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What to do With Dandelions, They are More than Just a Weed!
Have you ever wondered what to do with dandelions in your yard? Sure, most people see them as a nuisance and want to get rid of them, but actually, they should be harvested due to their amazing health benefits.
I’m actually trying to grow more dandelions in my yard, I’m quite envious of those whose land is covered with them!
Benefits of Dandelions
Dandelions have many health benefits and uses which is why it is a great idea to save them. Every part of the dandelion has a medicinal use; the root, the stem, and the flower. Dandelions can be used as a natural remedy for many aliments.
Dandelions have been used in Chinese and Eastern medicine for hundreds of years.
Dandelion helps/has been used to:
-Purify blood
-Treat cancer
-Cleanse & detoxify the liver
-Treat skin conditions such as acne
-Natural diuretic
-Improve digestion
-Reduce oxidative stress
Dandelions contain a high amount of vitamins and minerals and can improve your health. A cup of dandelions contains over 112% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A and 535% of the daily amount of vitamin K. Dandelion greens are also high in potassium, vitamin C, and calcium.
When you go foraging for dandelions, be sure to use ones from your own yard or any area where you know chemicals have not been used.
7 Ways to Use Dandelions
1. Make a Dandelion Salad– A simple way to add dandelions to your diet is to grab the dandelion greens, rinse them off, and throw them into your salad! You can combine the dandelion greens with other greens, lettuce or spinach. Dandelion greens are commonly used in salads and taste great! The whole plant is medicinal, even the flower can be added to your salad.
2. Juice Your Dandelions– Another great way to add raw dandelions to your diet is to put them into a juicer. You can add a lemon or other fruits for flavor. Dandelions could also be added to a smoothie if you don’t have a juicer.
3. Make Dandelion Tea– Almost all natural health food stores carry dandelion tea, but why not make your own that you know is organic and hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for months. You can make the tea with the dandelion roots and/or the greens. I usually use a combination of both. All you need to do is rinse of the greens and roots, dry them out (using a dehydrator or can use an oven to heat at low temperature), mince them by using a knife or food processor, pour hot water over dandelions, and strain. According to a recent study, cancer patients noted remarkable improvements from consuming dandelion tea. Leukemia cells were reportedly forced into apoptosis (cell death).
4. Dandelion as a Wart Remover – To use dandelions as a wart remover, break open the stem and you should see a white sticky juice/milk which can be applied to the wart daily.
5. Dandelion Infused Oil– Dandelion oil is great remedy to help relieve aching muscles or joints, it also has an amazing scent! To make the dandelion oil, pick a bunch of the flowers and place them in a jar. Tear some of the flowers to loosen the petals and pour oil over the flowers until covered. Seal the jar and let it sit for about 2 weeks.
6. Make Dandelion Soup– Another way to add dandelions to your diet is to throw in pieces of the leaves or root into your soup. Not only does it add great health benefits, but it tastes delicious!
7. Dandelion Tincture –Tinctures of dandelion can be quite expensive, yet are very easy to make yourself. You can use vinegar, glycerin, or alcohol to make the tincture. To make a dandelion tincture with vinegar, gather the leaves and roots, rinse them off, chop them, and put them into a glass jar. Pour in the vinegar (this is the one that I use) and seal the jar. Some recommend shaking the mixture every day while steeping. On average, steep for about 6 weeks, then strain and the remaining liquid is your tincture! Dandelion tinctures are great for cleansing the liver and the average dose recommended is 10 to 30 drops per day. Dandelion root and leaf aid in stimulating the release of bile from the liver and are used as a natural alternative for individuals with liver and gallbladder disorders.
Do you harvest the dandelions in your yard? What do you do with the dandelions?
Sources:
http://www.naturalnews.com/031904_liver_dandelion.htmlhttp://www.naturalnews.com/035754_dandelion_cancer_prevention.html
Are the dandelions safe to consume before the lawn is sprayed this year (as I live in a multiplex)?
I would ask the complex owner if they have sprayed anything.
My uncle Clarence used to make dandelion wine.
That’s cool!
Hi. Thanks for your newsletter. I love it. Here’s a tasty dandelion salad for those who think the plant is too bitter.
Cut up a sweet orange into chunks and toss into chopped dandelion greens. Add raw onion rings, vinegar, olive oil, grape tomatoes, celery, radishes, and a bit of goat cheese if you like. Drizzle some honey on it if you need it to be sweeter. You could also add pecans for a garnish. Or you could grate a fresh raw beet on the top of the serving.
