first nettle test...

[red]

no way! I dont have an allergic reaction.. but I have a lasting reaction.. the stings I got on Saturday are still with me today...

[MKG]

I know those nettles! The ones which lean over quietly and get you at the last possible moment, the ones absolutely loaded with formic acid, the mean buggers. Wouldn't let 'em near me unless I had a pot of boiling water.

[Hedgehogpie]

http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/lore.asp

[mrsflibble]

If you're feeling brave, try raw nettle tips. Pinch off the top few clusters of leaves, roll gently between your finger tips (crushes the stings rendering them harmless) then eat. They taste green and pleasantly nutty which I personally like.

Obviously, I wouldn't recommend trying this if you get any kind of allergic reaction like the one mrsflibble has though.

well you could do it and enjoy a nice day out at the local A&E department...

[JamesnKate]

to be honest i sting myself delibritly on my elbow. works a treat on painfull joints. also love the soup so do the kids they love telling there friends they eat nettles

[PaulDavidSumner]

I don't find nettles disgusting, but they (unsurprisingly) don't match up to cultivated vegetables for taste and, I think, make more demands on the cook. All the nettle soups I've made were still fully palatable and the enjoyment has been around the satisfaction associated with harvesting wild foods rather than producing a Michelin-starred end product.