Herb spotlight: Dandelion

“...Sadly, dandelion is not celebrated by all—due to its penchant to grow and blossom wherever it darn well pleases, it is loathed and poisoned by those who value a pristine green carpet of lawn. What a pity (and quite the irony) as dandelion is one of the very herbs that can help our bodies deal with the modern load of chemicals in our food, air, water, and soil.” –Jane Metzger All About Dandelion, posted on the Herbal Academy Blog. 

Bitter plants are used for digestive help because they stimulate the production of digestive fluids, lessening gas, indigestion, and nausea, as well as helping us break down fats in our digestive tract. All parts of the dandelion plant are edible, the yellow flower head, stem (though it’s very bitter), leaves, and roots. All parts can be dried and used in teas to support kidney, liver, and gallbladder health, and restore the nervous system and depleted energy. 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a safe and simple to use, bitter, mild adaptogen and anti-inflammatory, cooling herb– meaning it’s used for calming rashes and hormonal skin outbreaks, fighting infection, soothing your body, and promoting digestion! 

When harvesting dandelion flower heads and leaves, wash them in cold water with a splash of vinegar to remove pollen and bugs. The long taproot can be dug up and scrubbed off in cold water then dried for later use. Please DO NOT use dandelions that have grown in an area sprayed with any kind of weed killer! Only a handful of people who are allergic to plants in the ragweed family may have sensitivities to dandelions. This is a very mild herb, but if you’re unfamiliar or worried, consult somebody who knows what they’re doing. 

Identifying Dandelion: https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/dandelion-materia-medica/ 

Purchase dried Dandelion parts online at: https://mountainroseherbs.com/ 

• Flower & Leaves 

Dandelion’s fluffy yellow flower head can be dried and stored or used fresh in salad or hot / iced teas. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, the petals are used in salves for burns, scratches, and rashes. Taking the flowers internally aids in detoxing your body and flushing out stored water causing bloating. 

Dandelion’s long leaves become more bitter the longer they grow in hot weather. If you’re picking them to mix in a salad or dry and store for later, pick the leaves in early spring so they taste the best! Also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, the leaves are great for making digestive aid tinctures or adding to iced teas!

Dandelion flower tea: 

• 2 parts dried dandelion heads

• 1 part dried peppermint leaf

• 1 part dried lemon balm leaf

Steep 1-2 tbsp of the tea mix in a cup of hot water for up to three minutes, sweeten with honey and pour over ice if desired. 

• Roots

Dried and sometimes roasted in a frying pan for flavor, dandelion roots are full of magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and C, and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Because the roots support kidney, liver, and gallbladder health they are commonly used in brewing a strong tea or coffee substitute for improving skin conditions related to hormonal imbalances. 

Dandelion root latte base:

If you’re harvesting fresh dandelion roots, clean and chop them up then roast them in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes before preparing coffee!  

• 2 tbsp of chopped and roasted dandelion root 

• Optional cinnamon stick or sprinkle of cardamom 

• 1 tsp fennel seed

• 2 cups of water

• Milk or heavy cream to taste and sweetener of choice

Pour the water over the roots and spices in a small pot to simmer for up to 15 minutes. Strain and mix in milk or cream. 

~ ~ ~

Dandelion sleep pillow:

• Grab a sock or sew a little pillow and stuff it half way with a dry grain like barley or rice

• Fill it the rest of the way with a mix of dried:

- dandelion flowers, leaves, and chopped up roots

- lavender, chamomile flowers, and/or rose hips

- peppermint, lemon balm, and linden 

Stitch the pillow or sock closed and keep it in your bed!

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One of the very first green plants to appear at our house in the spring are dandelions, and as soon as the thunderstorms have fallen into a pattern of coming every afternoon and the grass is an inch high, the yard is littered with fluffy yellow flower heads. Making dandelion fritters is my favorite spring tradition, this recipe is adapted from the Herbal Academy and makes a couple plate-fulls of fritters! 

(Please note: Picking dandelion heads and freezing them to use later makes them bitter and changes the texture. If you’re going to cook dandelions, USE FRESH ONES!)

Ingredients 

Gather and gently wash about 40 large dandelion heads, and let them dry most of the way in the sun. 

Fritter batter: whisk in a medium bowl 

• 1 egg

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 cup flour

• Salt to taste 

• Coconut oil or butter for frying

Cinnamon-sugar dusting: mix in a small bow and set aside 

• ¼ cup flour

• ¼ cup cane sugar

• 1 tbsp cinnamon 

• 1 ½ tsp sea salt

Directions

Break the stems off the dandelions but leave the green bracks beneath the flower head. Warm a small frying pan and a little frying oil of choice over medium heat. Using a fork or your fingers, dip a few dandelion heads in the fritter batter and place them in your frying pan, cook until golden brown, tuning only once. As soon as the fritters are cooked, pat them dry on a paper towel to remove extra oil, then roll them in the cinnamon sugar coating!

Serve warm with ice cream or ketchup, depending on how weird your siblings are.