We love warmer weather and everything growing, but spring allergies can make it hard to fully appreciate the season! While it may feel like nothing will alleviate the sniffly suffering that runs rampant this time of year, local farmers markets offer some natural remedies that might help.
 
Stinging nettles are more well known for the signature burning sensation their namesake implies. Despite the plant’s propensity for causing inflammation on one’s skin, stinging nettles have actually been used for generations as a natural remedy for seasonal allergies, due to strong anti-inflammatory properties! Heat quickly neutralizes the hairs on the herb’s leaves that cause the stinging sensation, making fresh nettle leaves easy to use at home. You can find stinging nettles and nettle plant starts from Bear Necessities Farm (Asheville City and West Asheville markets) and Hog Back Ridge Herb Farm (North Asheville Tailgate Market). 
 
A classic way to use nettles for allergies is by brewing a nettle tea! Start with a 1:2 ratio of fresh nettle leaves to water. If you want a stronger tea, use less water while brewing. Bring the water to a boil, add your nettle leaves, cover, then let simmer for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, let steep for a few more minutes, then strain your tea into a cup (making sure that no nettle leaves fall into the tea), and enjoy! 
 
Nettles have a slightly peppery and spinach-like flavor that make it an easy green to incorporate into your cooking in other ways. Blanch them and add them to homemade pesto; sauté them in a stir fry or pasta dish; simmer with potatoes, onion, and vegetable stock for a soup; or blend them into to a smoothie (just blanch the leaves first). 
 
If you’re looking for a more convenient way to use nettles that’s still locally made, you can find a forest nettle tea blend from Appalachian Divinitea (Asheville City and Weaverville markets), or a nettles tincture from Wild Goods (Asheville City and River Arts District markets).
 
In addition to nettles, there are other immune-boosting ingredients and foods at farmers markets that will help you feel your best this allergy season. Look for probiotic-rich foods like ramp sauerkraut from Serotonin Ferments to support your immune health. Immortal Juice also has plenty of delicious cold-pressed juices available, full of nutrition-packed ingredients like ginger, lemon, turmeric, and more to help fight off any germs coming your way this season! 
 
Don’t forget to stop by the first Southside Community Farm’s BIPOC Farmers Market of the season this Sunday, May 5th, to support BIPOC farmers and vendors!
 
At markets now you’ll also find strawberries, spring alliums, broccoli, beets, radishes, turnips, spinach, salad greens, and more! Markets are stocked with a variety of meats, cheese, rice, pasta, pastries, drinks, and prepared foods. Find more details about farms and markets throughout the region, including winter hours, in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide.