Can You Eat Raw Nettles? A Guide to Safely Preparing Stinging Nettles
                                
                                
                                •
                                
                                
                        
                                    
                                    4 min read                                
                            
                                The infamous sting from a nettle is caused by fine, hollow hairs that inject a cocktail of chemicals, including formic acid and histamine, into the skin. So, while the thought might be intriguing, the simple answer to **can you eat raw nettles?** is a definitive and painful 'no'—unless specially processed.