As cheerful and innocuous as I think the lowly dandelion is , it ranks among America ’s most detest plants .
mass will fall back to almost anything toget rid of them , from prying them up by their ostensibly eternal taproot to dousing them with toxic chemical . The things we ’ll do for a virginal lawn .
It ’s not that dandelion are toxic , covered in spikes , or terms - causation . Their major sine seems to be that they reproduce like rabbits .
They ’re certainly not awful enough to justify the gallons of toxic chemicals we deck on our lawns to get free of them .
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Ever since this opportunistic herb jump ship wherever European settlers went , it has been making itself at plate far and wide .
By 1672 , it had already establish itself throughout New England . But along with dandelions , Europeans brought along intake for unflawed grass lawn , and by the 1800s , people were scrambling to eradicate this upbeat encroacher .
But as most New herb doctor know , the dandelion is , in fact , a tasty , nutritious , useful , and above all , healthful herb .
The ascendant are ample in inulin , and the leaves have lots of calcium and vitamins A and K , along with carotene , Ca , K , daystar , and atomic number 12 – they ’re some of the most nutrient - dumb leafy vegetable out there .
And the flowers are n’t just there for feeling , either . They contain xanthophyll , beta - provitamin A , and flavonoids .
Inulin , in exceptional , has become super voguish in recent years as a prebiotic that can promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut .
The leaves serve as a diuretic , helping our bodies to scour water and atomic number 11 , which can bring down bloat , lower blood line sugar , and help to prevent kidney stones .
All division of the plant are anti - incitive and moderate saponin , flavonoids , and sesquiterpenes .
In other tidings , this plant is a nutritional fireball with all variety of goodies for your body .
There are many ways to use dandelions , both medicinally and as a food for thought . Here are the ones that we ’ll cover in this usher :
15 Uses for Dandelion
We ’ve been using dandelion for a long fourth dimension . Greek philosopher and naturalist Theophrastus swash its manipulation to prevent freckles and liver spots .
Anglo - Saxons used the flora as a diuretic and a laxative , and the ancient Celt made dandelion wine-colored .
It has been used to treat lighting and stomach way out in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries .
As much as some masses hate these plants today , they were n’t always shunned . I think these upbeat icteric bloom are poise for a riposte .
More and more , I find that people are hesitant to use chemicals – or even much energy – to remove them from their garden .
In fact , I talk to a lot of multitude who know how toothsome and nutritious they can be and are glean them from their own yards .
A Note of Caution:
If you are using chemical herbicides or pesticides on your lawn or garden , you should n’t eat anything grow there , as it will contain poisons which may be hazardous to your health .
Dandelions have no documented side effects , but everyone is different . As with any herbaceous plant , if you have an untoward chemical reaction , contain rent it .
For more on how to garden without resort to bottled toxins , see ourorganic gardening guides .
Do n’t confuse dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ) with false dandelion or flatweed ( Hypochaeris radicata ) .
They both have yellowish flowers and a serrated little potato of leaves . Flatweed also spreads every bit as readily as its lookalike .
But they ’re well-fixed to recount aside if you get close . untrue dandelion has hairy leaves .
True blowball have a dense basal rosette of lanceolate or oblong leave . These leaves can be anywhere from two inches to over a foot long , with irregular lobes along the perimeter .
The inflorescence lie in of yellow ray floweret , and they last for just one day . After the efflorescence matures , pear-shaped , furry , bloodless seed heads emerge .
harvest dandelion is a cinch . The flowers sit down on tender stems that can be top or cut back with scissor hold . The farewell can be pulled by hired man or cut with scissors as well .
The biggest challenge in harvesting blowball is getting those long roots out . It ’s likepulling cultivated carrot , but you ’re probably pulling the roots out of soil that is n’t overnice and loose and loamy in this case . It ’s plausibly going to take some work with a spade .
You want to harvest roots from plants that are n’t in flower yet . Once the flora flower , the roots lead off to bend bitter and woody .
When you ’re looking for leaves to use , avoid those that are yellow or brown , or that show signs of fungal disease such as fungal spores or a bloodless finishing .
broadly , the young primal leaves are the most cutter while the outer leaves lean to be more bitter , and often more damaged .
await for healthy , green , young leaves and snip off them off at the base . debar the outer leaves or those that exhibit yellow , dry spot , mildew , or mildew . A little louse harm or other damage wo n’t hurt , just make certain the insect intruder are n’t come up along for the ride .
All portion of the plant are edible . The leaves are bitter and a bit salty , while the flower is a bit sweet-smelling and bitter . The root is also bitter , but it bet on how you prepare it ; roasting can give it a nutty flavor .
If you or your neighbor have been too diligent about removing them , you could always purchase ejaculate andcultivate your own dandelions .
