For decades, we have been poisoning and pulling out these happy summer flowers. But now is the time to reconsider. For example, did you know that dandelion has many different uses? Give them a home on your lawn or garden, and they will repay you! The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
Dandelion is an edible, healing and versatile plant. In fact, they have been an important part of global herbal pharmacists for generations. Long before they became the bane of suburban yards, these inconspicuous plants were an important part of spring diet and autumn therapy.
Dandelion has many different uses
- Taraxacum jelly
This golden yellow jelly tastes like honey, paired with leek scones and sun tea. Dandelion jelly brings the taste of June to every month of the year. This is a dreamy Christmas gift, bringing a small pot of sunshine to the cold winter table.
- Inject oil
This oil is the basis of many dandelion creations. Just soak the fresh dandelion flowers in oil for about 2-3 weeks, and then filter the flowers. The resulting oil is full of all the therapeutic properties of dandelion. I like to use organic olive oil or castor oil in this process, but almond oil and coconut oil also work well.
- Dandelion wine
"The wine was caught in summer and blocked... Hold summer in your hand and pour summer into a glass... Change the season in your blood vessels, lift the glass to your lips and tilt summer. (Ray Bradbury, dandelion wine)
Dandelion wine is an exciting indulgence. Once you start making it, you can't stop. You will look for dandelions everywhere and mix them into a barrel of delicious golden wine. This is a simple process, which can produce the final winter solstice drink, so we must welcome the returning sun with the golden sunshine in the glass.
- Makeup water bar
Small cosmetic water is the savior of hard-working winter skin. Fortunately, dandelion oil is an ideal supplement to these small pacifiers. In addition, dandelion can calm chapped skin and help rough patches heal faster. Add a little Lithospermum or Calendula to the mixture if you are prone to cuts and scratches.
- Dandelion root tea
If you are dealing with digestive problems or liver dullness, dandelion tea can help. Dandelion supports healthy liver and digestion. This is a mild tonic that can fight constipation and reduce inflammation. Add a cup of dandelion root tea to your daily regimen, and your body will help remove toxins from the modern world.
You can also add dandelion root tea to the bath water to obtain a mild and soothing skin soak. For children with skin rashes and eczema, this is a particularly healing soak, because dandelion root can soften and heal their skin without overwhelming it.
- Tincture
The entire dandelion plant - roots, flowers, and everything - can be chopped, covered with alcohol, and then turned into a tincture. After all, dandelion tincture has been used to remove toxins from the blood for centuries. It can help your body operate continuously and healthily, even in the season when your body shape feels stagnant. It also provides a consistent source of potassium.
- Vinegar
Vinegar is another good way to extract the therapeutic properties of dandelion. If you feel uncomfortable making alcohol tincture, please use vinegar instead! Collect flowers, leaves, and stems (also known as "aboveground parts" of plants).
Chop them and cover them with raw apple cider vinegar. Let them soak in vinegar for up to 4 weeks. Keep them away from direct light and shake them occasionally while soaking. After 4 weeks, filter out the flowers and add a small amount of vinegar to the lemon water in the morning.
- Salad vegetables
One of the easiest ways to enjoy one of the many uses of dandelion is to pick fresh young leaves for salad Dandelion green tastes like poria cocos: they are very earthy, but a little bitter. Mix them with arugula, bacon, goat cheese and roasted pecans for a light summer dinner. Or pour tender dandelion green on the spicy tuna and have a crisp spicy taste.
- Dandelion Oxymel
If there is too much vinegar and lemonade, try to make dandelion magnesium oxide from the vinegar you inject. Oxymel is a classic herbal therapy that combines raw honey and vinegar, both of which are infused with therapeutic herbs to make a mild, natural tonic.
Soak dandelion in raw honey, filter it out, and then mix the injected honey and vinegar in a ratio of 1:3 to make a slightly sweet detoxification mixture. It is ideal for early spring when your body is just getting rid of the dullness of winter.
