Dandelion root

[useless]

As you read this (on Sunday) I am out in the garden digging for victory. Already I have aquired some dandelion root as a by product of getting the beds ready for things, and for stuff. I am aware that a sort of coffee can be made by roasting the root, but are there any other uses for this stuff?

 

[Moonraker]

As you read this (on Sunday) I am out in the garden digging for victory. Already I have aquired some dandelion root as a by product of getting the beds ready for things, and for stuff. I am aware that a sort of coffee can be made by roasting the root, but are there any other uses for this stuff?

Check out more info here:

Taraxacum officinale - Dandelion

Don't forget the common French name for Dandelion is Pissenlit or, as the old English name says 'P.i.s.s a Bed'

 

[Juantwothree]

I actually pay good money for chopped roasted dandelion root from the health food shop and it does make a pretty tasty beverage. I will make my own soon like yourself, I reckon after drinking gallons of the stuff that it is best to roast it until it is almost burnt , certainly very very dry and crunchy so you can then grind it up and if you have an expresso machine put it in there, failing that boil it up with water or milk.

I don't find it makes me go to the toilet much , but I am aware that it is a good liver tonic. I have read about it and not seen any warning on taking too much but fruit bat in shades said it may become toxic if you have too much, certainly no probs for me having a bedtime cup daily for about 2 months.

Ofcourse the leaves also make a good addition to salads... Bon Appetit

 

[Moonraker]

I actually pay good money for chopped roasted dandelion root from the health food shop and it does make a pretty tasty beverage. I will make my own soon like yourself, I reckon after drinking gallons of the stuff that it is best to roast it until it is almost burnt , certainly very very dry and crunchy so you can then grind it up and if you have an expresso machine put it in there, failing that boil it up with water or milk.

I don't find it makes me go to the toilet much , but I am aware that it is a good liver tonic. I have read about it and not seen any warning on taking too much but fruit bat in shades said it may become toxic if you have too much, certainly no probs for me having a bedtime cup daily for about 2 months.

Ofcourse the leaves also make a good addition to salads... Bon Appetit

Dandelion as a well known diuretic, hence the common names Personally I would use it as a tea for the best results.

As a general tonic and to stimulate digestion, 3-5 grams of the dried root, 5-10ml of a root tincture, or 20-30 drops of a fluid extract can be used three times per day. Some herbalists recommend the alcohol-based tincture or fluid extract because the bitter principles are more soluble in alcohol.

As a mild diuretic or appetite stimulant, 4-10 grams of dried leaves can be added to 1 cup of boiling water and taken as a decoction. 5-10ml of fresh juice from the leaves or 2-5ml of tincture made from the leaves can be used three times per day. The fresh juice is the most effective.

source: Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale


For collecting, the roots are best collected between June and August when they are at their most bitter. Dig up in wet weather. Avoid breaking the roots. Shake off as much of the earth as possible and clean the roots. Cut off the crowns of leaves, but take care not to leave any scales on the top. Do not cut or slice the roots or the valuable milky juice on which their medicinal value depends will be wasted by bleeding.

It is best to harvest fresh young Dandelion leaves in the spring. The small, young leaves are less bitter, and may be eaten uncooked in salads. Larger leaves can be lightly steamed to reduce bitterness.

 

[useless]

Thanks people!

I made coffee.

It was awful.

Might try again another day.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

I had a go at making dandelion root coffee a while ago. Washed the dirt off the roots, spread them out on a baking sheet and bunged them in the Rayburn.
Then forgot they were there and found them the next day when I went to put something else in!!

They were totally dry and dark brown-black looking, but I decided to grind them up anyway and have a go - and it was delicious mellow coffee. The Rayburn was at a fairly low temperature, so the roots were slow-roasted for a long time, in case any of you wanted to repeat the experiment.

 

[Toddy]

Definitely the way to do it, long and slow. My house is all electric and my oven doesn't keep heat the way a rayburn will. I put washed and cleaned roots on a bake stone and heat the whole thing up to 200oC then turn the oven off and just leave everything overnight. By next morning the roots are ready to be stored or ground up.
If you don't have a bakestone a cleaned, dry terracotta plant pot, or a biggish shard from one, works very well.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[KIMBOKO]

I think the French name for them refers to the use of the leaves as a salad ingredient.

 

[longshot]

dandilion was imported to Newfoundland, where i'm from, they were used for early greens in the spring after a long hard winter endured by the liviers who overwintered here so that the admirals could fit more fish in their holds.

the leaves are also used for treatment of diarehia (SP?)


just my two cents worth

dean