Easy Wild Nettle Pesto Recipe & Nettle Selecting Concepts
Looking to make wild nettle pesto? Try my delicious recipe that you can whizz up in minutes.
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We have a patch of wild nettles in our garden that we keep for the ladybirds. They’re one of the many beneficial weeds that are a great addition to any garden.
However I quite often share the patch with the ladybirds by making wild nettle pesto. It’s okay to share the nettle in early spring – ladybirds tend to lay their eggs from June to July. And you really don’t want to be picking nettles after the end of May for health reasons anyway (more on that later).
If you’ve not tried making nettle pesto before, then I really encourage you to do so. It boasts a flavour not too dissimilar to spinach pesto. As such, wild nettle pesto is really delicious stirred into pasta, drizzled on omelettes, spread on sandwiches or pizzas, or incorporated into other recipes.
It’s also super quick and easy to make – it takes less than 15 minutes to whip up. And don’t worry, nettles lose their sting after being cooked, so there’s no chance of stinging your tongue!
Nettle Picking Tips
First off, it’s very important to note that wild nettle pesto is definitely a spring-time delicacy. Make sure you pick your nettles before they flower – March, April and May are generally good times to pick. This is because flowering nettles can upset your urinary tract if consumed. You don’t want that.
If you don’t have a patch of nettles in your garden then it’s really easy to forage for wild nettles. Nettles are ubiquitous in any woods or wild ground. Just try to avoid picking by the side of busy roads – to avoid toxins – or in popular dog walking areas (dog wee!).
If it’s a safe time to pick nettles, then the next thing you need to do is get out there and pick. For this pesto recipe, you want to cut the young leaves at the top of the stem off. You don’t want the bitter-tasting big old leaves and thick stems.
Identifying Nettles
Do bear in mind that there are a couple of plants that look like nettles. This includes the Dead Nettle in the UK, and the False Nettle and Horse Balm in other parts of the world. Therefore make sure you’re confident in what you’re picking.
If you have any doubt, I found a handy guide to identifying nettles that could be useful if you’re not 100% sure. Otherwise, ask a local expert or consult a book on foraging. It’s always better to check and be safe than to pick the wrong thing. I felt quite confident in my picking abilities as we’ve had our patch of nettles for years now, and I’ve been stung a few times on them while gardening!
Safe Picking Tips
Once you’ve identified your nettles, it’s important to pick them safely. Nettles are known for their painful sting after all. I would recommend wearing long sleeves and gloves and using scissors to cut the nettles.
It’s also important to be an ethical forager. This means giving the leaves a shake before you put them in your container to remove any insects that might be on the leaves. Remember to also leave plenty of leaves behind for the ladybirds and other insects that rely on nettles.
I find a good rule of thumb when foraging is the one-in-twenty rule established by the Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. This means for every one plant you take, there should be at least 20 more plants left unpicked. This ensures that the plant can regenerate, and wildlife still has enough food. If you need less then that’s also fine – you should only take what you plan on consuming.
How To Make Wild Nettle Pesto
Here are the full steps to make your own foraged pesto:
Ingredients
- One colander full of freshly picked nettles
- 45 g pine nuts
- 45 g grated vegetarian or vegan hard cheese
- 4 raw cloves of garlic
- 140 ml olive oil
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes or more or less depending on your taste
Equipment Required
Method
- Wash your nettles, and bring a large pot of salted water (just a pinch) to boil. When the water is boiling add your nettles to the pot and boil for two minutes.
- Remove your nettles from the pot and place them in a bowl of cold water.
- Toast your pine nuts in a dry pan (no oil) until golden brown.
- Add the nuts, cloves of garlic, grated hard cheese, salt, pepper and lemon juice (and chilli flakes if you’re using them) to your food processor. Pulse for a minute or two until you have a grainy texture.
- Remove your nettles from the cold water and squeeze out as much water as you can. I placed my nettles in an old tea towel, twisted it up, and wrung it out to remove the excess water. If you prefer you can do it by hand as the nettles don’t sting after boiling.
- Add your nettles to the food processor, and pulse the mixture for a minute until it’s green and grainy.
- Whilst your food processor is still running slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is quite gloopy. You may ending up using more or less olive oil than 140 ml depending on what your prefered consistency is.
- Transfer the pesto to a sterilised jar and store in the fridge for up to one week. Use as you would any pesto.
Enjoy!
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- One colander full of freshly picked nettles
- 45 g of pine nuts
- 45 g of vegetarian or vegan hard cheese grated
- 4 raw cloves of garlic
- 140 ml of olive oil
- 10 ml of lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon of chilli flakes or more or less depending on your taste
-
Wash your nettles, and bring a large pot of salted water (just a pinch) to boil. When the water is boiling add your nettles to the pot and boil for two minutes.
-
Remove your nettles from the pot and place in a bowl of cold water.
-
Toast your pine nuts in a dry pan (no oil) until golden brown.
-
Add the nuts to your food processor, and add your cloves of garlic, grated hard cheese, salt, pepper and lemon juice (and chilli flakes if you’re using them). Pulse for a minute or two until you have a grainy texture.
-
Remove your nettles from the cold water and squeeze out as much water as you can. I placed my nettles in an old tea towel, twisted it up, and wrung it out to remove the excess water, but you can do it by hand as the nettles don’t sting after boiling.
-
Add your nettles to the food processor, and pulse the mixture for a minute until it’s green and grainy.
-
Whilst your food processor is still running slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is quite gloopy. You may ending up using more or less olive oil than 140 ml depending on what your prefered consistency is.
-
Transfer the pesto to a sterilised jar and store in the fridge for up to one week. Use as you would any pesto.
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