If you cook them they stop stinging.

My mother makes pasta with them too, puts them in the dough.

I blanch them and then freeze them. So no stinging!

How to harvest, dry, and make tea with nettles:

https://slrpnk.net/comment/16978019

If you have arthritis or hayfever they've been shown to help with that. Science has confirmed the old wives tales traditional herbal remedy works for this one. Not as effectively as modern medicine of course but if it's all you can afford, or whatever, then something is better than nothing.

You would harvest the leaves when they are small and young. And they would be one of the first fresh greens available in the spring. But their season quickly passes as the plants grow pretty fast.

You can make them into patties and fry them up, surprisingly good.