Eating raw nettle leaves is normally not recommended, as the stinging hairs will cause a reaction – but blending the nettles in this smoothie recipe breaks the stinging hairs. However, make sure to take care when picking and handling the nettles beforehand. If you want to be especially careful, you can leave them to wilt slightly between picking and blending the nettle leaves, as this should weaken the strength of the stings.
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How to make apple and nettle smoothie
Creamy and sweet - this apple and nettle smoothie is an unexpectedly delicious way to get nettle goodness into your daily diet.
Published: May 24, 2022 at 1:25 pm
Ingredients
- 50g Nettle tips or young leaves, blanched
- 1 Apple, peeled and cored
- 280ml Natural yoghurt
- 280ml Diluted nettle juice or apple juice
- 6 Ice cubes
Methods
Step 1
Blend the ingredients together at high-speed in a blender until smooth.
Step 2
You can add more juice to make a thinner drink or more yoghurt for a thicker texture.
This recipe is an extract from Nettle Cookbook by Vivian Tuffney, published by the Natural History Museum, London.

Main image: Nettle smoothie. © Getty