We tried nettles for the first time tonight, They were excellent and will be a regular on my table. I love being retired and having time to pick wild edibles.

How did you prepare them ?

Stinging nettle has many medicinal uses also.
An important bush medicine.

I picked only leaves and tops. When I got home I cooled in ice water. When ready to cook I blanched them in boiling water for five minutes then another ice water bath and then stir fried with a little bacon.
Sorry I was slow answering. I spent an unplanned nine days in the hospital. Getting old sucks.

I cook a lot of nettle cream soup every spring. It's a delicacy, and it's full of bioaccessible magnesium, too, so it's good for the heart. Some people just chop the sprouts, but I prefer it thick and processed with a blender to a smooth consistency. I usually add several potatoes or a handful of rice for thickness, and some browned onions and small chunks of fried bacon or small meatballs for more taste and calories. Adding about 1/5 of sorrel leaves adds the necessary sour component to the taste, usually with a spoonful of sugar or honey to balance it. Edible umbellifers, such as goutweed, are also a good addition to nettle soup (parsley works, too). We serve it with sour cream and halved or chopped hard-boiled eggs.