We at footprint friends decided to take some time out of our busy schedules to make a short film about the gardeners old and perceived enemy - the stinging nettle. Turns out they are actually pretty rather useful.
We cut off the tops, blitz them in a juicer, and freeze the liquid to make "nettle cubes". one of these nettle cubes contains and all the vitamins A and C you could need, lots of minerals, and a load of protein.
In doing a little digging, turns out we Brits have been using the venerable stinging nettle for generations until it fell out of favour. The stalks can be used to make rope and fabric. The older inedible leaves can be used to make a green die - that gave the uniforms of the first and second world wars their distinctive colour. The roots, if boiled, can yield a beautiful yellow die, which I dare say we will be showing in a video soon. In the meantime, enjoy the beginning of our nettle adventures!
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Posted
Jun 27 2011, 02:54 PM
by
footprintfriends