Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a nutritious plant that contains many illness-warding antioxidants and anti-inflammatory qualities. Dandelion has even been said to help reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar levels, and can promote a healthy liver.
Many parts of the dandelion can be used in the kitchen to promote well-being and health. The petals and greens are delicious in a variety of recipes.
When foraging for dandelions it is recommended to look for the young plants and collect them in the spring and the fall. When dandelion plants are older, they can be tougher and have a bitter taste. The good thing about dandelion foraging is that they can be found almost anywhere, they are usually considered a weed and are extremely easy to find. They grow in pastures, meadows, parks, gardens, fields, and anywhere that is grassy. Dandelions are instantly recognizable and very obvious for even the most beginner forager.
Here are some great recipes that use dandelions:
1. Dandelion Iced Tea
1 cup fresh dandelion flowers
2 cups of hot water
2 tbsp of sugar or sweetener
½ cup of chamomile tea
6 quarts of cold water
10 ice cubes
Juice of 2 limes
Take the dandelion flowers in a bowl and pour over the hot water, brewing the hot tea for around 5-8 minutes.
Next, add your sweetener of choice and stir it into the brew. Add the chamomile tea at this stage too.
Continue to let it brew for another 3 minutes.
Now you can add the cold water and the ice.
Finally, squeeze the lime juice into the mixture.
Serve in a glass and enjoy!
2. Dandelion Flower Syrup
3 cups of water
2 cups of dandelion petals
2 cups of sugar
½ cup of honey
½ a lime
In a pan combine the petals, water, and lemon on high heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and turn the heat off. Let this mixture steep overnight.
In the morning strain the mixture and squeeze the petals to release all of the liquid.
Now take this liquid, the sugar, and honey and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring.
The liquid will begin to form a syrup consistency.
Store in a jar in the fridge and use on pancakes or in cocktails, there are so many uses!
3. Dandelion Infused Vinegar
Collect some dandelion flowers in a jar.
Make sure they are washed and fresh.
Cover the flowers with vinegar (any vinegar of your choice)
Steep for 1-6 weeks depending on how strong you want it.
Store in a sealed jar in a cool place.
4. Dandelion Greens Pesto
2 cups of dandelion greens, chopped and rinsed
½ cup of oil of your choice
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp of pine nut
2 tbsp parmesan
1tsp of lemon juice
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Use on salads, toasts or in pasta dishes.
5. Dandelion Eggs on Toast
3 cups of dandelion greens
1tbsp of butter
1 leek (sliced)
4 large eggs (beaten in a cup)
½ cup of feta cheese
Salt & pepper
4 slices of bread
Heat a pan on medium and add the greens and butter to the pan.
Stir on the heat, until the greens have wilted a little.
Add the leek and continue to stir the vegetables until they are soft.
Add the beaten eggs to the pan and stir gently, until a scrambled egg forms.
Add the feta cheese and salt and pepper.
Serve on top of two slices of toasted bread each.
6. Dandelion Honey
Fresh Dandelion heads
2 slices of lemon
300ml water
300g cane sugar
1 sprig of thyme
Mix the water, lemon and dandelion flowers, and thyme sprig in a large pan.
Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 10+ hours.
Strain the flower and lemon water through a sieve and squeeze out all of the liquid.
Measure how much liquid you have and match the amount of liquid with an amount of sugar.
Add a little salt and let this dissolve.
Bring to the boil and allow the mixture to boil for 10-15 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and see if the honey sets on a cold plate.
If it is not ready, return to the boil for 7 minutes.
Pour into jam jars and seal with a sterilized lid.
7. Fried Dandelions
1 cup of plain flour
Salt & pepper
Paprika
2 eggs
40 unopened dandelion flowers
50g butter
Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Beat the eggs and stir in the dandelion flowers until covered in egg.
Melt the butter in the pan and remove half of the dandelion flowers from the egg mixture.
Coat the dandelions in the flour and cook in the melted butter until brown and crispy.
8. Dandelion Green Salad
2 cups of dandelion greens
1 cup grated cucumber
1 cup of grated carrot
1 cup of pomegranate seeds
apple or pear slices
1 cup of walnuts
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
Toss ingredients together in a large bowl, pour the lemon juice in, and season with salt and pepper.
