What Can I Make With Dandelions?

[baymule]

Last year I left a few dandelions in the garden because, honestly, I like to blow the little puff ball the seeds make. Some kids never grow up.

So this year I have several wads of dandelions in my garden. I hate to pull them up, the yellow flowers are so cheerful. So, what can I make with them? I have given the greens to the chickens, but they are kinda bitter for me. I had about 30 flowers open this morning, can they be made into tea?

Any ideas anybody?

 

[Hinotori]

I'm thinking of trying to make wine. There are a ton of flowers up right now. I also want to try dandelion coffee, so I may be out digging a few up later.

I think I'll go pick a flower and see how it tastes. They might be good for salad.

 

[Denim Deb]

If you're going to eat the greens, you need to get the new leaves. And, I've heard of people making wine and tea. I also seem to recall that you can dip the flowers in a batter, and fry them up, but I'm not sure.

 

[baymule]

Denim Deb, you are right about the flowers, I found this recipe for fritters.

http://www.learningherbs.com/dandelion_recipes.html

And I found on lots of sites that dandelion kills cancer cells. Very intresting. And here I let them run amok in the garden because I like blowing the puff seed balls!

http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/dandelion-tea-cancer-therapy#axzz2QHYBNFgT

Dandelion is also used to de-tox

http://www.dandeliontea.org/dandelion-tea/do-your-body-a-favor-and-detoxify-with-dandelion-tea

I was hoping someone here has made dandelion tea or used the greens before in some way. I guess I'm gonna be the guinea pig! I knew dandelions were edible, but I didn't know all this about them.

 

[Marianne]

Dandelion jelly! It's supposed to taste somewhat like honey. I was so tired after picking a boatload of flowers that I just put them in a zipper bag in the frig. The next day when I pulled out the bag to make the jelly, there was all this brown ick (from the stem part) that made it all look kind of gross. So I tossed it into the burn basket. It was about the only plant matter that I haven't tried to compost or just throw in my garden. I need to hire a couple little kids or baymule to help me pick blooms.

I eat the blooms when I'm outside and want to freak out my husband. The green part is what's bitter. Hang on to it and just bite the petals.

We also have dried the root. Do a rough chop, dry and store. It makes a beverage that some call tea, others call coffee. I have to have sugar and milk in it, but I put sugar in my coffee anyway.

I use the leaves in salads (mix with other greens, you won't taste it but you'll still get the benefits). I also use the leaves in homemade dog food. I put them in after it's cooked, the residual heat is enough to slightly cook them.

I have two concrete water troughs in my fenced in yard that are now designated dandelion planters. They get so hot in the summer that only weeds will grow in there, the chickens aren't in there pooping on it and they're up high enough that the dog can't pee on 'em. I figured, why not? I have a friend who has an old stock tank with dirt, she grows lambs quarter in it. It's like a season long better-than-spinach crop.

 

[the_whingnut]

Dandelion wine is awesome! I try to make a batch every year. It takes a lot of flowers to do it though, but the bright side is you have the greens and roots to use as well! If you want the recipe let me know!

 

[baymule]

Well, yeah! How can you tantalize me that way??? Of course I want the recipe and probably everybody else that blows dandelion seed puff balls does too!! hahaha I had no idea that dandelions were so good for so many things. I knew that were medicinal, but I just had never researched them.

Marianne, do you have the dandelion jelly recipe? Please post? Pleezzzze??

And does anybody have ideas for keeping the flowers until I get enough to make a recipe with?

 

[txcanoegirl]

I was hoping someone here has made dandelion tea or used the greens before in some way. I guess I'm gonna be the guinea pig! I knew dandelions were edible, but I didn't know all this about them.

I haven't actually used them (yet), but here is one of my favorite, favorite websites for information on plants found in our area.

http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/09/dandelion.html

He also has a facebook page if you're on facebook, and usually posts about whatever is currently blooming or ripening. He's located in Houston, so the information is timely and applicable for me...and should be for you also.

I think I've read somewhere else that if you want to eat the greens, they should be picked before the dandelion blooms to avoid the bitterness.

Jill

 

[baymule]

This morning I picked 60 flowers and pulled the yellow petals away from the green part. I spread the yellow petals out on wax paper to dry. I can see where it would take a LOT of dandelions to really make anything from them. But I'll keep harvesting mine and maybe mix them with other stuff. Any suggestions? Anybody else making dandelion tea?

Txcanoegirl, thanks for the link. It tells what dandelion can be used for, but no recipes. Bummer.

Gone to search for recipes.......

 

[baymule]

I found this:


Dandelion Jelly


serves/makes: 5 jars

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups yellow parts of dandelion blossoms
3 cups boiling water
4 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin



DIRECTIONS:


Pull the yellow blossoms apart from the green parts. Get lots and lots of blossoms.. While you are collecting them, you can freeze what you already have. Make sure there are no green parts since the green parts have a bitter flavor. I pack the blossoms into a 4 cup measure. More blossoms mean more flavor for the jelly.

Bring the water to a boil and fill the water with dandelion blossom shreds. Simmer over very gentle heat about 10 minutes. Pour the water and blossoms through a strainer. Press the blossoms as dry as possible to extract the maximum amount of water. Add more blossoms to the strained water and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Continue simmering and straining until all the blossoms are used up. Add more water to make up 3 cups. You lose some water because it is caught in the blossoms. Strain the water very well. I use a coffee filter. Combine water with lemon juice, sugar and pectin. Bring to roiling boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Boil hard for one minute. Skim. Pour into hot jars and seal. I haven't used food coloring but I have seen this jelly lightly tinted and it looks prettier.