Dandelions

Dandelions keep popping up at the allotment! We dug up loads of roots last winter and made a sort-of coffee (see below) and this Spring I have made up some batches of dandelion jam. A joyful plant distantly related to sunflowers. 

Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale
When to see: year-round (mainly harvested April - September but not exclusively!)
Grows: seemingly everywhere
Height: up to 35cm

How to identify: The English common name comes from the old Norman name 'dent de lion', or "lion's tooth" referring to the leaves that look like something has taken a good munch from either side. The leaves grow in a round rosette at the ground.  Leaves and the hollow stems grow directly from the rootstock. There is only one flower per stem. Root, leaves and stem all exude a milky white sap (some folk may have allergies so be cautious if you have not touched the sap before).  Further identification help from Wild Food UK.

Lookalikes: It has a few lookalikes (all of these are edible):

• Cat’s Ear (thinner stem, hairy leaf) (Hypochaeris radata)
• Rough Hawkbit  (hairy stem) (Leontodon hispidus)
• Sow-thistle (taller, bigger leaves) (Sonchus arvensis)

Ecosystem facts: A whole range of bees and other insects need them!

Parts used for food:  Leaves, flowers,  root, stalks, unopened buds. Dandelions that grow in the shade tend to have the largest and best edible leaves. If the leaves are covered ('forced') they are less bitter.  Plants growing in the sun have the better flowers.

Nutrition: Vitamins A, C and K, calcium and iron as well as other nutrients.

Cautions: Potential allergies to the sap. Known to be a diuretic if you have a lot of it (the French common name for dandelion is pissenlit).

Herbal medicine uses: Robin Harford includes some medicinal properties here and Plants for a Future.

How to eat:

- You can pop washed leaves and flowers into a salad.  Darker leaves tend to be more bitter. Younger leaves are pleasant.

- You can dig up the root and make a caffeine-free coffee substitute (use as drink or to flavour cakes etc) (pictured)
- Boil (5 mins) then fry roots and add to salad
- Dandelion flower jam (pictured) - very pretty. Tastes a bit like peach jam.
- Add leaves to soups, stews and casseroles as you might spinach
- Dandelion flower tempura (pictured)
- Dandelion syrup
- Flavour vinegar with the flowers

- Dandelion capers (pictured) - place unopened flower buds in sterilised jar with a couple of cloves of garlic and some peppercorns; pour over white wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have) and leave for 3 weeks. Lacto-fermented recipe here

More recipes from Robin Harford (mainly salads)