The dandelion is a perennial plant found, to the dismay of many, almost
everywhere. The oblong leaves grow in a rosette from the milky taproot, which also sends up one or more naked flower stems, each terminating in a single yellow flower. The familiar puffball that succeeds 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 clock

Flowers: March - September

Parts Used: All

Habitat: Lawns, fields, waste places. Throughout our area, but rare in southeastern U.S.
Constituents: Root - The bitter principle taraxacin, triterpenes (including taraxol and
taraxasterol) 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 laxative
bitter 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 the body; its rich potassium content replaces that which the body loses. Dandelion cleanses the blood and 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 the fall.

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 three times 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 steep for 15 minutes. Take 1/2 cup, morning and evening. In addition, take daily 1 to 2 glasses of water with 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 and are jagged cut with irregular teeth. The single yellow flower sits on top of a hollow stem. The stem 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 to grow and seldom if ever mowed. Mowed plants tend to be far more bitter than plants left to grow on their own.

Dandelions are best in the early spring consisting of the root, the crown and the above ground plant growth. Long before the last frost of spring you will see the dandelion plant sending up a cluster of reddish leaves. Dig these up using a narrow spade as this is the best time to enjoy all parts of the dandelion.

For Dandelion greens only, gather them in early spring before they bloom. The older the leaves get, the more bitter they get. Greens collected during this time are easy to cook and have a distinctive 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 greens
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
2 tomatoes, cut in fourths
1/4 lb sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup salad oil
3 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp dill

Wash the dandelion greens carefully. Drain well and cut into pieces. Add the onions, tomatoes, and cheese. 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 stems
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
Hot cooking oil  1 egg
1 cup flour
Pinch of pepper 

1.Pick new dandelion blossoms, those on short stems, and rinse well in   cool, lightly salted water.
2.Cut off the stem ends close to the flower heads, leaving only enough   to hold the petals together, because the stems and greenery are   bitter.
3.Roll the dandelion flowers in paper towels to blot up the excess   moisture, then dip each one in 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 lightly browned.
5.Drain on paper towels.
6.Sprinkle with more salt, if needed, and serve at once.


Dandelion Jelly 
2 cups dandelion blossoms
2 cups water
2 cups sugar  2 Tbsp powdered pectin
1 Tbsp lemon juice 

Place clean, dry blossoms in large pan with water. Boil for 3 minutes. Strain mixture and add pectin and lemon juice to liquid. Boil once more for 3 minutes, adding sugar and stirring constantly. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal with paraffin. Or seal with lids and screw bands 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 both are tender. Remove from water (the water makes excellent base for soups), mash potatoes and dandelions and add chopped parsley, basil and one medium diced onion. In large skillet, sauté garlic and red pepper in olive oil about a minute. Add potatoes and dandelions and continue to

cook another 15 minutes.



Dandelion Wine 

Gather about one gallon of dandelion flowers on a dry day. Put these in a two gallon crock and pour one gallon boiling water over them. Cover the crock and let steep for three days. Strain through a jelly cloth so you can squeeze out the excess from the flower petals. Put this liquid in a stainless steel pot and add one small ginger root, the thinly pared peels and juice of three oranges and one lemon. Stir in 3 pounds of sugar and boil gently for 20 minutes. Return liquid to cleaned pot and allow to cool. Add wine yeast. Pour into a large jug and cover the jug with a cloth and allow to set in a warm room for 6 days. Then siphon the wine into a 1 gallon jug and
place 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 leaves
3 cups chopped onion
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced  2 cups grated wild carrots
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp wine
Black 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 leaf
1 part rose hip  1 part hibiscus flower
1 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 the nutrients.


Wild Green Salad
Salad:
1 cup wild onions, chopped
1 quart watercress
1/4 cup sheep sorrel
1-1/2 cups dandelion leaves  Dressing:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup sunflower seed
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper

Toss together the salad ingredients. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Toss the salad in the dressing and serve.