Dandelion coffee?

[Whittler Kev]

I'm sure some of our lady members will be able to give me some good feedback on this:

SWMBO has heard that Dandelion Coffee is good for hot flushes
I've done a search and found one mentioning that you dig out the roots, leave them to dry in the sun (didn't say for how long), grind them up or grate them, cover in boiling water (didn't say how much), leave for 3-4 minutes and drink the "coffee".
Can any of you knowledgeable people give me directions please

 

[Toddy]

Sorry Kev, I've no experience on the flushes, but to make good coffee from the roots they need to be roasted.
It kind of makes them sweeter/nuttier.

Basically dig them up, scrape them clean and cut them up to a more or less even size.
Put them onto a non stick baking tray and roast them in the oven until they go 'toasted' and dried out.
Let them cool, grind them up, and use like coffee

It's pretty good, though the bigger roots work best I find, the little ones can be done very quickly by just roasting them in a hot frying pan, pound them up and use straight away. Good if you're out and about and want some.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Melonfish]

From "Edible wild plants and herbs"

- it is not necessary to find extra thick roots as they only take longer to bake hard and need to be cut into small pieces. Dig up the roots, trim off the leaves and stems and any small rootlets. Wash off the earth and scrub the roots well, leave them in a warm place to drain and dry. Cut any larger roots in half and into short lengths, spread the pieces on a shallow roasting tin and bake in a hot oven (200°C or gas 6) for 30 mins until the roots are brown and dry all through - if some are still like baked parsnips in the middle, take out the roots that are hard baked, and return any soft ones tot he oven until they are completely dry. Allow to cool, then grind. spready the grounds on the roasting tin and roast them for 7 minutes in a moderate oven (180°C or gas 4).
Put 5-6 tablespoons of grounds in a warm jug, pour on 500ml, 2 cups/1pint of boiling water, stir and stand for 30 mins. strain into a pan then re-heat.

Verbatim from the book. It says that dandelion makes the best coffee substitute. i've yet to try it but really want to, let me know how it goes!
Pete

 

[Wallenstein]

This chap from one of the other forums I post on has a useful guide:

http://www.atomicshrimp.com/st/content/ersatz_coffee

 

[Dark_Lighter]

Hi, I’m more of a lurker on this site but I thought I would finally chip in. Although I'm a male and have no personal experience with 'hot flushes' I do know a lot about them in scientific terms (through psychological and biological research) and I also have a passion for the medicinal uses of plants, so I thought I would add my 2 cents

Firstly, although I have never heard of using dandelions as such a remedy it does have a wide range of effects on the body that either by themselves or combined with a 'placebo effect' could in your wife's case be very effective. Though you don’t need to go to all that trouble of making coffee, the roots of the dandelion can be steeped in boiling water (1tsp per cup) You only want her to drink about 1/2 of this cup at first as dandelions have a wide range of effects....as well as being a strong diuretic and mild laxative...actually on the grounds it's a diuretic i would strongly advise against using it as coffee as it will take more good than it gives (minerals and vitamins)


Hot flushes are very interesting biologically and psychologically as they can be very different for each woman and can respond differently to different treatments.

I would primarily recommend searching the internet for plants containing phytoestrogens (which will help to regain her hormonal equilibrium) and foods containing vitamin D and supplementing them (the ones she likes) in her diet. These should both help combat the hot flushes.

Some other simple herbal remedies I’ve heard of are a tea made from hawthorn flowers and leaves and tea made from sage leaves.

I hope this helps

 

[Whittler Kev]

Thanks all for your help

 

[sasquatch]

I don't know how effective it is for flushes but it makes a surprisingly decent cup of coffee...

 

[Dark_Lighter]

I don't know how effective it is for flushes but it makes a surprisingly decent cup of coffee...

as do acorns

 

[Melonfish]

And Goosegrass seeds. what with them actually being related to the coffee plant. in a somewhat roundabout way

 

[spiritwalker]

er for lazy ones amongst us holland and barretts sell it in a tub so you can try it before you go through the hassle of making it :-D

 

[grumpy-monkey]

but making it is the fun bit

 

[Bones]

I have made dandeliion coffee many times. It is delicious.