- Coffee substitutes
If you like me have the habit of drinking too many cups of coffee every day, dandelion root can help! In fact, dandelion root is a traditional coffee substitute, which is still very popular in Europe. It is mellow and nutty, although not completely filled with the same beautiful coffee flavor. If you want to reduce, but want something that can give people a warm and comfortable feeling, dandelion root "coffee" may be the key!
(Here is a hint: add some roasted chicory roots to it to get a delicious caramel flavor!
- Green Garlic Sauce
Garlic sauce without basil is becoming more and more popular. From garlic garlic sauce to kale garlic sauce, almost any delicious green meets the requirements, and early spring dandelion vegetables are no exception. Mix them with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese or asiago and roasted walnuts or pumpkin seeds to show the trend of pesto sauce in a unique way.
If you are not ready to mix the whole batch of dandelion garlic sauce, just add a few leaves to the proven basil garlic sauce recipe Replace up to half of basil with young dandelion green to get an interesting pesto mix! It matches perfectly with homemade pimples.
- Dandelion syrup
Dandelion syrup is a Danish tradition. It is made of green apples, rhubarb and piles of dandelion flowers. It is used to sweeten roasted vegetables, meat and morning yogurt bowls. Pour it on blueberry pancakes or pour it on ice cream to enjoy excellent summer food.
This syrup also adds a surprising sweetness to garden cocktails. Add a little to floral gin and tonic or mojito! Do you know that dandelion has such a delicious use?
- Flower Cookies
Dandelion flowers can make beautiful biscuits. You can sift a handful of separated petals into a basic sugar cookie recipe, or make healthy dandelions and honey from oatmeal, dandelion petals and almond slices.
These flower cookies are ideal for children's tea parties, evening snacks and garden parties. Add various flowers into the dough to make colorful cookies. For example, rose petals and lavender flowers are excellent supplements to honey flavored dandelion flowers. They are also gorgeous combinations of colors.
- Shampoo stick
Dandelion is not only suitable for skin: you can also make a shampoo stick with dandelion flowers to balance hair. These nutrition bars are a sustainable hair care option that can completely change your hair nourishing program. In addition, dandelion shampoo stick is very suitable for itchy scalp and tired dry hair.
Sometimes it takes several weeks for your hair to get used to the nourishing shampoo stick, rather than the oily detergent shampoo. Give it time and you will like the results!
- Soap
If you have dry, painful skin, eczema or acne, you will want to try dandelion soap. Dandelion has been healing sensitive skin for centuries, and mild homemade dandelion soap is the first step.
Try mixing dandelion and marigold, or dandelion and honey to get a lush face and body stick that makes your skin feel like silk. Add oatmeal as a body scrub to gently exfoliate and moisturize your skin.
- Taraxacum buccal tablets
Once you feel comfortable making dandelion syrup, you can go further and make dandelion throat drops. These healthy florets are rich in vitamins A, B, C and D Make a can of dandelion honey lozenge to take you through the cough and cold season. A little taste of summer sunshine can cure everything!
Add elderberry, yarrow or chamomile to the mix for additional health benefits. Or, make dandelion jelly instead of pastille, suitable for children. This is one of the most delicious uses of dandelion, which is also good for your health.
- Soil Therapist
But dandelions are not just your friends: they actually help them grow in the soil. These plants actively work to aerate and balance the soil during their growth. The long tap water roots absorb nutrients from the subsoil when opening the topsoil.
Yes, to let dandelions grow in your yard is actually to improve the soil. Dandelion makes your garden happier, healthier and more colorful. Give them a chance to grow, and you will fall in love with them, just as you did when you were young.
Beautiful dandelion!
There are so many interesting and exciting uses of dandelions that it is a shame to let them waste. Let's make room in our yard and garden for these happy summer therapists. Don't spray your dandelions: Let them spread a beautiful yellow carpet on the lawn for bees and butterflies to play with.
Children, pollinators, birds and wild animals all like these friendly flowers. Deers like to chew sweet flowers, and bees get some spring nectar from dandelion flowers. If you don't mind sharing, even your chickens will like to eat them.
Like many other misunderstood plants, dandelion has a well deserved reputation as an ugly invasive weed. But dandelions are not enemies. They are your first line of defense in liver, kidney and heart health, and some of the best soil building allies.
