5 common and tasty wild edibles you can forage for in Canada

STINGING NETTLE

Urtica dioica

Widespread throughout North America, this naturalized, prickly perennial is among the most nutrient-dense plants on the planet. Nettles are packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and they contain more protein than any other known green vegetable. This dark green plant is identifiable by its opposite, pointed, coarsely serrated leaves with tiny stinging hairs. The heart-shaped young leaves are used as an extremely nutritious potherb, while various other parts of the plant have been used in herbal remedies for centuries.

Stinging nettles are best harvested for food in the early spring when they’re young. Wear leather gloves and a long-sleeved shirt to avoid getting stung, and use scissors to remove the newest leaves from the top four to five inches of the plant. Once home, blanch the leaves for five minutes in boiling water with a pinch of salt, then drop them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This entirely removes the stinging hairs, making the leaves ready to use in soups, casseroles and so on, or to be frozen for later use. Nettles are also commonly eaten as a spinach substitute.

Haliburton, Ontario’s Steve Lukacic is an avid angler, hunter, forager and outdoor educator.

For four more wild edibles, please go to www.outdoorcanada.ca/wildedibles.