A fascinating book on the many uses of nettles for food and green remedies
Did you know that nettles can soothe skin conditions, strengthen bones, restore the nervous system as well as boost the immune system and provide better gut health
Also did you know that you can neutralise the nettle’s sting by blanching
The author shares a range of recipes including using as a tasty substitute for spinach in salads, soups and main dishes, as well as healing recipes for teas, tinctures and juices
Discover the wisdom of this wild weed and truly connect with its healing power
Thanks @brigitte.mars @littlebrownpublishing & @netgalley for the interesting read

I would like to thank Netgalley and Storey Publishing for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Very colourful and full of information and tips.

A book about the humble nettle – yes, that stinging nettle you grew to fear as a youngster and dislike to this day, especially if you're trying to get rid of a patch of it – that plugs its copious virtues to the extent it sounds like a parody. We learn what it is and what to do with it, before returning in much depth to its medicinal qualities, and it seems there is not a single thing it cannot help with, from our thyroid to our piles, and from our skin to our lungs. There are so many ways to treat it and to take it that it is a surprise it isn't the cure for our old covid friend – I mean, it can treat arsenic poison and probably replace ritalin, after all. At one point it's a diuretic of great renown, the next it helps shrink the male prostrate to stop us men needing a wee at night.

But ignore all the "nettle is considered a -" herbalism (and ignore the author's dedication, whose mentioned names are enough to make you think this a cod-hippie skit), and you get so much more on the subject than you'd ever thought possible, from the farm animal feed benefits of nettles to the use of them in love-making (for us humans, not the farm animals). All the medicinal applications are revisited (this is on the repetitive side, that's for sure, using the same quote from Les Mis twice) before we hit the recipes, and it's here my eyebrows raise again.

I know in a soup like nettle soup there is no draining away or filtering of anything – you cook it all up, blend, and consume, so everything in the pan ends up in the gullet. But I really don't see any benefit in simmering nettles for 25 or 30 minutes as suggested here. Being a fan of Atomic Shrimp on utube and wanting to try emulating his "expensive" tasting nettle soup, I once did what he said, which was to add the nettles for the last five minutes to wilt them before blending. And I can't see that bettered by over-cooking, letting all the nutrients and benefits and colour leach out.

I can't judge the author's breakfast nettle dishes, nor her nettle arancini, and she certainly has more recipes than I thought to expect. But it's what we don't get here that completed the eye movements. We get pages of references, yes, and talk of her working with nettles and consuming nettles and self-flagellating with nettles for decades, but there's not a single word of credentials. I saw what kind of university employs her over in Canada, and that was enough, but I had to check for myself – the early file I saw this book as certainly didn't flag any science background, any respected dietician teaching, or anything else to assure the novice before treading this path.

Ultimately I think that yes, nettles are probably superb, yes, nettle soup is amazing and tasty, and indeed comes with the flavour of "expensiveness", but this book never once did anything to assuage my scepticism about it. It was scepticism I never wanted to have, and yes I am a complete hypocrite in following a utube channel's advice more than that published here, but that is, if you don't mind, what I will continue to do.

This was a cool little book abut nettles. It covers many of the benefits and uses of nettles in clear recipes and instructions. I know nettles are a super helpful plant but I am also always leery of anything that seems to claim something is a "super-food" or a "cure all".

Nettle Power by Brigitte Mars, published by Storey Publishing, is an enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable read that completely transformed my view of a plant I once considered nothing more than a pesky weed. Prior to reading this book, my knowledge of nettles was limited to avoiding their sting during outdoor adventures. Now, I realize how much I was missing out on.

The book is beautifully laid out, with a balance of traditional and modern illustrations that complement the rich content within. Mars takes us on a journey through the history, folklore, and extensive medicinal and culinary uses of nettles. I was amazed to learn that the very sting I once dreaded could actually have health benefits, helping with conditions like inflammation and arthritis. The chapters on growing, foraging, and harvesting nettles were both informative and inspiring, making me eager to try my hand at foraging for this versatile plant.

What stood out to me the most were the practical applications Mars offers, from using nettles as a nutrient-rich substitute for spinach to brewing teas and creating tinctures. The book is not just a guide; it's an invitation to explore the healing power of nature in a way that is both accessible and deeply rooted in tradition.

The vivid illustrations add to the book's charm, making it not only a valuable resource but also a pleasure to read. Whether you're a seasoned herbalist or someone new to the world of plant-based remedies, Nettle Power is a must-have on your bookshelf. It’s a fascinating deep dive into a plant that proves that sometimes, the things we overlook can be the most powerful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storey Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in herbalism, foraging, or simply looking to expand their knowledge of the natural world.

