How To Make Dandelion Root Tea

How To Harvest Dandelions For Tea

Since all parts of the plant are edible, you first need toharvest plant material. Harvest from an area that is pesticide and herbicidefree. The leaves and flowers make a delicate, lightly flavored tea, while theroots have a more potent taste. You can use leaves as a tea or fresh in saladsto add a punch of Vitamin C.

The flowers need to be harvested when the petals are freshand brightly yellow. Flowers are also tasty dipped in a batter and deep fried.Roots should be harvested in fall and gently coaxed out of the soil. Wash anyharvested plant parts carefully before proceeding to process them for dandelionherbal tea.

How Should I Preserve Dandelion Roots

You can use dandelion roots fresh for cooking and medicine, or preserve them for later use.

For long term storage, drying works best. Scrub roots well before cutting. Slice thick roots lengthwise into strips of uniform thickness to decrease drying time and encourage uniform drying.

Use a dehydrator to dry the roots at 95°F until brittle.

Alternatively, spread on a screen and place in a cool, dry location with good air flow, and dry for 3 to 14 days . Dried roots will keep for about a year.

The Healing Power Of Dandelion Flowers

A caller on many green gardens, the humble dandelion flower with its fluffy yellow head has long been misunderstood. This bright plant is often seen as a weed, but the dandelion plant makes for an excellent herbal root remedy to add to your tea.

The bright burst petals that turn to seed pods that shift easily in the wind the dandelion takes its name from the French for lions tooth and is similar in look to chrysanthemums. It has the longest blooming season of all the plants often adorning fields and gardens from spring straight through the summer. The seeds are as light as air and can be carried as far as five miles from their origin, which helps explain how they seem to pop up in every nook and cranny.

Dandelions are bursting with a whole range of health benefits and can have a delicately sweet taste or be a truly robust drink. Being naturally caffeine-free and easy to get hold of, theres no reason why you shouldnt brew up a beautiful cup and let those healing properties get to work. Take a look as we delve deeper into all the dandelion tea benefits

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Potential Risks Of Dandelion Tea

Because dandelion tea has such potent ingredients, you should consult with your doctor before taking it or any other supplement. Consider the following before preparing or drinking dandelion tea:

Daisy Allergies

If youre allergic to other plants in the daisy family like daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums you will also be allergic to dandelion.

Pregnancy Concerns

The effects of dandelion tea on someone who is pregnant or breast-feeding are inconclusive. If youre pregnant or breastfeeding a baby, it is best to look for an alternative.

Medication Interference

Avoid dandelion tea if youre already taking a diuretic as their actions may be compounded. Since dandelion has natural diuretic properties, it may interfere with the action of lithium and similar medications.

Dandelion tea should also be avoided if youre taking antibiotics like Cipro, Levaquin, Noroxin, and others.

Liver and Kidney Function

If youre being treated for liver or kidney issues, you should avoid consuming dandelion or dandelion tea except with their doctors permission. Dandelion could increase the risk of complications for someone who has kidney disease, in particular.

Blood Pressure and Clotting

Because the potassium in dandelion may impact blood flow and clotting, its best to avoid dandelion tea if youre taking blood-thinner medication..

For the same reason, someone who is taking blood pressure medication should avoid dandelion tea.

How To Make Dandelion Flower Tea Taste Better

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Dandelion Flower Tea has a particularly delicate flavor profile. When you decide to blend it with other flavors you need to take particular care in balancing the flavors so that you dont overwhelm the dandelion flower tea.

But thats just not the case with dandelion flower tea. Whether youre adding a little bit of lemon or mixing it with another flower herbal tea like hibiscus or lavender balancing the flavors is going to be of the utmost importance.

If you are just interested in a great dandelion flower/leaf tea to use as the base for these blends then I recommend Buddha Teas Organic Dandelion Leaf Teabags.

Fresh Spring Water Is The Best for Making Tea. Maybe Not That Fresh Though

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What’s The Best Way To Harvest Dandelion Roots

To dig roots, use a dandelion digger or a sturdy fork.

You want to break/damage the root as little as possible so you don’t lose much sap, which is where the medicinal properties lie. Deep, rich soil will produce the thickest, easiest to harvest roots.

I always let a few dandelions go in the garden, as they are great for reaching deep into the soil to bring up nutrients. Make sure to harvest from areas that have not been sprayed/treated with anything noxious.

Select large, vigorous plants small, spindly plants will have small roots that are not really worth harvesting. One session of garden digging produced the root in the photo at the bottom of the post.