Sounds delicious!
I love the flowers fried after dipping in cornbread mix, the ounger greens in salads, the root and leaves in tea, that’s helping my anemia and I pick and wash young greens for my dogs, when I find them nibbling grass I then go look for greens for them, it seems to help their tummies as they stop eating grass. I use vinegar in the water in the sink to wash all fresh veggies, those I grow and purchase or baking soda if I’m out of vinegar.
Reminded me of Great Depression Cooking – Dandelion Salad on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51VhG8MKxJY
We use dandelions as iguana food — they’re free and he loves to chow down on the leaves and flowers.
Dandelion is great for lowering blood sugar specially in those dealing with diabetes 1 or 2 (my husband is 1 and we’ve gone trough a lot of natural healing “experiments”. Take a spoonful of dandelion dried roots for one cup. Pour boiled water over and let it sit for a night. Drink it 30 min.before and 30 min after breakfast, every day for at least 3 weeks, to see if it works for you. Originally, this is a Maria Treben recipe, for those of you who would like to read more.
Great information! Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas here including a couple from the comments. When you described making the tincture I was thinking of how I use alcohol to extract vanilla from the beans. When I make vanilla extract I use apple jack freeze distilled from hard apple cider I make with my own apples. I think I might try to do the same thing with a dandelion tincture as the vanilla extract is to die for.
That sounds great! Let us know how it comes out 🙂
My fiancee has me make dandelions for him, he loves them. I usually saute them in garlic and oil. I find them far too bitter for me. Any suggestions on how to incorporate them into my diet without the bitterness?
I also recently made him a dandelion salve, he liked so much they are going to also be part of our mothers days gifts!
A dandelion salve sounds great! I’ve noticed that using them in the tea cuts down on the bitterness, especially if I add a little lemon or raw honey.
I’ll look Into dandelion tea, thank you!
Here is the receipe for the dandelion salve. http://thenerdyfarmwife.com/dandelion-salve-recipe/
I also added lavender essential oi, between the beeswax and the lavender the balm smells great!
You forgot wine! Dandelion wine.
Steep the blossoms in hot water till cool (and they’ve coloured/flavoured the water nicely), add juice of a lemon and an orange (adds a little acidity), add sugar, top up with water and add yeast. Let it ferment for a week or two, then bottle. Like nettle ale, these don’t improve with age, so drink soon. Best served ice cold on a hot summer’s day. Enjoy!
That’s another one! I didn’t include it because of the need for sugar and yeast. Thanks for sharing!
I would like to inform you that I’ve shared this post into my FB Page. I see that this would be beneficial to my followers. You can check it out here… https://www.facebook.com/AmazingHerbsandOils/posts/252287794909523
My kids always want to eat them. Besides washing is there any concern or can they just graze?
I make fritters every spring with the flowers and this year I’m trying my hand at dandelion wine.
Those sound delicious! Thanks for sharing.
I made my first dandelion salve yesterday. My muscles are really sore from tilling up some land and planting a strawberry patch. I was skeptical about how it would aid in helping my muscles and I was shocked at how well it helps!
I just picked another batch before mowing this evening so I can make up some more infused oil for the salve.I just want to make a bunch and gift it to everyone.
Do you mind if I share this post on my FB page “The Coop”? This is great information!
Hi Meg, that’s amazing, so glad to hear it helped! Absolutely, please do share it 🙂
Are you willing to share your salve recipie. I have sore muscles and would like to make some for myself.
Lise
I just mix the dandelion oil with beeswax. I think about 4 times as much oil to beeswax.
Dandelions and their health benefits sound wonderful, but I have various wild animals walking through the yard such as deer, turkeys, raccoons, possum, rabbits, squirrels, two dogs, and a flock of various birds perching in my trees. I do have a ton of dandelions growing on my acres this year in particular, but I can’t even imagine picking them and using them in my salad. Any suggestions, or am I just being paranoid about the situation. Yes, I know I can wash them …but my concern is parasites.
You could try a solution of vinegar and witch hazel as apposed to a natural veggie spray that you get purchase at the grocery store or health-food store.
It is definitely a concern, I wash/rinse mine with a mixture of vinegar and water. I am also selective of what areas of the yard I take them from.
Thanks for posting about the incredible dandelion! As a student of Herbal Medicine for many years, I always try to spread the message about the many benefits of dandelion for the body, especially the liver. Happy Sunday and Be Well!
Thanks Laura! They have so many health benefits and they taste great!