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The dandelion is a lot greater than a bothersome weed in your garden. Dandelion is regarded as initially native to the Central Asian area, however has turn into naturalized in lots of components of the world, together with North America as a result of it actually “grows like a weed” in nearly any soil and local weather.
All through historical past, it has been referred to as meals, medication and drink. As soon as identified in France as Dent de Lion (lion’s tooth), the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is generally now referred to as a weed. But, at one time, the dandelion was so prized as a meals and medicinal plant that it was deliberately delivered to America by European settlers.
How you can Use Dandelion
For the forager, there is no such thing as a a part of the dandelion that should go to waste. Within the early spring, earlier than the flower buds have begun pushing up from the crown, dandelion greens make a particular addition to meals, both uncooked in a salad or smoothie, or cooked in coconut oil, butter or bacon fats, like spinach. (The presence of the fats with cooked dandelions will make the vitamins in them much more bioavailable!)
As soon as the flowers start to bloom and the leaves turn into bitter, you’ll be able to choose them for consuming, medication, or wine-making (recipe under). Dandelion flowers might be added recent to salads, sautéed, fried or steamed with different greens, or made into a pleasant jam or syrup.
The lengthy taproot of the dandelion is usually dug when the plant enters its second yr of life. Usually, roots are harvested in summer season for medicinal functions or in autumn for roasting and grinding right into a chicory-flavored espresso substitute.
Dandelion seeds might be harvested all year long and are have traditionally been taken as a complement to heal the physique of varied illnesses, in addition to to develop subsequent yr’s crop.
Dandelion in Natural Medication
The dandelion is a part of Asian, Center Japanese, European and Native American conventional therapeutic practices in addition to modern natural medication. Traditionally, dandelion had a various vary of therapeutic makes use of however right this moment’s herbalists primarily use it as an urge for food stimulant and digestive assist.
The trendy French identify for dandelion is pissenlit, which just about means “moist the mattress.” That’s as a result of the leaves is usually a delicate diuretic, serving to your physique take away extra water.
Dandelion leaves might be concentrated in teas and tinctures, and used to treat conditions affecting the liver, kidneys and gallbladder. Dandelion additionally has anti-diabetic properties, and research suggests that it could be useful in enhancing cardiovascular system perform and selling coronary heart well being.
Dandelion seeds can be used to help reduce inflammation in the body, and they’re being studied as a breast cancer supplement.
Extra Dandelion Recipes
However What Concerning the Bees?
Many individuals fear that harvesting dandelions for meals or medication will deprive bees of an essential early spring meals supply. Nonetheless, the reality is, in temperate areas of the Northern hemisphere, dandelions are not a most well-liked meals supply for bees, as they lack very important amino acids that bees want.
In reality, bees vastly desire willow, maple, cherry, hazel, Oregon grape, wild violets, henbit, purple useless nettle, floor ivy, and chickweed—all of which bloom earlier than or concurrently dandelions.
And like all annual flowers, selecting just a few dandelion blossoms solely causes them to bloom much more prolifically inside a day or two, so paradoxically, one of the best ways to make extra dandelions for the bees is to select them!
Dandelion flowers, leaves, and roots have been an essential meals and medication supply for people for hundreds of years. So long as we’re harvesting responsibly, we must always not really feel responsible for using a plant that has been part of human historical past for therefore lengthy.
Dandelion Wine
Dandelion wine tastes such as you put summer season right into a glass. Early spring is the time to make it. Do not spray your weeds—give this dandelion wine recipe a attempt as a substitute!
Dissolve the yeast within the 1/4 cup of heat (not sizzling!) water. Put aside.
Wash the dandelion blossoms properly, then separate the flower petals from the bottom of the blooms (sepals) so there is no such thing as a inexperienced left in any respect.
Put the petals in a big pot with 4 quarts of water, and the orange, lemon and lime juices.
Add the cloves, ginger, orange and lemon peel, and sugar.
Deliver to a boil and proceed to softly boil for an hour, stirring sometimes.
Switch to a non-reactive container made from glass, enamel or ceramic.
Cool to room temperature.
Stir within the activated yeast.
Let stand, lined at midnight, for 3 days, stirring typically.
Pressure completely right into a 1-gallon airlock fermenting jar made from glass or ceramic.
Set the fermenting jar in a darkened place for 3 or 4 weeks, or till wine clears.
Decant into bottles and cork, or just take away the airlock and seal the gallon jar.
Enable the wine to age in a cool, darkish place for a minimum of 3 months; the longer, the higher.
Serving: 8ozEnergy: 302kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 1gFats: 1gSaturated Fats: 1gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 43mgFiber: 1gSugar: 76gVitamin A: 45IUVitamin C: 14.6mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.1mg
Up to date April 24, 2023.
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