Discussion on Dandelions

[CatDancing]

Hi All!
It's an absolutely GORGEOUS day here - so nice to have a break in the rain (at least until tonight if the forecast is correct)! Wish east KY could send some of what we've been getting up to the New England states where it's so desperately needed.
I thought while we're on the subject of dandelions I'd pass along some information - some of you probably already know this stuff, but others may not. I've always been a fan of dandelions - way back to childhood when we used to fill those little jelly jar glasses with their perky yellow blooms even though the poor things would close up within minutes after being plucked! And, call me crazy, but I love the way they smell!
I've never been able to understand the obsession some seem to have with ridding their lawns of these much maligned plants (smile)! The name itself is a loose translation from the French and means "lion's teeth", probably because of the serrated shape of the leaves.
Actually, dandelions are great Green Medicine. The plant is a hepatic - an herb which works specifically well on the liver and acts to tone, nourish and strengthen it, making it work more effectively as the primary blood-cleansing organ in the body. This helps to eliminate undesirable toxins and waste materials. Dandelions are a bitter - that is they help the digestion by increasing the flow of bile from the gall bladder which is essential in helping to utilize food nutrients. They act as a diuretic (helping the body eliminate urine), but also are a rich source of potassium - a great combination as usually when chemical diuretics are taken, one must take potassium supplements to replace what is lost. The plants are also a great source of viatmin A, containing more than carrots - and also are high in iron, vitamin C and other vitamins.
All parts of the plant can be used - the leaves (especially young ones) are good mixed in salads with other greens or can be sauteed or steamed in olive oil or cooked as you would spinach, mustard greens or kale. The roots can be washed and dried in a warm place - when shriveled they can be ground into powdered form for medicinal use, or can be roasted and ground for use as a coffee substitute (no caffeine or side effects). Use about 1 tsp. to a cup of boiling water.
I have also read that the jusice from the leaves can be used to remove warts by applying it and letting it dry and repeating for several days, and that the juices are good for treating skin eruptions, rashes, insects bites, etc.
A bit of folklore says that if the ripened seeds of a dandelion fall before they have a chance to blow away that rain will soon follow. To blow the seeds of a ripened head is to carry your thoughts to a loved one, near or far!
Hope this info will be of interest and use and perhaps will help to "convert" any dandelion haters out there (smile)! Think I'll head out and enjoy the afternoon while this glorious weather lasts - supposed to turn off colder again for the rest of the week here. Maybe I'll search out a few 'taraxacum officinale' and have a cup of nice spring tonic. That's if I can beat BaaBaa (our Shetland Sheep) to them - a favorite of HIS as well!
Brightest Blessings!
CatDancing

[Lavender]

Wonderful, CatDancing! Hope you don't mind that I split your post into a new thread for the Discussion on Dandilions. I'm going to put a link in the Discussion on Herbs thread too.

Great info! :)

[CatDancing]

Thanks Wildchild! Hope the info helps someone out. We're back to drizzle again here today and it went from the 70's yesterday to the upper 30's today (aargh)! Wish spring could get a grip (smile)! The redbud trees are starting to bloom all along the roadways though so that's a hopeful sign.
One more thing on the subject of dandelions which I forgot to include in my previous post. If anyone is harvesting them do be sure to do it in an area which has not been sprayed with pesticides, etc. - and not along roadways where they are contaminated by exhaust fumes.
Thanks again!
CatDancing

[Mnemosyne]

Thanks for all that interesting information, CatDancing. People have always told me that dandelions were bad. I've always taken a liking for them though. Were my friends and I the only ones who thought that if you made a wish and blew on a dandelion, the wish would come true? Well, that's what we believed when we were young. Oh nostalgia!

[Mithrea]

How do you know when the seeds are mature and how might you go about growing your own? I love the little buggars but I live in the woods and don't have a lawn. :)

Thanks!

[Demeter]

The seeds are mature when the flowers produce all those little white parachutes and the wind blows them all over the place! Dandelions are a meadow flower -- they need a sunny place and do not thrive in woods.

[Mithrea]

I have lots of sunny clearings, just no grass.

[Imagi]

always reminds me of spring/summer! I remember back when I was in school, when the weather would finally be warm enough for the classroom windows to be opened, a medley of sun-warmed air and dandelions would waft into the room, making me hate the fact that I was stuck in a building while the day was so beautiful . . .