 

[Jumbalaya]

D/Root coffee is perhaps the best of all coffee subs. and is good for anyone trying to avoid caffeine.

Dig up roots (providing you have permission), remove any attached foliage at root crown then wash well. No need to scrape or peel the roots. Dry off washing water and then bake... 185C for about 30-45 minutes usually does the trick. You are really looking for a consistency where the roots have roasted brown and snap like a brittle stick. It's rather an expensive item to make if you're only doing a few roots. Better is to collect a bundle of roots over 6 months and allow to air dry in the airing cupboard (this means that your expensive energy supplies are not being used to drive off the water content in the roots before they can be baked crisp).

Best not to powder roasted roots as it's like drinking coffee through sawdust (the granules float). Break into chunks (or an old Victorian way was to chop the roots into pea or bean-size chunks BEFORE roasting - would also reduce roasting time). When making your coffee the water needs to percolate through the whole dried pieces before you get the full 'hit'. So allow to infuse for a good 10 mins. or more; alternatively put pieces of root in a pan with water and gently boil for 15 minutes.

Marcus

 

[Toddy]

I scrape the fine roots off mine......we're on heavy clay soil and they usually end up like carrots left somewhere damp, lots of wee fine side roots if I don't those burn before the rest of the roots have roasted, and leave an unpleasant tang.
I do grind them, but then I use one of the mug sized fine mesh tea filters.
I don't think I've ever boiled them for as long as you do, but then, I'm using fine stuff and need a filter .......I've used a clean hankie before now to do it though.

It's all good stuff .......do you find gathering them over a long period of time gives a better flavour ? and do you notice any difference in before and after flowering ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Shewie]

I've tried acorn coffee and didn't fancy it much, too much tannin or I didn't quite get the roast right. It tasted like I imagine boot leather would taste. We've got some monster dandelions behind the veggie patch at the minute so I'm gonna give this one a go though.

 

[Jumbalaya]

Couple of things.... yup I also remove the laterals, goes without saying. what is advisable/handy is to try and make the root pieces (if not cutting them up before baking) of a sort of equal size. For older thicker ones I tend to split them lengthways into smaller thicknesses so theat there's a more uniform baking time for all.

Must admit I've not really bothered with seasonal differences, though I tend to harvest from spring through to late in the year... everything just gets bundled together.

You're right about the tea filters etc. The very first time I made the 'coffee' I powdered it, then tried broken chunks of root in a cafetiere which was infinitely better. The tip for the long boiling came from an American I was chatting to some years ago who told me that his parents used dandelion coffee all the time, and that they put the dried roots in water on the stove and boiled for 15 minutes. That's about the right time to get all the flavour out of those wooden chunks.

Marcus

 

[Whittler Kev]

er for lazy ones amongst us holland and barretts sell it in a tub so you can try it before you go through the hassle of making it :-D

Tried their's. Bit pricey but the special offer helps. Thought it would give me a starting point re: taste etc. SWMBO hates it and can't drink it, though she can drink herbal teas and has her coffee without milk or sugar. I didn't mind it and a tub went down a treat at the local meet . Damascus loved it so I gave him the rest to take home.
Cheers all for the helpfully and knowledgeable posts.

 

[sandsnakes]

Dandelion is a herb used traditionally as a liver/gall bladder stimulant. The reason dandelion may help is that it increase the livers chemical turnover as a phase one detoxifyer, as all hormones are conjugated in the liver this may be in part its success with some women. As such its not a 'hot flush' herb. The herbs commonly used ar Agnus Castus, both Black and Blue Cohosh. Dom Quai (there are several spellings and variants of this one) is an oestrogenic herb which may help.

Oh yes if you are using for the liver, raw is best, smash up a root and make a bitter tea with it.

Chaps, you may consider this for post Moot excess!

Sandsnakes

 

[hardr004]

could you cook them on a hot rock? And how do you make acorn coffee?