5 bright green stars.

Beautiful and inspiring book, complete with bright, fun illustrations and all the resources you need to bring this powerhouse herb into your own life.

I grew up on a hobby farm, with a giant garden, chickens, a goat, dogs and a cat. My parents built our passive-solar house in the Canadian prairies and my Mom made the vast majority of everything that we ate. This has helped form who I am am as person and how I live. Though I have had my fair share of western medical intervention and it has truly saved my life - I still turn to food and herbs for healing as much as possible. I would call myself a budding herbalist, though interest in nutritional health has spanned decades.

Nettles have been my favourite base of homemade (and mostly homegrown or foraged) teas for the last many years. I knew that it had a lot of healing and health benefits - but I was still blown away by just how many varied applications described for nettles in this sweet book. As I draw nearer the end of perimenopause, and have a very dear friend battling breast cancer, I now see that I will be doubling-down on my personal usage of nettles. *goes online to order some seeds...*

And while I have had many a tea made from nettles, I am less familiar with using nettles in cooking and its juiced, capsule and tincture forms. I now plan to container grow nettles going forward, so that I can partake in the healing benefits of its fresh form.

Finally, whoever compiled this book into its final view, with the stunning illustrations and friendly layout, did a magnificent job. It's a lot like sitting down on a summer patio with your most herb-knowledgable friend, and soaking up all of their hard-won knowledge!

Huge gratitude to Netgalley and Storey publishing for an e-ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review. I will absolutely be purchasing a print copy of this book for my ongoing resources.

We have been learning all about different plants and their uses. This book exceeded my expectations. Not only did I learn some history, and benefits but I also learned ways to cook it and create meals and drinks with it. Thank you for the ARC.

4⭐️
What an interesting herb! I was only vaguely familiar with “stinging nettle” prior to reading this, but always interested in learning more about the healing power of plants (often times considered weeds!).

🌿 The author has several decades of experience for growing and using nettle - for everything from culinary and medicinal to cosmetic and household uses.

🦄 The book starts with a bit of history, use in folklore, and Biblical references. Then it goes into growing, harvesting and foraging, as well as types of nettle you can find in your area. (A special note that dead nettle and white nettle are not related to the Urtica family, as they are related to the mint family - so read this section before buying!)

👩🏻‍🌾 I was fascinated to learn that it’s such a great garden companion plant, acting as both a beneficial fertilizer and natural insect repellant. Also interesting to learn about its preservative benefits, and use in textiles and natural dyed yarn.

💊 The medicinal chapter covers both external and internal benefits for such a vast array of ailments like bone health, arthritis, respiratory, blood sugar, digestion, immune system, kidney, liver, gall bladder, detox, hormone regulation, and much more! It includes a variety of recipes for teas, tinctures, juices and capsules. I am very curious to try some of the teas!

🧖🏻‍♀️ The cosmetic chapter covers use for skin and hair to help balance oily conditions, curb appetite and acne, and deter fungal and bacterial growth. It offers recipes for beneficial face masks, foot soaks, shampoo, compresses, etc.

🍲 The final chapter is dedicated to cooking with nettle, complete with a nutrition chart and almost 50 recipes ranging from breakfast and entrees to baked goods and beverages. Even if you aren’t much of a chef, the nettle wine or beer might grab your attention.

Storey Publishing has brought yet another great educational topic to the world, laid out in a bright and colorful spread with an easy-to-follow format. I knocked off a star for writing, as I t felt a bit choppy and less passionate than I prefer for such topics. But overall a great informative read and I was surprised to learn of such a wide variety of benefits of this little plant. I’ll for sure be looking to add this to my medicinal and vegetable garden!

Thanks to NetGalley, Storey Publishing, and Brigitte Mars for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

Nettles

This book is fab.
It covers so much.

Who would have thought that nettles are so useful?!

Examples of what’s in this lovely bright coloured well written and well presented book:

The benefits of being stung by nettles.
Yes, apparently there are benefits to this!

There are fabulous recipes.

How nettles have been used in years gone by.

How to store nettles.
Including Dehydrating, freezing and canning.

How to use nettles as a food preservative

Nettles remedies. Including first aid. Blood sugar disorders, respiratory health

The list goes on!

Fabulous.
Get it!

Book Review: Nettle Power: Forage, Feast & Nourish Yourself with This Remarkable Healing Plant

Rating: 5 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing "Nettle Power by Brigitte Mars", it was nothing short of a revelation! I’ve always been a bit curious about foraging and herbalism, but this book opened my eyes to the incredible world of nettles—who knew these prickly plants could be so versatile and beneficial?