Dandelion Seeds
chit-chat Earthbeat Seedsto foot up packets of 100 seeds to get started .
quick to put those blowball to use ? Let ’s get extend !
1. Aperitif
If you ’ve ever had the French liqueur Chartreuse , this formula may appeal to you .
Just gather a whole crew of dandelion flower . with child , former - time of year blooms work comfortably for this intention .
Remove the sepals and retain the petals . Give them a spry swish in a bowl of water to reposition any unwelcome hitchhikers or junk .
Place a cupful of them in a large jar along with a quarter - cup of dearest , a prospicient strip of maize peel , and 750 ml of vodka . The proof does n’t matter , so pick whichever you like .
Cover tightly with a lid and lightly shake the jounce to meld the ingredients . Place the shock in a cool , dark area and gently agitate it daily .
After two or three week , you could tense out the blossom . Just give the mixture a little taste to see if the flavor is where you ’d like it . Add a spot more dear to taste , if desired .
Now you’re able to savour your bottle of pleasant , herbal - flavour cordial that will remind you of summer and give your heart a lift .
2. Candied Buds
Most citizenry go for the leaves and the bloom , but do n’t neglect the bud . Go outside in the morning and look for buds that are tightly press . Do n’t pluck any that are starting to open up .
amass up about a cup of buds and rinse them clean . you may also soak them in nerveless water for a half hour or so to flush out any insects that hitch a drive in the buds . Dry them before cooking with them .
wake up a half - cup of dearest in a saucepan until it ’s liquid and gurgle . Add the washed buds and flip to coat entirely .
Pour the honey and bud out onto a sheepskin - lined baking tabloid and broadcast them out . earmark the sugarcoat bud to cool and harden . Place them in a sealed container to stash away .
These can be bug out in your mouthpiece like candy , use them as a topping for cakes , or mix into cooky batter .
3. Capers
As with sugarcoat buds , this is a good way to use up unseasoned buds .
When the bud are tightly closed , pinch them off the industrial plant and turn them into “ capers . ” These are every scrap as good as theCapparis spinosabuds that you get hold in jolt at the foodstuff store .
The buds that you choose should be tucked into the leaf rosette and not turn on a stem . The ones on the stem will have petals inside , and they wo n’t have that caper crush . you’re able to commonly feel several nasty buds in each stem canker .
Fill a quart - size jar with bud with either cover with virginal water or half white vino acetum and half water . Add a tablespoon and a half of salt . I like common ocean salt , but pick your favourite .
Mix everything up well and seal off the jolt . Let it steep for at least a week in the icebox before run through .
you may also can dandelion trick in a simmering water bath and store them on the ledge for up to a class . If you want a somewhat more tender bud , steam them for a few minutes before assign them in the shock and adding water .
This also works with immaturenasturtium seeds , which savour nearly exactly like the capers you grease one’s palms at expensive specialty storehouse .
4. Coffee Substitute
intimately relatedchicory ( genus Cichorium intybus)has been used as a coffee substitute since the 1800s . blowball can be used in the same fashion , by laugh at the roots and then steep them in spicy water .
contract off the leaves and wash the stem thoroughly by scrubbing them with a scrub brush . fine dice the roots . You want the pieces to be about the size of coffee beans .
sky out any fine hair roots , or bring through them for another use . These will just burn since they ’re smaller than the tooth root chunks .
Place the prepared radical on a baking sheet and jest at them for 35 hour at 375 ° F , or slow roast them at 200 ° F for two hours . The first method acting give you a darker brew and the 2d give you a swooning one , kind of like dark versus light joint coffee .
Keep an centre on the root , since ovens variegate . you could memorize more about understanding your ovenon our sister site , Foodal . You want the root to be brownish and toasty but not shameful and burnt .
To make a tasty brew , simmer the roasted roots in water system for 15 minutes before straining into mugs . You desire to use about a tablespoonful of dandelion source per cup of water .
you may lay in the dried roots in the same way of life you ’d store coffee bean , in a light - tight container in the refrigerator or at way temperature .
5. Cooked Greens
Anywhere you ’d usecollards , rainbow chard , orkale , you could employ dandelion leaves .
broil them on a pizza , saute them in crude oil , stir them into a soup until wilted , or toss them with some rock oil and make fun them in the oven at 350 ° F until they start to crisp up . It all work .
In Greece and Italy , dandelion green are a veritable part of dinner rather than a pain in the neck . They ’re commonly saute with olive oil and then throw out with stinker succus and salt .
If you exhaust pork barrel , you have to try this formula from “ The Deerholme Foraging Book ” by Bill Jones , which I ’ve modified a bit .
I made it as an appetizer for a foraging radical I go to , and we all moaned with pleasure as we delve in .