Health Benefits Of Dandelion Tea

Dandelions are packed with nutrients and antioxidants that can boost your health. Ever part of the plant from dandelion roots and dandelion leaves to the vibrant dandelion flowers is edible. Dandelions contain antioxidants such as beta-carotene that help prevent cell damage.

The leaves and flowers also contain vitamin C, which helps to boost the immune system and ward of the common cold. Dandelions are a good source of fiber that streamlines digestion. The leaves of the dandelion plant contain more protein than spinach, making it a good choice post-workout.

Dandelion roots are often used to make tea and boast significant health benefits of their own. They contain high levels of potassium, calcium, and phosphorous. All of these nutrients promote bone and tooth health. Magnesium in dandelion roots helps to relax muscles and alleviate pain. Dandelion root also works as a diuretic and detoxifier, purifying the entire body.

The roots are also chock full of antioxidants. These antioxidants work to eliminate free radicals in the body that can cause premature aging and cancer. Many of the antioxidants found in dandelion roots can help to inhibit the growth of and induce death in cancer cells.

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Dandelions Can Be A Healthy Addition To Your Diet

Including dandelions into your lifestyle may actually offer some health benefits.

Research has demonstrated dandelions mayaid in liver detoxification,” Cory Ruth, MS, RDN, a California-based registered dietitian, tells Verywell.

Like many other plants, dandelions contain vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene and lutein, both of which help maintain eye health. And inulin, a prebiotic that supports a healthy microbiota, makes up 45% of the root of the dandelion plant.

Other nutrients naturally found in dandelion include:

• Vitamin A
• Manganese

In other words, these little yellow weeds are a nutritional powerhouse.

Research also highlights how consuming dandelion may have anti-diabetic properties in many ways, including improving muscle insulin sensitivity. Dandelion can also offer a diuretic effect and may be anti-inflammatory, although strong clinical trials in humans are needed to make firm recommendations.

S To Make Dandelion Flower Tea

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Helps Reduce Water Weight

One of the earliest recorded uses of dandelion tea is as a diuretic, helping the body eliminate excess body water through the kidneys and urine. This may be due to the plant’s high potassium content, which can signal the body to flush out sodium. Diuretics can be helpful for relieving fluid retention, PMS, and bloating.

When To Harvest Dandelion Flowers

Dandelions can bloom early spring to fall, depending on your region, with peak flowering typically in late spring, early summer.

Dandelion flowers can be harvested any time that theyre blooming. However, the best time to harvest dandelion blossoms is earlier in the season for the freshest, most vibrant and sweetly flavorful blossoms. Dont over harvest the blossoms though as they are good early spring food for the bees. We like to leave one blossom for every blossom picked.

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Awesome Video On Dandelion Flower Benefits

Top feature Image by Shirley Hirst from Pixabay

Thanks to Contributing Writer herbalist Adrian White:Adrian is a professional freelance writer, herbalist, and organic farmer. Her work can be found in publications like The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, Civil Eats, and Rodales Organic Life. She is co-owner of Jupiter Ridge Farm where she grows diverse vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs in the Driftless Area of the Midwest.

How To Harvest Dandelion Roots

If you can wait until a few days after the rain, the soil will be more cooperative to your pulling the whole dandelion root up in one piece. If a piece of the root breaks off, the dandelion will come back in the spring so theres no problem if you lose a bit of the dandelion root.

You can use a digging fork and push it into the soil two or three inches away from the crown of the dandelion and then pull back on the fork, using the fork as a lever to lift the dandelion, root and all from the soil. Alternatively, if you have a spike or a heavy stick, you can poke it into the ground right beside the root, at the crown of the dandelion, and wiggle it a bit to loosen the soil. Then pull up on the dandelion leaves with your hands. The dandelion will come out of the soil with the root intact.

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Its Dandelion Season Again And That Means My Fridge Is Stocked Up With Homemade Dandelion Iced Tea

And I could not be more happier for spring, besides the allergy part sniffle sniffle.

It means a big old goodbye to those long cold DARK winter days and hello to warmth and sunshine and the bees! Oh how I love the bees!!

I used to buy dandelion tea at the store for its healthy benefits of course. And now I make it myself at home.

Why not its free! And takes little to no effort at all.

The only difference from making fresh dandelion tea to that which come from a tea bag is actually having to go outside and forge some in the lovely warm weather. What a shame, eh!

I truly believe more people would do this too if they knew how health this iced tea/tea was.

But really its no secret, dandelions have been known as a Superfood by the herbalists community for some time now.

And people have been using them in all sorts of recipes all the way across Europe since the early millennium.

