Tried Dandilion Root and Bramble shoots today

[Leigh Robinson]

Dandilion Root:
Good wash and scrub so they are white
Sliced thinly
Sautee
Add a little water and salt
reduce to little water left and veg soft
Place in eating bowl
Little soy sauce

Result................

DISGUSTING - Tastes like a veg at first, then bitter like there are tannins in there. Wild food book does say roots fattest and best in autumn. Not really edible at all as so bitter. Might try drying and making as coffee next. Anyone else had experience, recommendations?

Bramble shoots:
Chop off asparagus size green shoot that is soft and succulant
wash
steam

Result.................

DISGUSTING - Tastes juicy at first but also bitter. Not really edible. Anyone else had experience, recommendations?

Conclusion:
I can see why through the generations we bred food for taste at the expense of nutrition. Much wild food doesn't generally taste like the shop bought stuff. Pretty poor quality and not worth the work. There is other wild food out there that is much nicer. But I can appreciate time of year and location has a massive affect on the taste of a food. If I was trying to live out in the wild these wouldn't be my 'go too food' by any means.

All food was sourced from my allotment. There was chickweed which doesn't taste of much, and nettle is quite a meaty protein rich taste. On a good point I collected a fair amount of rhubarb!

 

[Toddy]

Chickweed just now is good between two slices of buttered brown bread

Dandelions....eat the green and roast the roots.

Can't say I've ever tried eating bramble roots; the leaves make nice tea though and the stems make good weavers

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Leigh Robinson]

Chickweed just now is good between two slices of buttered brown bread

Dandelions....eat the green and roast the roots.

Can't say I've ever tried eating bramble roots; the leaves make nice tea though and the stems make good weavers

cheers,
Toddy

Bramble shoots, not roots
Do roast dandelion roots still taste bitter? Or are they much improved?

 

[atlatlman]

I made some Hawthorn fruit leather a few years back that tasted ok.

 

[Toddy]

I did wonder

The only time I tried the shoots it was to make tea. Not much of anything tbh. If something like those turns out to be bitter, I'd boil them again in fresh water, that should take out a lot of it. Very healthy to steam them, I'm sure, but it's not going to get rid of bitter and tanniny stuff.

Roasted dandelion roots can be very good indeed as coffee, but I wouldn't pick them at this time of year; way too bitter. They're trying to put up leaves and flowers just now.
The young leaves are fine in a salad, or quickly steamed. Best use for them if you're weeding

cheers,
Toddy

 

[xylaria]

Some wild food at moment tastes choice, ground elder for instance. Dandilion I roasted once but couldn't grind it so I dont know what the s tastes like. Generally dandelion is bitter. I have had bramble leaf tea which I quite liked but it think it wpuld be too dry in mouth to dp any other than tea.

 

[Alan 13~7]

I've been trying Roasted-Dandelion-Root (Dandelion-Coffee)
Too lazy to manufacture it myself.... so

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dandelion...hash=item541bf843d1:m:mvaqDOxrNT3MI7rJyhp1uwQ

produced in Germany sold in Teignmouth, United Kingdom

Cheaper alternatives are no doubt available!

Dandelion coffee is a caffeine free alternative drink to coffee"

So using my Bialetti Moka Express Hob Espresso Maker.... produces a consistent brew

I wasn't sure if I liked it at first, It tastes kind of like burnt coffee......

"The used dandelion coffee may be reused 2 or 3 times without giving a "stewed" taste".

erm it does seem to taste better when used 2nd time round....

I'm finding it to be strangely addictive...

I'm thinking not all Roasted-Dandelion-Root is going to taste the same

so does anybody else drink dandelion coffee?

& can anybody recommend a nice store bought one!

 

[Toddy]

Holland and Barrett used to do a nice one, but it had wheat in it and I was advised to try cutting out all wheat, so kind of missed the coffee.

I occasionally make it from scratch myself, but I have to be in the notion to dig up, clean, cut and carefully oven roast a batch, at once the flowering is by, to do that.

M

 

[Alan 13~7]

I occasionally make it from scratch myself, but I have to be in the notion to dig up, clean, cut and carefully oven roast a batch, at once the flowering is by, to do that.
M

I tried making it from scratch once myself a long time ago, I wasn't that impressed with the result so haven't tried to make it again since.

coincidentally Tracy was in hospital only last week with a infected gall bladder supposedly brought on by excessive dieting (she's on the slimming world diet... )

& I just been reading that Dandelion-Coffee Improves Gall Bladder Function

"Because of its ability to flush toxins from the system, dandelion root may work well for people prone to gall stones, according to Drugs.com. It seems to promote healthy bile secretion, and may also dissolve the gallstones themselves. While animal research looks promising, more clinical research is needed to determine the effectiveness and recommended dosing for gall bladder issues, notes Drugs.com."

I don't think she is too keen on it though.... least roads the Dandelion-Coffee that I bought anyway!

 

[Janne]

mmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Toddy]

Alan13˜9,

Sorry to hear about Tracy; my own gallbladder seemed to be playing up (and I was given the same reasoning, dieting )
but apparently it's not that. Sincere sympathies though, I was sore enough; infected, inflamed, etc., must have been hellish.

I find that getting the roasting right with the dandelion roots is absolutely crucial. Commercially it's a load of mince. They add in chicory, they add in roasted wheat, barley, etc., to try to get the flavour balances right.

If you get good roots, before or after flowering, when they're full of the sugars, and roast them until they're almost treacly, they'll smell wonderful, and they'll break up when cool and grind down easily, and best of best, they actually taste good when brewed up too

Otherwise ? I can see why commercially they add in roasted grains and chicory

M

 

[Alan 13~7]

Commercially it's a load of mince. They add in chicory, they add in roasted wheat, barley, etc., to try to get the flavour balances right.

Otherwise ? I can see why commercially they add in roasted grains and chicory

M

Thanks Mary she is due back in 6 weeks for surgery to have it out....

I never imagined that it would be anything other than Roasted-Dandelion-Root

I thought that by law they are duty bound to say in the ingredients whats actually in it?

 

[david1]

https://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3201

 

[Alan 13~7]

You have to admire this understated much hated weed!

 

[Janne]

You have to admire this understated much hated weed![/

 

[Toddy]

I've been googling, and Alan's right, it's dandelion that's claimed to be the only ingredient in many now, but…and it's a big but, it seems there's an awful lot of dextrose, glucose syrup and caramel in some too…..and a fair number of negative reviews because the ingredients have changed. (look on Amazon.co.uk)

I'll stick to the stuff I make for myself, I think.

M

 

[redneck]

Some bramble shoots are delicious but you need to choose the right ones. Bare in mind there are hundreds of different micro varieties in the UK all with different characteristics.. I've eaten them before and they were lovely but it's finding the right ones.

 

[Janne]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm