Delicious Dandelions (A Recipe Round-Up)

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Spring. I absolutely love this time of year. Our starts are in the greenhouse, and I am already thinking about what all I want to harvest, can, freeze, ferment and dehydrate from this years harvest. 

But as much as I love harvesting what we've grown ourselves in our garden, there is something about foraging and wildcrafting that feels so much more exciting. Last year we harvested wild salad greens, went hunting for chanterelles, harvested (a few) wild huckleberries, and dehydrated and froze flats upon flats of elderberries


My knowledge of wild edibles is slowly growing, and I love learning a little bit more every year. With Doug Benoliel's book, Northwest Foraging by my side, I love to go on walks and see what I can identify. Of course, the theme of today's post, DANDELIONS, no one probably really needs a book to help them recognize....


As I started looking into it, I was blown away by just how awesome dandelions are for our health. According to Gardens Ablaze

The humble little Dandelion has remarkable nutritional value, being very high in vitamins A and C, with more beta carotene than carrots and more potassium than broccoli or spinach, not to mention healthy doses of iron and copper for good measure. Medicinally, Dandelions are considered very safe and effective as a general tonic that helps strengthen the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, stomach, and intestines, improving bile flow and reducing inflammation in cases of hepatitis and cirrhosis. Dandelions also help to dissipate gallstones and are believed to improve kidney function, thereby improving overall health and clearing skin problems.
Not only are dandelions good for us, but they are delicious. And, there are numerous ways to prepare them. I originally created this collection because I wanted to have one place I could refer back to that had all my favorite dandelion recipes. I hope that it has turned into something you will enjoy, too! 


Delicious Dandelions (A Recipe Round-Up)


***Drinks***


Dandelion Green Juice from So Let's Hang Out


***Eats***


Garlicky Greens + Farmers Egg
from One Beet
Dandelion Split Pea Soup
from LittleOwlCrunchyMomma
Dandelion Green Salad
from Divine Health

***Informational Posts***


Harvesting and Using Dandelion Roots from Common Sense Homesteading


Where to find Dandelion?

This might seem like a silly question, considering that dandelions or so pervasive in almost every front lawn. However, just because it exists so readily, doesn't mean you should eat just any dandelion. I wouldn't recommend harvesting from any area unless you know exactly what sort of things are sprayed (or not sprayed) on or around it.

At Lost Valley I can walk out my front door and feel perfectly safe harvesting dandelions, but I wouldn't feel that same way in the city. When I lived in Eugene, I could often find dandelion at the Farmer's Market this time of year

For those of you who don't have access to your own dandelion crop, or have a farmer's market that happens to sell them, fear not! You can still enjoy the myriad health benefits of dandelions. There are excellent sources available online. Here are a few links to quality sources that I recommend:

Further Reading

If you live in the PNW I cannot recommend highly enough the book, Northwest Foraging by Doug Benoliel. It is a great introduction to foraging in our area with great pictures for easy recognition. 

If you are interested in books specifically on dandelions, here are a few I recommend: 

The Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook: 148 recipes for dandelion leaves, flowers, buds, stems, & rootsThis is a great collection for anyone interested in learning more about dandelions and using them in their kitchen.


QuikGuide to: Dandelions is a short and sweet inexpensive Ebook that has a good amount of information about this awesome plant. 


The Dandelion Supplement: Alternative Medicine for a Healthy Body is another short and inexpensive Ebook that looks specifically at the medicinal uses that dandelions provides. 






Have you eaten dandelion before? What's your favorite way to prepare them?


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Photo sources for collage from Flickr- 1, 2, 3



18 comments:

  1. This post is so exciting! I love finding ways to use dandelions. Although I got my hopes up for a split second when I saw "I live" and "Eugene" together, only to have them dashed when it was in the past tense. :( *I* live in Eugene, in the present.

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    1. Hey Hope! Thanks for stopping by. So glad you like the post. I don't live far from Eugene! I live in Dexter. Actually I live here: www.lostvalley.org. ;) What are you up to in Eugene?

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  2. I am EXCITED to check out all these links AND try them!!!

    Here is my recipe for dandelion cookies - it was before I went Weston but I think it could easily be transformed into a soaked flour recipe!

    http://allnaturalme.com/?p=4525

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  3. my mom used to make us pick them in the boulevard in front of our house which was so embarassing as no other kids had to. She put them in green salads.

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  4. looking forward to trying some of these recipes, my yard popped up in dandelions practically overnight! =) thanks for the great reference

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  5. Great post! Thanks for sharing my salad recipe too!

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  6. I made some dandelion flower tea recently which was good.

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  7. Awesome post! Thanks for sharing these great recipes!!

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  8. Lol, I always thought that dandelions are just annoying weed to pop out between my strawberry bushes.. well, I guess this year I just eat all of them:D

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  9. Timely post. My sister was telling me to harvest some to get my bile flowing after gall bladder surgery. I do have one patch in the yard that the goats can't get to. Maybe I will have to try the green juice. But seriously, I am afraid!! The pesto is especially intriguing!
    Janine @ mylampisfull

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  10. Dandelions have a very interesting taste and they are plentiful here. Hope you had a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes with Full Plate Thursday. Have a good week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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  11. Great post. Dandelions are so wonderful - i always incorporate them into my daily tonic tea. Congrats on being chosen as a featured post on this week’s Wildcrafting Wednesdays! I hope you'll join us again and share more of your awesome posts.
    http://www.herbanmomma.com

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  12. Fantastic round up - thanks for sharing at Green Thumb Thursday! You will be featured there tomorrow so feel free to stop by and grab the button. I'm pinning this to my Children's garden/ homesteading board and would love to have you pin there, if you like. Did I already invite you? Do you ever think you've done something and realize it never made it any farther than that?!! Well, here's a link, if you're interested - you'll need to follow the board so I can send you an invite. Cheers! http://www.pinterest.com/homesteadlady/childrens-gardenshomesteading/

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  13. Hi Jacquelyn - Thanks for sharing with the Let's Get Real party.

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  14. I have never even thought about eating a dandelion before but I'm going to have to try them now! Thanks for linking up to Savoring Saturdays! You will be featured tonight when the party goes live at 7 pm.

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  15. Great round-up! I've got lots of things to try with all the dandelions in my backyard now. ;) Thanks for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays! :)

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  16. This is awesome! I've been looking for a great dandelion roundup! Thanks :)

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  17. I love this, thanks! I just wrote a peice with recipes for wild violet syrup and dandelion pancakes! https://hestiashearthblog.wordpress.com

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