Now I'm just looking forward to being able to have the windows open again . . . I AM READY FOR SPRING WEATHER!!!! I was so p-o'd yesterday . . . It was snowing! :G

But, on the topic of the post . . .

Dandelions also make fantastical salads!!! The leaves, not the flower parts. You'll be more likely to find them in grocery stores that specialize in produce. They're a bit of a pain in the butt to clean (they're just tedious, really), but they do make a wonderful summer salad. I use a simple olive oil and vinegar sprinkling, toss with a bit of salt and pepper, and it is perfection! :mmm:

[Wildwood]

And wine.

Don't forget that Dandelions make great wine !!

Wildwood

[Flaire-FireStar]

:) Okay...I got on this one a bit late, but have some questions anyway.

Hearing that dandilions are actually a nice plant..How *do* you harvest them? Does fertillizer have an effect on the benefits of them?


I have also read that the jusice from the leaves can be used to remove warts by applying it and letting it dry and repeating for several days, and that the juices are good for treating skin eruptions, rashes, insects bites, etc.

That's the juice from the stalk of the flower...or the flower itself? :eek: So many questions....no dandilions as of yet!

[Mnemosyne]

Wildwood, I had no idea that people make wine with dandelions. I guess that I learn something new everyday. Is the wine made from dandelions any good?

[Mithrea]

It's so strange. A couple of Days ago, my grandmother sent me her Dandelion Wine recipe that her grandmother gave her. I thought I'd post it even though I sort of feel like I'm handing out family secrets. It's better to share ;) Besides, I have a question about the last step.

Dandelion Wine

Ingredients

3 quarts Dandelion blossoms tightly packed
6 gallons water
9 lemons (just the juice, really)
1.5 yeast cakes
1 cup of raisins
18 lbs of sugar

Let water and sugar come to a boil quickly and boil for five minutes. Skim and add blossoms. Remove from fire at once. When lukewarm add yeast dissolved in a little cold water. Add lemon juice. Put in jar or bottle and let stand ten days stirring to the bottom three times a day. Strain and add raisins. Let stand five to six weeks more. Pour off wine from raisins and put away (not too tightly corked).

The last step says, "Let get good." Does anyone know what that means really? I'm thinking you are supposed to let it ferment longer or something but how long?

[Mithrea]

I asked my Dad and he says "let get good" means keep it as long as possible. He says my great-grandfather built a wooden box down in the ground and they actually left it there for 10 years or more. They even planted grass over it. I guess that's a West Virginia wine cellar. He says after he died the grandkids had to go around the yard digging it up to find them all.

[Mnemosyne]

Wow, Mithrea, that was super sweet of you to post the dandelion wine recipe. :sunny: I was in such amazement after reading Wildwood's post, because I have never heard of making wine from dandelions. But it must be true, if the recipe is out there. So have you made this type of wine before? Can you go to wine shops to buy dandelion wine?

[Lavender]

Thanks for sharing the dandilion wine recipe, Mithrea. Years ago, we had a neighbour who made dandilion wine. It was tasty but I preferred his blackberry wine more. I have a terrible sweet tooth. :)

I've never seen dandilion wine in wine shops but usually from people who make their own wine & beer. I've seen it at local farmer's markets for sale.

[CatDancing]