In Nettle Power, Brigitte Mars presents a vibrant and accessible guide to the healing and culinary uses of nettle. This protein-packed wild plant has a rich history of usage among both European and Native American herbalists. The book details how nettles can soothe skin conditions, strengthen bones, boost the immune system, and even help lactating mothers increase milk production. It’s astonishing to think that such a seemingly simple plant can offer so many health benefits!

What I found particularly engaging was how Mars not only delves into the plant's medicinal properties but also provides a plethora of delicious recipes. From using the nutrient-dense nettle leaves as a substitute for spinach in salads to crafting teas, tinctures, and elixirs, the culinary possibilities are endless! The sting of nettles is easily neutralized by blanching, making them a safe and tasty addition to various dishes.

The layout of the book is fantastic—it's colorful and filled with gorgeous illustrations that bring each page to life. I loved how Mars included interesting historical tidbits and traditional uses alongside fun facts about nettles. It makes for not just a practical guide but also an enjoyable read that you can’t help but browse through again and again.

In summary, Nettle Power is a wonderful introduction and deep dive into the world of nettles. Whether you're an experienced forager, a budding herbalist, or simply someone interested in gardening and natural health, this book is a treasure trove of knowledge. If you’re looking to expand your culinary repertoire while harnessing the incredible healing properties of nature, I highly recommend giving this book a read. Trust me—you’ll never look at nettles the same way again!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

You hurt yourself with a plant during your mountain exploration, and it adds to your fear, serving as a warning to stay aware of the dangers in nature, which is not always as mesmerizing as it appears. You take a picture of the dangerous plant and vow to avoid it forever. Even after the sting, the memory of the lesson lingers and continues to cause discomfort. Flash forward to this book, where the picture resembles every graphic within its pages. Yes, it is a nettle plant. Even the locals of the mountains consider it a source of punishment and an irritating weed in their fields. You can’t believe that the same plant is used to make beer!
In an era where information is easily accessible with just one click, books like this remind you that true knowledge is still found within their covers. If you really want to understand something, the information you seek may not be on the first two or three pages of a search engine. When you read the book, you're expected to review its contents, but I am so fascinated by this topic and the author’s introduction—perhaps due to my personal experiences—that even after reading the book a week ago, I am still processing the idea that not every sting is inherently bad.
Focusing on the book's contents, the information and experiences it elaborates on are exceptional, especially if you've seen the plant. Interestingly, although the book is filled with graphics on almost every page, it contains no pictures of the plant itself. Therefore, if you want to recognize the plant during your trek in the woods, you need to understand it from the inside out. The book helps you achieve that wonderfully. The juice from this plant not only heals its own sting but can also be used to cure other insect and animal stings. The folklore section helps connect the dots, revealing that you may have known about this plant all along but not from this perspective. Beyond paper and nets (yes, nettles can literally be used to make anything!), its medicinal properties are noteworthy. Further practical studies and references supporting the medicinal use of nettle would be valuable for those interested in using this plant as a remedy.
The book’s graphics attempt to give it a modern touch but sometimes fail to match the level of content. They could be more refined to elevate the book's content and potential, especially the cover illustrations, which initially only display a graphic of a nettle leaf.
This book will gain significance as more people seek to understand that mysterious sting! I really like this book and would recommend it to anyone planning an adventure trip. Thank you, Brigitte Mars, for this wonderful treasure!

Nettle Power by Brigitte Mars is a non-fiction book about the uses of Nettle, in food, crafts, and medicine but also used to improve other plants and as a fertilizer or to boost the quality and oil content of other plants.
This was a short book with useful information and beautifully illustrated. I use nettle mainly for PMS-related issues but this book gives me a better understanding of other uses that I will certainly use such as fertilizer and pest control.
Thank you Netgalley and Storey Publishing for the eARC of this book.

This book is such a great read! I knew nettles were useful and I actually use them for allergy and PMS relief, but it was so exciting to learn there were more uses for nettles This book brought me so much joy to read, it is well-written and has beautiful illustrations. Thank you Brigitte Mars and Net Galley for this ARC!

From Nuisance to Nutrient: a Look at Nettles

This book transformed my perception of nettles! It goes beyond simply identifying them as a bothersome weed and dives deep into their surprising benefits.

One of the most valuable takeaways for me was learning how to use nettles as a substitute for spinach in recipes. This not only adds a nutritional boost to dishes but also provides a free, readily available ingredient.

