Dandelions

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Dandelions

 

 

Identification: The dandelion is a perennial plant found, to the dismay of many, almosteverywhere. The oblong leaves grow in a rosette from the milky taproot, which also sends up one ormore naked flower stems, each terminating in a single yellow flower. The familiar puffball thatsucceeds the flower is a globular cluster of achenes, each of which is fitted with a parachute. Family: Compositae (Sunflower family)Other Names: Blow ball, Cankerwort, Lion's tooth, Puffball, Pee in the bed, Fairy clockFlowers: March - SeptemberParts Used: AllHabitat: Lawns, fields, waste places. Throughout our area, but rare in southeastern U.S.Constituents: Root - The bitter principle taraxacin, triterpenes (including taraxol andtaraxasterol), sterols, inulin, sugars, pectin, glycosides, choline, phenolic acids, asparagine,vitamins, potassium.Leaves - Lutein, violaxanthin, and other carotenoids; bitter substances; vitamins A, B, C, and D(the vitamin A content is higher than that of carrots); potassium and iron.Medicinal Properties: Aperient, Cholagogue, Diuretic, Stomachic, and Tonic.Main Uses: The humble dandelion is one of nature's great medicines. The root is a mildly laxativebitter tonic, valuable in dyspepsia and constipation. It stimulates the liver and gallbladder(mainly due to its taraxacin content) substantially increasing the flow of bile.The diuretic power of the dandelion has been favorable compared with a common diuretic drug,Frusemide. However, unlike conventional diuretics, dandelion does not leach potassium from thebody; its rich potassium content replaces that which the body loses. Dandelion cleanses the bloodand tissues, and is useful in the treatment of skin diseases and rheumatism.Preparation And Dosages:Use the whole plant before it flowers, the leaves during flowering, and the root alone in thefall.Tincture: Fresh root (1:2), 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to 4 times a day....long term use.Decoction: Use 4 ounces fresh plant with 2 pints water; boil down gently to 1 pint and strain.Take 3 tablespoon, six times a day.Cold Extract: Use 2 teaspoons plant with 1 cup water; let stand for 8 hours.Juice: For a spring tonic, take 1 teaspoon juice pressed from the leaves in milk, one to threetimes a day. An electric vegetable juicer is helpful.Infusion: Use 2 teaspoons fresh root and leaves with 1/2 cup water; boil briefly and then steepfor 15 minutes. Take 1/2 cup, morning and evening. In addition, take daily 1 to 2 glasses of waterwith 3 tablespoons juice (pressed from root and leaves) per glass. Use dandelion leaves in salad.Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) The dandelion is a perennial from the family Compositae. The leaves are in a basal rosette andare jagged cut with irregular teeth. The single yellow flower sits on top of a hollow stem. Thestem is longer than the leaves, 5 to 6 inches in height, and has a milky juice inside. The long,white taproot has a milky juice also. Flowering time is from March through September and sometimes sporadically all year. Harvesting: The best dandelion to collect is not in your yard but in areas that are allowed togrow and seldom if ever mowed. Mowed plants tend to be far more bitter than plants left to grow ontheir own. Dandelions are best in the early spring consisting of the root, the crown and the above groundplant growth. Long before the last frost of spring you will see the dandelion plant sending up acluster of reddish leaves. Dig these up using a narrow spade as this is the best time to enjoy allparts of the dandelion.For Dandelion greens only, gather them in early spring before they bloom. The older the leavesget, the more bitter they get. Greens collected during this time are easy to cook and have adistinctive flavor without the bitterness. Nutrients (Per 100 grams) (Raw) Calories - 45 Phosphorus - 66 mg. Sodium - 76 mg. Calcium - 187 mg. Potassium - 397 mg. Thiamin - 0.19 mg. Fat - 0.7 grams Protein - 2.7 grams Vitamin A - 14,000 IU Iron - 3.1 mg. Riboflavin - 0.26 mg. Vitamin C - 35 