Hi All!
Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to the discussion - have been busy gardening as time and weather permit and trying to get a few other projects wrapped up. Then, after going all winter without a cold managed to come down with a doozy and haven't been on the computer much for a few days.
In response to Flaire's questions - I think the easiest way to harvest the root of the dandelion is just to use a garden trowel and dig straight down all around the plant sort of working the trowel around to loosen the soil - the long tap root can then be pulled up. They can be cleaned, rinsed, patted dry and laid to dry out completely in a dark, well-ventilated place, which may take several weeks depending upon the size and thickness of the roots. The leaves of the plant can be dried as you would any herb for later use in teas, etc.
As to the matter of what parts of the plant to try as a wart remedy - I would imagine that the juice from the leaves or stems would be what's called for - either contain the milky white juice.
Reading the recent posts about dandelion wine made me think about a couple of old cook books that once belonged to my mother which date back to the thirties and forties. I was curious to see if any recipes were given and sure enough, the 'Wise Encyclopedia of Cookery' copyright 1948 gives the following:
DANDELION WINE
15 quarts of dandelion blossoms
3 gallons cold water
15 pounds sugar
1 yeast cake
juice of 1 dozen oranges
juice of 1/2 dozen lemons
2 1/2 pounds raisins
Place the blossoms in cold water and simmer for 3 hours. Then strain the liquid, mix it with the sugar and boil up - then strain through a cheesecloth. When lukewarm, add the yeast cake, and let the mixture stand for 2 or 3 days, skimming it each day. Add the juice of the oranges and lemons with the thinly peeled rinds of both lemons and oranges simmered for half an hour in a little water. There should be 5 gallons in all by measure. Put into a cask, and add the raisins. Leave the cask open for a day; then seal it tightly, and let stand for 6 months before bottling. The wine improves with aging.
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The 'Ida Bailey Allen Modern Cookbook' copyright 1935 gives the following interesting sounding presentation (smile)!
DANDELION AND EGG SALAD
2 cupfuls vary tender dandelion leaves
2 hard-cooked eggs
1 tsp. melted butter
1 tblsp. chili sauce
dash of paprika and salt
French dressing
Clean and chill the dandelions. Arrange on a rather flat salad plate and garnish with the eggs, the whites cut into oblong strips to simulate daisy petals, the yolks mashed and seasoned with the salt, paprika, chili sauce, and melted butter. Form the yolks into balls and set one of these in the centre of a group of white "petals". Serve the French dressing separately.
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And if everyone doesn't have dandelions growing out of their ears by now (smile), here are a couple of other dandelion treasures to help complete your collection!! Pamela Michael in her book 'All Good Things Around Us - A Cookbook and guide to Wild Plants and Herbs' copyright 1980, gives among other recipes the following:
DANDELION SOUP
For a wholesome broth, don't bother to sieve the soup, but leave the pieces of leaf whole, they are tender, and a good, deep green, and the flavor is wonderful. For a smoother cream soup, put the whole lot through a sieve, or food mill, and stir in a tablespoon of cream before serving.
SERVES 4
2/3 colander of dandelion leaves
1 oz. butter
1 small onion
1 medium potato
1 1/2 pints chicken stock (can be made with a bouillon cube)
salt
white pepper
Pick the leaves from the bitter mid-rib, wash well and leave to drain. Melt t he butter in a saucepan, finely slice the onion and fry gently in the butter. Peel and dice the potato and add it to the pan of onion, cover with a lid and sweat the vegetables over a low heat for 5 minutes.
Add the dandelion leaves, sweat for a further 5 minutes, then stir in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently for 15 minutes. Serve hot, with crusty French bread, or put the soup through a sieve or food mill and serve with croutons.
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DANDELION FIZZ
Gather the dandelion flowers in the sun, when they are fully open. The drink is mildly alcoholic and though sweet, is quenching, with a hint of the lightest lager flavor. Serve in tall glasses half filled with ice and garnished with a sprig of mint or lemon balm.
1 guart measure prepared dandelion flowers
1/2 gallon water
2 lbs. sugar
2 lemons
Trim the stalks from the flowers, but leave the green sepals on and discard any overblown flowers or unopened buds. The prepared dandelions should fill a 1 quart measure when gently pressed down.
Wash the flowers in a colander and tip them into an earthenware, enamel or plastic container preferably with a well fitting lid. Pour the boiling water onto the dandelions, cover the vessel with a lid, or heavy board or weighted plate, and leave stand for 12 hours.
Strain the liquid through a double thickness of muslin into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and the pared rind and juice of the lemons. Heat gently and stir until the sugar h as dissolved, but do not allow to boil. Strain the liquid into jugs and leave to cool. Pour into clean, dry bottles with strong screw caps. The brew is ready to drink in 3 or 4 weeks.
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I have two other dandelion wine recipes, one which says it is a medium-dry white wine with a fresh, light flavor, and the other which says "old method", as well as recipes for Dandelion coffee, dandelion and beet root salad and a baked dandelion mold! If anyone is interested just let me know and I'll post them.
Well, I'm back to my garden for a while - hope everyone is enjoying the spring season and HAPPY BELTANE to all those who are celebrating!
Blessings!
CatDancing

[Flaire-FireStar]

:D Thanks, CatDancing! :)

[Mnemosyne]

Your recipe for dandelion wine sounds quite tasty, particularly because of the use of lemons and oranges in it. If I ever venture to making my own wine, I will definitely have to give it a try. Also, thank you for the other recipes, Catdancing. :)

[Mithrea]

I just wanted to mention that I have recipes for

Dandelion Apertif
Dande-Ade and
Dandelion Blossom Syrup

I shouldn't post them because they are out of book I have but if anyone wants to pm me, I will gladly share them with you.

