Dandelion greens, jelly, wine, and more!
Did you know that dandelions can be used in cooking? Instead of mowing them down, harvest them for greens, soup, jelly, pesto, and even wine! Learn more about dandelion’s benefits and find a selection of dandelion recipes to try.
A History of Dandelion Delicacies
Native to Eurasia, this humble member of the aster family has traveled far and wide. Believe it or not, the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) was not always thought of as a weed. Cultures around the world thought of the dandelion as a “common herb” and have used every part of the plant as both nutritious food and powerful medicine.
The dandelion is rich in nutrients, including protein, calcium, iron, and Vitamins A and C.
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Dandelions are good for digestion and may ease rheumatism or liver problems. In fact, one of the plant’s common nicknames in French—pissenlit (pee-the-bed)—attests to dandelion’s use in traditional healing cultures as a valuable diuretic agent (rich in potassium).
Dandelion Recipes
Dandelions are so abundant that they’re easy to harvest! And most of the plant can be used—flowers, leaves, and roots. Yes, even the flowers can be eaten!
Eat Your Greens
As with most greens, the plant leaves are best when they are young and tender. Ideally, gather dandelion leaves before the plant blooms, as they will become increasingly bitter and tough.
Young dandelion leaves make an excellent addition to salads and bring a sharp taste to the mix.
Or, the young leaves can be cooked like spinach, sautéed in oil and garlic like many leafy greens.
Try one of these recipes with your next summer dinner:
- Kentucky Dandelion Greens (great with cornbread!)
- Wilted Dandelion Greens Salad
- Dandelion Soup
- Dandelion Pesto
Photo: Quanthem/Shutterstock
Eat Your Flowers!
One of our favorite recipes is a Dandelion Syrup (also called Dandelion Honey) which you make from the flowers. (See photo at the top of this page.)
It’s great over pancakes and waffles or mixed with oatmeal. Or stir into tea or a carbonated drink which is an old-style European favorite!
Pick newly yellow dandelion heads (ones on short stems) and try these yummy Fried Dandelion Blossoms.
Photo: Lyudmila Mikhailovskaya/Shutterstock
For something spreadable, try Dandelion Jelly! Harvest 1 quart of bright, fresh dandelion blossoms!
Dandelion Jelly. Photo by minadezhda/Shutterstock.
Dandelion Drinks
To wash those down, try a “spirit” of spring, like Pink Dandelion Wine or Dent-De-Lion Wine. Dandelions have been used to make these brandy-like drinks for centuries.
Photo: Vuk Saric/Shutterstock
Even the dandelion roots can be used for making a caffeine-free coffee-like drink. For a refreshingly different brew in the morning, try Dandelion Root Coffee.
A couple of safety notes: Obviously, only eat dandelions from areas that don’t use chemical weedkillers; we’d also avoid public areas where dogs may have peed on them. If you are foraging on public land, it’s harvest sparingly so you don’t disturb the plant population and leave plenty for the pollinators! Learn more about safety harvesting dandelions.
Do you eat your weeds? Ever made food or drink with dandelions? Share your recipes or comments below! We’d love to hear from you.
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This year, we're trying for and heirloom pink dandelion, and pink dandelion jelly sounds like food from a fairy tale. Gotta try that if we have any luck with the plants!
is it possible that you, Ramona Jackson, is a friend of mine from long long ago? Startling! does FDU ring a bell?
I love to find Dandelion flowers with long stems. Wash well and dry. Place the heads in a batter like pancake batter and fry them in a skillet. Children love this. Can do the same thing with Clover Blossoms.
Many, many years ago a family moved into my brothers' neighborhood on Long Island, N.Y. The husband told my brother that one of the reasons they had chosen that particular house was because of the hundreds of beautiful, golden flowers growing in the yard. It didn't take long before neighbors (not my brother, the son of a savvy, old Italian) enlightened them to their "weed infestation" and they were shopping for a lawn company to eradicate the now noxious dandelions. Go figure!
Could I start seedlings from the Dandelion Puffs (White) so I can have a clean product to harvest?
Yes, you can grow more dandelions from the white puff balls. The ball is made of several single-seeded fruits called achenes, which are each attached to a filament with a feathery tuft on the end. Separate out the small achenes and plant individually. (Just to be safe, select a dandelion that has not been exposed to chemicals or pollutants.) Be sure that you are choosing seeds from an actual dandelion, as there are several lookalikes. Also, if you prefer, there are cultivated gourmet forms of dandelions that you can find at mail order seed companies and other sources that are bred for their larger, less bitter leaves. Hope this helps!
I love the bright yellow polka dots in the yard. I think the weed killer manufacturers have worked really, really hard to convince people that dandelions are weeds. They don't harm a yard at all.
Personally, I have ethical difficulties picking dandelion flowerheads. I too think they are beautiful and, considering the speed in which the bees are dwindling away, much needed to feed these wonderful creatures when winter has ended! Without bees, we don't have flowers or food.
By the way, on my walk with the dog this morning, I noticed that the elastic ties used to tie 'Alnus' trees to the supporting pole (which are more of a corset to the tree) were gone! Some enlightened being cut those rubbers--and freed the trees! Good thing that it's not only me doing that! :-) Spring wishes, all.
Thanks for the great article.
Dandelion syrup is our favorite (my youngest would rather have this than maple any day).
https://naturesnurtureblog.com/homemade-dandelion-syrup
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