Eating Dandelions

Eating Dandelions

We did it.  I've been wanting to try eating dandelions for quite a while now so when I saw the golden blossoms peppering through our yard, I sent my 8 year old daughter to gather some for dinner. 

Why eat dandelions? I know that many see these as pesky weeds that need to be eliminated from the yard but actually dandelions are filled with nutrition.  I first learned this from my mom, who had taken quite a few classes in herbal medicines and remedies. 

The three main parts that you can harvest for eating are the leaves, the flowers, and the roots. I've been curious to try the flower blossom so I started looking and decided on this Martha Stewart Dandelion Fritters recipe.  There were plenty of other recipes to choose from that used other parts of the plant: dandelion salads, dandelion tonic and even dandelion jelly! 

The fritters looked like just the right amount of crunchy goodness that we could enjoy as a family. It's got to be healthier than a corn dog, right? This recipe has a little cornmeal which helped to provide a crispy texture.  I'm sure the healthiest ways to eat dandelion aren't by frying them but thought this would be a good first step.  

What was it like to eat a flower? I really enjoyed them! They didn't have the perfume of flowers which is what I thought might be weird. I can definitely see making them a regular seasonal treat. I think if I concocted a little dipping sauce to go along with it, it could be just right.  Of course, you need to be very sure that you are harvesting from an area where there are no fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. Once you've figured out a place to forage you are all set. Please share any recipes or pictures that you have of things you have made with dandelions.  We'd love to learn more!  

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