:D

[materra]

FYI, we always found the milky sap of the milkweed more effective for warts.. and we used to keep a bundle of stems in the freezer for winter warts. The woman who taught my family this dug for it in the deep snow in the winter, so Mom figured a freezer would work. :) And it does. Thaw one piece at a time, and use the sap on the warts.

You can keep the dandelion roots in storage like you do any root vegitables in sand in the root cellar. We kept a few for forcing the leaves if someone got very ill and needed the "fresh leaves". Until we got a big freezer.

It also works like freezing spinach for the leaves for all the wild greens. My family used to do a wilted leave salad with bacon (not for every one I realize) At any rate, clean the leaves you want well, blanch and freeze, then use in recipes where you would use heat. I was always going to experiment with mixing the different leaves together, in individual servings. I was also going to see if adding them to stir frys would be good. Now I live where the wild things have spines and I have no knowledge about the country side.
:rolleyes:

[D Witch]

Originally posted by Mnemosyne
Is the wine made from dandelions any good?

I know someone else answered, but I HAD to try this, about a year & a half ago... I made one small bottle, & it was very sweet! I still have it, it's about half full... I pull it out every month or so & take a taste. Hopefully this spring, I'll find a field to harvest & make more!!!

As for how long to let it ferment, I read somewhere you're supposed to bottle it in spring, & keep it to drink at winter solistice!

[Scarlettvixen]

I have drunk dandelion wine in the UK many years ago
made by an old lady - it was an aquired taste and kicked like a mule! :D

[Scarlettvixen]

from the yahoo egroup herb power
Dandelion
Firstly, you need to be sure that what you have is the real, true Dandelion.
There are many 'look-alike's'. True Dandelion (taraxacum officinal) has a single, pale green, hollow stem that exudes white latex when cut. There is only one yellow flower to each stem and each flower becomes a seed 'clock'. Leaves are usually heavily toothed (hence the name--Dent de Lion--the tooth of the dragon).

Don't fear the plant--let it 'take-over' if it will! Just pull out any that are actively threatening other plants. If this herb doesn't grow in your area you can either buy seed or maybe someone in our community can send you some, or the leaves and root can be bought ready to use.

The flower petals and young leaves (old leaves are bitter) can be sprinkled in salads and sandwiches, the root can be roasted and ground to drink as 'coffee'.

Dandelion is a remedy For
* Appetite loss
* Indigestion
* Kidney and bladder stones
* Liver and gallbladder problems
* Urinary tract infections

In folk medicine, Dandelion is also used as a remedy for haemorrhoids, gout, rheumatism, eczema, other skin conditions, and diabetes. In Asian medicine, Dandelion is used to treat chronic ulcers, stiff joints, and tuberculosis.
It is also used to induce milk production in nursing mothers and to soothe inflamed breast tissue.

What It Is; Why It Works
The stubborn and ubiquitous Dandelion has been used for medicinal purposes since the 10th century. It shows proven value as a diuretic, flushing excess water from the body. It also promotes the flow of bile and stimulates the appetite. Dandelion juice enjoys considerable popularity as a diuretic, laxative, and remedy for rheumatism.
The leaves are used as a tea as a diuretic (increases the flow of urine). Dandelion has a huge advantage in that it adds potassium to the body rather than leaching it as most diuretics do. Potassium is needed for the heart and serious deficiencies the mineral can cause heart attack.
The root is used for it's powerful and beneficial effect on the liver. The root should be collected in the Autumn, chopped finely and dried. After drying it can be roasted and ground in the same way as coffee beans.
Other: Dandelion petals make a most delicious and refreshing wine. My mother would make Dandelion and Burdock wine each autumn, bottle it in stone bottles and leave it on the larder floor to mature until the spring. It was used to 'spring-clean' our bodies after the long European winter. I was allowed only
wine-glass doses and oh...how I longed for more of the clear, sparkling brew.

Avoid If... Do not use Dandelion if you have an obstruction of the bowels or the bile duct.

How to Prepare
To make a tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 tablespoonful of finely cut Dandelion, steep for 15 minutes, and strain.
To make a coffee:
Typical Dosage
Tincture: 15 drops 3 times daily
Tea/coffee: 1 freshly made cup 2 times daily, morning and evening.
Dandelion coffee can be bought in health food stores.

Copyright Ó Nerys Purchon (AKA Ravenna Morgan). Permission is granted to share this article with others, provided you do so in it's entirety and include this copyright statement.