The Deerholme Foraging Book
For those who are interested , this book isavailable on Amazon .
Add a style of olive vegetable oil to a genus Pan , and cook four strips of minced bacon until crisp . hit the bacon and set aside on a newspaper - towel - lined plate .
Add eight cup of dandelion super C to the fat in the goat god , along with two tablespoon of mincedgarlic – feel free to addmustard greensand lamb’s - quarters into the mix .
Toss everything together and add together a quarter - cupful of beer or white wine-coloured . Saute until wilt . arouse in a tablespoonful of soy sauce . The original formula shout for a teaspoonful of honey , but I did n’t find it needed any surplus sweetness .
Put the bacon back in , commix it all together , and time of year with Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and pepper before you dive in . It ’s delicious as is , or as a topping for toast with some shave parmesan on top .
alternatively ofSwiss chard , you could also use dandelion super acid in this recipe with caramelized onion , almonds , and raisins fromour sis site , Foodal .
6. Dried Leaves and Flowers
The leaf can be advert in low batches or placed on a screen to dry out in a cool region with good air circulation . depend on the humidity , it will take a few days to workweek for the leaves to dry .
you’re able to then expend the dried material for Camellia sinensis or conflate it into a smoothie .
dry out dandelion foliage is also used as a diuretic when brewed to make afternoon tea . Some recommend a dose of one to three gm daily as a diuretic .
heyday can be tie together with string or twine at the fore in little packet and hung in a cool , teetotal area with near aviation circulation . They will take several weeks to dry out , so keep an eye on them for any mold ontogenesis . Any that develop mold should be cast aside .
you could also hasten up the process by placing the efflorescence in a unmarried level on a baking sheet and placing them in an oven set to broil at the humbled temperature .
appropriate them to dry until they finger crisp but have n’t yet set off turning brown . This can take anywhere from one to several hours , depending on how gloomy your oven can go .
you’re able to also use a food dehydrator to preserve the parting and flowers , if you have one .
7. Fresh Flowers
I ’m maybe a slight too unrestrained to expend bloom in my food . I guess just about any meal can be improved both visually and flavor - wise to with someedible flowers .
Dandelions are an easily approachable pick . They ’re easy to discover , and they drink down out in the spring before just about anything else , and last into the twilight .
deplume the flower petal and use them on pancakes , egg , or granola with yogurt for breakfast . At lunch period , dress up chicken tortilla soup or open - faced sandwiches .
When dinner roll around , put those flower petal on fish or chicken dishes , or liven up up alimentary paste with some sunny color .
8. Fresh Greens
If you enjoy bitter sugar , ersatz blowball greens forarugula , radicchio , chicory , orendive .
They ’re a nice addition as topping for pizza pie or in sandwich , or as a soup garnish . Even old Green River can be used as a pizza pie or soup topping .
Of course , they ’re unbeatable as a salad green , whether mix with other leafy leafy vegetable or all on their own .
Stick with affectionate young leaves for salads — they ’re great interracial with other pungent putting green such as cress and arugula , and dressed with a good French dressing .
Of course , you may use the older leave-taking if you ’re really into bitter flavors .
Since the dandelion part of this recipe is so easy , I will also admit instruction on how to make my favorite vinaigrette . Here ’s how to do it :
Put all the ingredients together in a arena and whisk vigorously until emulsified . Then pullulate over your unused green for a reckless salad experience . Garnish with garlic croutons for extra oomph .
Or , substitute blowball greens for the Eruca sativa in this roast beet and goat cheese saladfrom our sister site , Foodal .
9. Fried Buds or Flowers
Both the buds and the flowers are fantabulous clobber and fry .
you could use elder blowball buds for this rather than the tightly closed I that you would apply for make capers or candied buds .
Pluck about two cups of buds and prime and drench them in coolheaded piss for 30 minutes or so to flush out pismire or other visitant .
rinse off them and allow them to dry on a clean mantrap towel .
ruffle one cupful of flour with a teaspoonful of garlic powder and a hyphen each of saltiness , hot chili powder , and pepper . Add one ball and a half - loving cup of beer . Mix well to immix .
Fill a frying pan with tall sides with an column inch of canola oil color . Place over medium - in high spirits heat , adjusting as needed depend on your kitchen range . When you ’re ready to fry , the oil should be shimmering and about 375 ° fluorine .
Dip the bud and flowers in the batter and drop into the oil . Fry until favorable and drain on paper towels . Serve with aioli or your favorite angle of dip .
10. Green Juice
If you have lots of putting green , you could whip them up into an uber - sizable unripe succus .
gargle the leaves and dry them .
apply your favorite succus or coconut water as a base , and add up the leaves and liquid to a high - hurrying liquidiser .