Did you know that dandelions are actually considered plants and are one of the top 4 most nutritious greens on the planet! Yes, ON THE PLANET!! And have been proven to be a lifeforce for the Bees, beetles and birds.

Actually if it wasnt for the bees we would not have that natural honey or rather any natural food.

For they pollinate almost everything we natural that we eat today! Without the bees there is no us! So knowing all that would we still kill the dandelions?

How To Make Dandelion Root Coffee

May 4, 2018

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Im all for saving the dandelions for the bees, except when they invade my strawberry patch. Id tear out tomato volunteers if they got between me and my strawberries.

There are always a couple of dandelions that land in just the wrong place, and pulling them up by the root ensures they dont just come right back. So now youve got dandelion plants, roots and all.

Well, when life gives you dandelion root, make dandelion coffee!

Dandelion root coffee is what first got me interested in herbs, mostly by accident. Im not that old, but I still hadnt seen a computer until high school. My school library got a grant for the first school computers my freshman year, and we were all taken for a token 15 minutes each.

I sat down, not really knowing what to do with the thing.

On the screen in front of me was a yahoo search page, and sitting right there was an ad saying Make coffee from dandelion roots. Who knows why I got that particular ad at that moment, but I was intrigued, and down the rabbit hole I went. Its been nearly 20 years, and herbs and foraging are among my greatest passions.

After all that though, I never actually made the dandelion coffee. Believe it or not, there were very few dandelions growing up. Lawns were manicured, and a stray dandelion was an embarrassment.

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How To Make Dandelion Tea From The Leaves

Some people prefer to deep fry the flowers and use the leaves for their tea. Be sure to use leaves which are younger and still delicate.

When youve picked your dandelions and separated the leaves from the rest of the dandelion, wash and dry them.

At the same time, begin boiling your water in the saucepan. You need only enough water to fill your teacup.

Youll need approximately six leaves per cup of dandelion tea youre preparing. When the leaves are dry, chop them finely.

Place the dandelion leaves in the teacup and cover with boiling water. Allow the leaves to steep for ten minutes.

When the leaves have finished steeping, you can either leave them in your tea or strain them out. Add your desired sweetener, and youre ready to enjoy dandelion tea.

Can You Skip Simmering When Making Dandelion Root Tea

Yes, you can but this may not give you a strong flavor. The simmering helps the dandelion roots to release more of their flavor. And unlike flowers and leaves, the roots take time to release flavors. So when you skip this, the infusion of the beautiful flavor of dandelion roots could be missed.

But, if youre running out of time or want a quick dandelion root tea, you can skip the simmer step.

However, if you skip the simmering step, make sure your water is at a temperature of 212°F . This is the standard temperature for brewing herbal teas or infusions.

And also, you will need to let the root infuse for at least 15-20 minutes. Some say infusing for three hours gives a greater and stronger flavor. This may be suitable if you want to use the tea a few hours later from the time you prepare it.

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Supplies Need For Dandelion Root Tea Recipe

• dandelion roots
• Roasting pan
• Coffee grinder

Once you have gathered enough roots, take them to the kitchen. Wash them thoroughly and pick off the fibrous stringy bits. Rinse them again and then cut into small pieces. You want them ¼ ½ inch pieces or smaller.

Place on a roasting pan and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Flip after one hour to make sure all the sides are roasted. Once they are cooked try to chop them even smaller. You can put them in a coffee grinder to make them even finer.

What Is Dandelion Tea

Dandelion tea is a tisane often made from the dandelion root and is an ancient herbal medicine. It can also be called dandelion coffee because of its dark coloring. Dandelion tea is often made with the root of the plant but the stem, leaves, and the whole plant can also be brewed. Drinking dandelion tea is believed to have certain benefits to health.

Dandelion tea is sometimes used as a coffee substitute for those who like the tasting notes and charm of coffee but cant handle the caffeine. The dark coloring and deep and smoky-tasting notes of the dandelion root are comparative to coffee but you can also brew dandelion leaves and stem to create a lighter floral palate. As you can see, this herbal tea can be super versatile and come loaded with lots of essential nutrients and vitamins to give you a boost.

Dandelion pops its yellow head up everywhere. From the meadows of Eastern Europe to your own backyard. You can go out with a basket and pick this vibrant and hearty root yourself or you can buy up pre-picked, dried, and bagged dandelion tea to make it a fuss-free experience and to avoid the potential pitfalls of picking up pesticides.

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I Tried Swapping Coffee For Dandelion Tea It’s About Balance

Angela Underwood’s extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder.

Verywell / Ellen Lindner

This story is part of a series where Verywell Health editors try different health trends and report what they find.