mg. Uses: Salad, cooked green, cooked vegetable, fritters, coffee. Harvest: Early spring (leaves, buds); Spring - Early Summer (flowers);Fall - Early Spring (roots).Dandelion Salad 1/2 lb tender, fresh dandelion greens1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions2 tomatoes, cut in fourths1/4 lb sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 tsp black pepper1/4 cup salad oil3 Tbsp vinegar1 tsp dill Wash the dandelion greens carefully. Drain well and cut into pieces. Add the onions, tomatoes, andcheese. Toss to mix. Make a salad dressing by mixing the pepper, salad oil, vinegar, and dill.Dress the salad, toss, and serve.Fried Dandelion Blossoms New blossoms on short stems1 cup milk1/2 tsp saltHot cooking oil 1 egg1 cup flourPinch of pepper 1.Pick new dandelion blossoms, those on short stems, and rinse well in cool, lightly saltedwater.2.Cut off the stem ends close to the flower heads, leaving only enough to hold the petalstogether, because the stems and greenery are bitter.3.Roll the dandelion flowers in paper towels to blot up the excess moisture, then dip each onein a batter made of the remaining ingredients (except cooking oil).4.Drop the batter-coated blossoms into deep hot cooking oil (375°F) and fry until lightlybrowned.5.Drain on paper towels.6.Sprinkle with more salt, if needed, and serve at once.Dandelion Jelly 2 cups dandelion blossoms2 cups water2 cups sugar 2 Tbsp powdered pectin1 Tbsp lemon juice Place clean, dry blossoms in large pan with water. Boil for 3 minutes. Strain mixture and addpectin and lemon juice to liquid. Boil once more for 3 minutes, adding sugar and stirringconstantly. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with paraffin. Or seal with lids and screwbands and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.Dandelions & Potatoes Clean and wash dandelion roots thoroughly. Boil potatoes and dandelion roots and cook until bothare tender. Remove from water (the water makes excellent base for soups), mash potatoes anddandelions and add chopped parsley, basil and one medium diced onion. In large skillet, sautégarlic and red pepper in olive oil about a minute. Add potatoes and dandelions and continue tocook another 15 minutes.Dandelion Wine Gather about one gallon of dandelion flowers on a dry day. Put these in a two gallon crock andpour one gallon boiling water over them. Cover the crock and let steep for three days. Strainthrough a jelly cloth so you can squeeze out the excess from the flower petals. Put this liquid ina stainless steel pot and add one small ginger root, the thinly pared peels and juice of threeoranges and one lemon. Stir in 3 pounds of sugar and boil gently for 20 minutes. Return liquid tocleaned pot and allow to cool. Add wine yeast. Pour into a large jug and cover the jug with acloth and allow to set in a warm room for 6 days. Then siphon the wine into a 1 gallon jug andplace airlock on jug. When bubbles stop coming through airlock, siphon into wine bottles and cork.Keep in a dark place and let set until Christmas. Sauteed Dandelions 4 cups chopped dandelion leaves3 cups chopped onion3 Tbsp olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups grated wild carrots1 Tbsp soy sauce1 Tbsp wineBlack Pepper to taste 1.Sauté the onions in the olive oil.2.When soft, add the carrots, dandelions, garlic, wine and soy sauce.3.Cook for 10 to 20 minutes until all the flavors blend.Makes 4 to 6 servings.Vitamin C Tea 1 part dandelion leaf1 part rose hip 1 part hibiscus flower1 part raspberry leaf Pour boiling water over the herbs. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Strain. Sweeten with honey.These vitamin C-rich herbs are also high in flavonoids, which help the body to absorb thenutrients.Wild Green Salad Salad:1 cup wild onions, chopped1 quart watercress1/4 cup sheep sorrel1-1/2 cups dandelion leaves Dressing:1/3 cup cider vinegar3 Tbsp maple syrup 1/3 cup sunflower seed3/4 tsp salt1/4 black pepper Toss together the salad ingredients. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Toss the saladin the dressing and serve. http://indianspringherbs.com/dandelion.htm