The book even explores the potential of nettles in managing diabetes, which was a fascinating aspect I hadn't considered before.

Overall, this book is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about the hidden potential of nettles.

Here's what I liked:

Practical uses for nettles in the kitchen
Exploration of potential health benefits
Tips on harvesting and how to make it safe to eat (spoiler alert - this is very easy!)

Highly readable, informative, and well-designed, Nettle Power is an accessible addition to any herbalist's library. Although I don't think you necessarily need to be interested in herbal medicine to enjoy Mars' latest work—anyone interested in native ecology and becoming more mindful of the plant world that surrounds us will have a great time reading and learning from Nettle Power.

Many works on medicinal plants can over-promise... and sometimes, Mars drifts towards the "[x plant] is the lost cure for everything!" camp. But I think she mostly avoids over-promising results to her audience. For example, Mars does not claim nettle can help digestive AND inflammatory AND cardiovascular issues because it is a wildcard miracle herb. Instead, she talks about nettle's documented effects on blood, and then discusses how this property might end up assisting with digestive/inflammatory/cardiovascular issues, etc. It's a small thing, but it matters, and I appreciate the dual commitment to sticking with proven and studied results while also discussing the historical wisdom behind its traditional uses.

In short: I will definitely be adding some nettles to my herb patch next spring.

Really interesting book about this awesome plant. Got some ideas for things to make at the tea shop I work at.
Looking forward to trying some of the recipes. Enjoyed learning about all the health benefits from this herb.

A wonderful addition for any library that serves an active gardening, foraging, or natural living community! The colorful layout engages the reader from the start, and the book unfolds easily from a discussion of global history to the reader's own dining room table. Although none of the sections are extremely in depth, they all provide sufficient information to act as a jumping off point and the appendix and reference section point the way for those who want a deeper dive into one facet or another of this fascinating plant. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this arc!

This is a vibrant and colourful book with lovely illustrations. I devoured it in an afternoon.

The book gives a history and botanical description of nettles, and goes on to talk about their healing and nourishing benefits, as well as their uses in crafting and their place in folklore.

There's a section on the benefits for gardeners, which I found very interesting and I'll be attempting to make a fertiliser using nettles. They're also vital for certain species of butterflies, which I didn't know.

Of course, there's plenty of focus on the healing virtues of nettles, as well as the benefits of their stings. I'm particularly interested in their uses for arthritis, sciatica and menopause, but the list of ailments they're said to help with is extensive.

Some of the ideas in the book are very practical, and there are tips for harvesting, using and storing nettles. Some parts I found a little extreme - using nettles to sting certain body parts before being intimate, for example.

There's plenty of advice on making and using nettle medicine, including teas, juices and syrups. Their use in beauty treatments was of interest to me as well, and there are recipes for shampoo and hair treatments that I'd be curious to try.

The section that most interested me was about cooking with nettles. There's an interesting breakdown of the nutritional benefits, as well as vitamin levels, and the recipes range from crêpes to condiments, soufflés and even nettle curry.

In all, this is a really interesting book and I've come away with some new knowledge and some ideas of what I'd like to try. Good thing I have a large nettle patch at the top of my garden!

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of the book to read and review.

The book has some great recipes and tips and information, but it is very congested in the layout and the graphics are a little basic.

feels retro in an unintentional way

Nettles are one of the plants that can be a bane to hikers who stumble into a patch unaware! You certainly learn a lot about them very quickly!

This book details the many other uses for nettles, interspersed with some nice illustrations. For example, did you know that the nettle's sting can actually be used in some healing remedies? I had no idea. Generally, I avoid plants that cause pain like nettles do! But, there seem to be some health benefits from this treatment for certain conditions, something I had not thought about before learning it in this book.

There are recipes for making various concoctions with nettle, for many purposes. You can cook with it, drink it in tea, make smoothies, boil it, use it raw, and so much more. The book goes deeply into the plant itself, where it grows, how to harvest it, and how to use it. You can even grown your own crop of nettles in the garden so you always have some on hand.

The whimsical illustrations complement the text. The graphics are colorful and lively. Many feature nettle leaves.

When I worked in parks many years ago, a fellow naturalist and I experimented with nettle, finding that you can eat it raw under certain conditions. The author goes into that in this book too. There are so many benefits to using nettle that they can't all be listed here. You'll have to get this book and read it to find out. I thoroughly enjoyed learning to many amazing facts about this plant.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I highly recommend this book for foragers, botanists, gardeners, and anyone who loves plants and plant lore!