Here are a few ideas for the herbal use of dandelions:
Caution Do not use dandelions that have been treated with herbicides, as may be the case with roadside growth. Pick only those that are at least 25ft/7.6m from sprayed areas.
Natural drink Clean and dry a handful of dandelion roots and then roast them in a warm oven until they turn dark brown. Grind them up and brew into a coffee-like drink. You can percolate the grounds in the same way as you would coffee, using 1 teaspoon per 8fl oz/ 225 ml of water.
Salad greens Use tender young dandelion shoots for vitamin-rich salads. Be aware that after the flowers form, the greens become too bitter to eat.
Tonic Infuse 2 teaspoons dried dandelion leaves in 8fl oz/225ml boiling water; strain and sip the tonic slowly before a meal. It can work as an appetite stimulant.
