Stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are covered with little hairs that sting or irritate your skin but they are concentrated on the stems and the parts of the leaves that are closest to the stems. You can harvest with gloves or pay attention and grab just the tips of the leaves as you snip them. Herbalists like to say that if you respect the nettle, you won’t get stung….what do you think, fact or fiction? Either way, cooking the nettles gets rid of the sting. We love them in hot tea with honey, in