Foraging the ‘spicy’ stinging nettle seeds

Oh, the humble stinging nettle, often brushed aside for its prickly demeanor, offers up a little treasure—its seeds! Now, don't be too quick to try them fresh off the stalk, unless you're in for a culinary adventure that we can only describe as a cross between Szechuan pepper and chili sting. But patience rewards you here. Let these seeds dry out, and they turn into something quite delightful.

You'll know it's time to harvest when the once-erect nettle stalks begin to sag, burdened with clusters of maturing seeds. We usually venture out with small shears, snipping off these clusters directly into our foraging baskets—and yes, we do it cautiously to avoid the nettles' notorious sting.

But what to do with these seeds? Well, they're mostly a whimsical addition to our kitchen. They dry to a lovely green hue and become texturally interesting, adding a slight crunch when sprinkled atop buns or rolls. Imagine a mixed basket of homemade buns, each crowned with different seeds—poppy, sesame, and now, nettle. It adds a splash of color and a story to tell, don't you think?"

We've all heard tales of foragers who go to great lengths to prepare certain plants—boiling for hours, peeling off stubborn skins, all for a bite of something rather 'meh.' Nettle seeds, however, are right on that cusp for us. They're easy to collect and use, yet their subtle contribution to our buns reminds us of why we forage: to enrich our meals with flavors and textures that are simple, local, and unique.