9. Dandelion Pasta
1 tsp salt
ÂĽ cup of olive oil
8 cloves of garlic
12 oz of Dandelion Greens
1tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 oz of pasta
2 oz of parmesan cheese
½ cup of cream
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.
In a frying pan add the oil and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until the garlic is golden.
Add the dandelion greens and black pepper to the pan.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan.
Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and the cream, until everything is combined.
Fry the potatoes in the butter, until they are a little crispy on the outside.
Add the dandelion greens until they are wilted.
Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
35. Dandelion Soda
4 cups of dandelion petals
4 cups of water
1 cup of sugar
1tsp ginger
1tsp lemon zest
½ cup ginger bug starter
2 cups of room temperature water
Place the petals in a mason jar.
Add 4 cups of boiling water and pour over the petals.
Cover and allow to steep overnight.
Strain out the petals the next day and reheat the tea, but do not bring it to a boil.
Add the sugar, ginger, and lemon zest and stir.
Allow the syrup to cool.
Pour the sweetened dandelion tea into sterilized bottles and add the ginger bug start and the room temperature water. Gently shake the bottle to combine.
Cap the bottle and allow it to ferment and carbonate for a week.
Juice the lemons and place the juice, sugar, petals, and honey in a blender with some ice. Blend and enjoy.
50. Dandelion Tonic
2 tbsp of dried dandelion roots
2 tbsp of chicory root
2 tbsp of orange zest
2 tbsp of ginger
1.5 cups of vodka
Put the dried roots, zest, and ginger into a jar and pour in 350ml of vodka.
Cover the jar and let it sit in a cold place for a minimum of 7 weeks.
Strain the mixture and serve the tonic before meals.
We hope you have enjoyed learning about all the different ways that dandelion can be used in different recipes. A lot of people are surprised at the amount of uses this plant has, as it is often seen as just a weed. Now you know how to forage and make the most of this common plant. We hope you have fun cooking a few of these different foods.
I love the idea of using dandelions in food and medicinally. Are there any specific recipes for specific medicinal uses. I heard dandelion tea is great for flushing the liver of toxins but how much do you use and how frequently? Any published materials on this? I am very interested in herbal remedies. 🙂
I know that it’s never too late to get started, but I wish I had found a source like you when I was younger. I know that I would be a lot healthier at present. No major malfunctions, just old. My wife is the one standing on the banana peel and she is the finicky eater who will positively not try anything new. I am going to try some of the recipes for myself and of course offer some to my wife. Maybe I can get her to move even slightly to better health through better diet. Pray for me.
Once again I must request that you keep to one type of measurements, at least within a single recipe! you have mixes cups/Tbsp with ml/g in several recipes, making it impossible to do without going to a metric to cups site to convert!!! At the very least you could convert before posting, and as this is primarily a USA site, in American terminology, please?
This is very annoying and time consuming.
Hi I made dandelion infused vinegar. After a few months, it now has like a less than 1/4th of an inch pancake like white covering..I see similar things in kombucha, is this the mother or should I throw the whole thing?
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I love the idea of using dandelions in food and medicinally. Are there any specific recipes for specific medicinal uses. I heard dandelion tea is great for flushing the liver of toxins but how much do you use and how frequently? Any published materials on this? I am very interested in herbal remedies. 🙂
I know that it’s never too late to get started, but I wish I had found a source like you when I was younger. I know that I would be a lot healthier at present. No major malfunctions, just old. My wife is the one standing on the banana peel and she is the finicky eater who will positively not try anything new. I am going to try some of the recipes for myself and of course offer some to my wife. Maybe I can get her to move even slightly to better health through better diet. Pray for me.
Once again I must request that you keep to one type of measurements, at least within a single recipe! you have mixes cups/Tbsp with ml/g in several recipes, making it impossible to do without going to a metric to cups site to convert!!! At the very least you could convert before posting, and as this is primarily a USA site, in American terminology, please?
This is very annoying and time consuming.
Hi I made dandelion infused vinegar. After a few months, it now has like a less than 1/4th of an inch pancake like white covering..I see similar things in kombucha, is this the mother or should I throw the whole thing?
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