Most people choose to use yield juice because the leaves are fairly virulent . You want about one part leaves to four parts succus or coconut pee , so a fourth part - cup of pack foliage to a cup of juice .
Blend them up well and strain out the solids if you desire a thinner juice .
you may always impart someginger , lemon , Apium graveolens dulce , radishes , or yield likeapplesto change up the flavor . Adjust the liquidity as needed to reach a texture that you like .
Fresh dandelion greens can also be processed in your juicer , if you have one .
11. Infusion
To make an infusion , you’re able to utilize dried or fresh leaves and flowers .
I use flowers for this one , since the heyday stop a powerful anti - seditious call taraxasterol that may help to relieve joint bother .
Collect a jar full of healthy , invigorated bloom heads and cover them with a achromatic carrier oil , like almond or grapeseed . Float a couple of oz. of 100 - proof vodka on top to prevent mold from forming .
Cover the jar with a firearm of cheesecloth and put it in a tender , sunny place .
In about four weeks , the dandelion essence will have been engross into the oil color . Pour off the vodka and reach out any solid state , if you want .
You ’re will with a sunny cure for joint and musculus jut and pain , and for any kind of weepy efflorescence or other skin job . apply four to eight ounces of the extract externally up to three time per day .
12. Roasted Roots
This might be one of the easiest way to use dandelion radical .
Just clean them , and peel them if you wish . Then , toss them in some olive vegetable oil and salt and roast them on a pan in the oven at 375 ° fluorine until they reach a consistence you like . It ’s as simple-minded as rib carrots .
If you roast the solution without vegetable oil and Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and cube them , they make an incredible addition to ice cream .
Whether you make your own ice rink cream or purchase some vanilla that you love , mix in the dandelion root and top with chopped dark cocoa . desire me on this .
Or , imagine how tasty the roots would be or else of or in addition to carrot in this balsamic Dijon pork recipefrom Foodal .
13. Tea
All parts of the plant can be made into tea leaf , whether you infuse the roots , leave , or flowers .
If you roast the roots first , they can be used as a coffee substitute as report above . Otherwise , they make a adorable herbal tea leaf .
While the relish is deserving the effort of take a leak it alone , you might even see some health benefits . masses have been using dandelion teatime for centuries as a medicament .
The roots and leave produce a tea with a more or less grassy , biting flavor . The flush create a flavour that is a bit more sweet and flowered .
Either way , summate a tablespoon of dry plant fabric to a loving cup of simmering water . Double that amount if you ’re using fresh ingredients .
Steep for up to 10 minutes , depending on your flavor preference . Strain , if desired , and enjoy . If you like come-on in your tea , feel free to impart some at this point .
And while we ’re on the field of study of teatime , you’re able to alsobrew up a flock of blowball tea fertilizer for your garden !
14. Tincture
You know the tiny , overpriced bottles of trace that you see in health food stores ?
Well , you could make your own for much nothing , and it ’s improbably light . In fact , you could apply these instructions to make a tincture out of almost any herb , not just dandelion .
First , gather as much dandelion root , leaves , and flowers as you desire – a cup or two is probably enough to start .
Clean your root and slit them comparatively thinly . Chop the folio . Then put the pant material in a quart - size glass jarful and cover in 100 - proof vodka .
Set the jolt in a cool , dark place , and within eight weeks , you ’ll have a very strong tincture that may be added by the dropperful to water and used as a wellness keynote . you may extend out the solids or depart them . put in your tincture in a cool , dark spot .
you may supply a bit of honey to reduce the bitterness , if want .
15. Vinegar
Here ’s another easygoing one . you’re able to use flower or parting for this , or both .
Just garner your dandelions , chop the leaves if you ’re using them , and leach the stems from your flowers . Pack the material into a jounce and fill it with distilled acetum .
exit the jounce and localize it in a cool , sullen area , charge the jolt every few days . After a few week , the liquidness will be a beautiful golden or green color , depend on what you used .
Strain the solidness and you ’ll be provide with vinegar that ’s a banquet for the eye and the stomach .
Remember that vinaigrette formula we talked about under salads above ? How good would it be if you made it using this blowball vinegar ?
Weeds Never Tasted So Good
There now . Do n’t you feel healthier and more full already ?
Try a few of these toothsome and sanitary formula and remedy at nursing home , and take pleasure in the fact that you were able to turn a yard full of common locoweed into virtuous amber .
And the fact that you did n’t have to expend time and moneygetting disembarrass of so - called weedsthat are improbably useful !
Looking for more slipway to apportion with weeds ? We ’ve got you covered . Here are some guides deserving match out :
pic by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more contingent . in the first place publish on April 8 , 2017 . Last update on July 28 , 2023 . ware photos via Earthbeat Seeds and Touchwood Editions . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
