WHAT IS DANDELION USEFUL AND WHAT CAN BE PREPARED FROM IT?

Dandelion is an invariable attribute of warmth. It blooms from spring to late autumn everywhere, pleasing to the eye and warming the soul. Meanwhile, many healthy and tasty dishes can be prepared from this plant. Dandelion is included in the list of safe food approved by the Council of Europe.

Young leaves, stems and flowers of dandelion can be eaten raw in salads as a vitamin supplement in early spring, as well as boiled, like spinach, in borscht.

To reduce the bitterness of the leaves, they are pre-immersed in a saline solution for 30-40 minutes.

The best tasting lettuce is obtained from the so-called bleached dandelion grown in the beds. The area with dandelion is covered with sand, loose soil or sawdust (layer 15-20 cm).

The leaves grown in this way become light yellow and acquire a delicate taste. Less bitterness in plants collected in the shade. It decreases if the leaves are stored for several days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

In England, wine is made from dandelions. In the country of foggy Albion, it is believed that the best wine is obtained from flowers collected on May 1st. Pickled dandelion buds are traditionally used as a substitute for capers. From dandelion flowers and buds, “dandelion honey” is prepared - a jam that tastes like natural honey, as well as various drinks.

Dandelion roots have long been used as a coffee substitute. Raw materials are harvested in early spring or late autumn after the leaves wither. To prepare a coffee surrogate, the roots are washed well and dried in a heat dryer (layer 3-5 cm) for 60 minutes. Then cut into small pieces and roast in the oven at 90 °C for 30 minutes. When the roots turn brown and brittle, they are allowed to cool, crushed and roasted again in the oven at 80 °C for 5 minutes. The yield of dry raw materials from the mass of freshly harvested is 33-35%. The shelf life of dry roots in an airtight container is up to 5 years.

Dandelion has low toxicity and is safe for most people. However, while dandelion may be a unique nutritional supplement, it is not a substitute for a balanced diet, especially in regards to disease prevention and treatment. I have already written about the medicinal properties of dandelion. It can cause allergic reactions and interact negatively with certain drugs, especially diuretics and antibiotics. In addition, dandelion absorbs and accumulates lead from car exhaust, so it should not be collected along roads. And a note: if you can't identify a plant with 100% certainty, never eat it.

I offer several recipes for dishes and drinks that can be prepared from dandelion.

DANDELION SALADS

Dandelion leaves - 400 g, green onion - 200 g, parsley - 100 g, vegetable oil - 60 g, vinegar, dill, salt to taste.

Soak dandelion leaves in cold water for 30 minutes and cut into pieces. Add chopped onion and parsley, season with oil, salt, vinegar, mix and sprinkle with dill.

Dandelion leaves - 400 g, green onions - 100 g, sauerkraut - 200 g, eggs - 2 pcs., Sour cream - 80 g, salt to taste.

Grind prepared dandelion leaves and green onions, add sauerkraut and chopped boiled eggs, salt to taste and mix. Fill with sour cream.

Dandelion leaves - 2 handfuls, young cabbage - 2 handfuls, sweet potato - 1 pc., young potatoes - 4 pcs., red chili pepper - 1 pc., goat or other cheese - 150 g, salt and pepper to taste.

Boil sweet potatoes and new potatoes, peel and cut into cubes. Add vegetable or butter, salt, pepper and put in a salad bowl. Cut the cabbage along with dandelion leaves and lightly steam. Chop the chili, cheese and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Dandelion leaves - 1 handful, beets (pickled or boiled) - 250 g, goat or other cheese - 130 g, apple - 2 pieces, ginger - a piece (about 2 cm), olive oil, ground black pepper and salt to taste.

Cut the beets into cubes, add prepared and chopped dandelion leaves, cheese, apple, ginger, pepper and salt. Fill with olive oil.

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Reference by topic: Dandelions: useful and medicinal properties

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DANDELION HERBAL TEA

10 g of dandelion leaves pour 0 liters of cold water, bring to a boil and boil over low heat for 25 minutes, leave for 2 minutes, strain.

DANDELION INfusion

1 st. Pour a spoonful of roots with 0 liters of boiling water and leave for 2 hours, strain. Take 2 g 50-3 times a day before meals for anemia and beriberi.

DANDELION ROOT COFFEE

Grind roasted dandelion roots in a coffee grinder. 6 art. spoons of the resulting powder pour 500 ml of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes. Then strain, heat to the desired temperature, add cream, honey or sugar to taste.

DANDELION VINEGAR

Dial a full jar of dandelion buds and pour apple cider vinegar. Close the lid and put in a dark cool place for 2-6 weeks, shaking from time to time. From the exposure time, the taste of vinegar changes slightly.

Dandelion is a good honey plant. From early spring to late autumn, during flowering, dandelion provides honey bees and other pollinating insects with a large amount of pollen, which contains a lot of sugar, proteins and fats. Bees collect nectar from a dandelion in a small amount and not always. Dandelion honey is golden yellow in color, very thick, viscous, quickly crystallizing, with a strong odor and a sharp taste.

Here is such a dandelion - useful and quite edible.

DANDELION PETAL EXTRACT WITH COWBERRY HONEY

Dandelion petal extract. In early May, on a sunny day, collect blooming dandelion inflorescences, tear off only the petals and pour them into a 3-liter glass jar, pouring layers of lingonberry syrup on sugar or honey. You can add 3 ml of boiled water to 100 liters. Compact the mixture with a wooden pestle. After a week of infusion in a dark place at room temperature, the extract will turn brown. It is not necessary to dilute when taking. Take a tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.

The extract helps to restore strength, increases efficiency, relieves fatigue, improves appetite.

Ingredients: dandelion petals -2 kg, lingonberry sugar (syrup) -1 kg, water - 100 ml.

Morse cranberry. Ripe, freshly picked cranberries (in ancient Rome they were called "balls charged with vital energy") sort and rinse in running water. Mash in a colander with a wooden spoon (or squeeze the juice with a juicer) and cover with cold water, add some sugar or honey and simmer for 15 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, strain through 1-2 layers of gauze. It is useful to pour the juice of lemon and lingonberries into a chilled fruit drink.

Take for cardiovascular diseases 0,5 cup 3 times a day. This is an old drink of the forest villages of the European part of Russia, the Urals and Siberia.

Ingredients: cowberry berries - 500 g, water -1 l, sugar -1,5 kg, cowberry honey - 500 g (lingonberry juice - 200 ml, natural honey - 300 g, juice of 1 lemon.

© Author: A. Klebanov, Associate Professor of the Ural Forest Engineering Academy, Yekaterinburg

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Reference by topic: Dandelions: Useful and Healing Properties - Part 2

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DANDELION JAM - VIDEO RECIPE

© Author: Olga KORABLEVA, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences

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