducks.
 

vja4Him

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hoodat said:
Don't forget lambs quarter. It's a reliable and tasty green. They come up wild in disturbed ground in every state. Some people even plant them in the garden on purpose.
Would Lambs Quarters grow during the winter (Growing Zone #8/14)?
 

digitS'

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These will be my earliest veggies (weeds :)) out of the garden:


SpringOh8017.jpg

Orache

I allow a couple of the plants to mature seed and self-sow in an out of the way place. I can transplant the seedlings in the spring or just thin them.

Orache is a relative of Lambs Quarters, as is Magenta Spreen. It will probably be very similar to Orache but I may buy seed next season for that weed . . . uh, vegetable.

Steve ;)
 

Hattie the Hen

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digitS' said:
Looks like stinging nettle. It would be good to have Hattie weigh in on this one. Seems I remember that she has nettle in her garden.

I have eaten and really enjoyed nettle :p. I haven't enjoyed the blisters it caused after I rolled over on it while lying in a lovely mountain meadow :rolleyes:.
Steve
:frow :frow

I'm here, Steve (pant, pant!!) Somehow I missed this thread........Sorry....!! :D

Yes, I certainly have nettles a-plenty in my garden......it is a long battle I fight every year against them......although I always leave some to eat & for the butterflies. I make a great soup from them using the chicken stock from the bones of my surplus cockerels. You can cook & use the leaves in the same way as you do spinach. They are great in lasagne or tortellini. Best in spring when they are young; I then cut the plants back & give this to the chickens to eat. As the plants grow back you get a second harvest of tender leaves.

Hattie
 

hoodat

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vja4Him said:
hoodat said:
Don't forget lambs quarter. It's a reliable and tasty green. They come up wild in disturbed ground in every state. Some people even plant them in the garden on purpose.
Would Lambs Quarters grow during the winter (Growing Zone #8/14)?
Lambs quarter is very reluctant to grow in the Winter even in those zones. It really needs heat, full sun and long days. It will survive but make very little growth.
 

Collector

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I have been reading a book called Homesteading by Abigail R. Gehring. I get to the wild edible plants section and low and behold nettle is listed as an edible plant. what are the odds of not knowing they are edible to seeing it twice in 2 days. It must mean I need to try it. Has anybody else read that book? It is very interesting and informative!
How do the nettles taste , are they any good for anything besides tea and soup?
 

digitS'

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I think that if you could say that something tastes like spinach - that isn't related to spinach - it would be nettles.

By the way -- Lambs Quarters and Orache are related to spinach.

Steve
 

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