Nettles, nutritional content of (was: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #262)

[Par Leijonhufvud]

On Thu, 11 Sep 1997, Nick Sasso wrote:

> Do you have the specs on nettles.  I have eaten them and find them tasty
> (not just in survival).  I'd like to have the info in hand to give to
> the nay-sayers when/if I serve it.

Nettle (Urtica diocia)

(water in %, vitamin C in mg/100g fresh wt, all others in g/kg dry wt)

Leaves:
- -------------------------------
Water			83.0 %
Vitamin C		(not tested)
Glucose/fructose	58.8 
Sackarose		39.0
Starch			134.3
Total carbohydrate	232.1
Protein			228.5
Fat			(not tested)[but not likely to be significant]

While the vitamin C contents is not given by any of the studies I have 
seen, it us usually gives as 50 mg/100g fresh wt, perhaps higher for the 
first shoots/leaves.

The above values give you 75 kcal/lb fresh nettles (18 g/0.6 oz
carbohydrate). 

The plant is also an important source of fibres (in the viking age it was 
grown as such). Makes nice fabrics.

/UlfR

Source: "Vilda vaxter som mat och medicin" by Stefan Kallman (ICA 
bokforlag, 1997, p 112). I've also seen the original scientific 
publication on these data (Kallman, S (1991) Svensk Botanisk Tidskift 
85:398), but it is in Swedish as well. :-/

- --
Par Leijonhufvud                  par.leijonhufvud at labtek.ki.se 
"Let's not ask any questions we don't really want to hear the 
answers to."

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