Dandelion
You either love dandelions or despise them. As a kid you probably enjoyed blowing the seeds from their globe-shaped heads—but your neighbours likely didn’t share your enthusiasm when new dandelions popped up all over their lawns! Dandelions are now one of the most widespread weeds in the world. If you know about their medicinal virtues, however, you absolutely adore dandelions. They have long been used as an herbal remedy in Europe, North America, and Asia: Their Latin name, Taraxacum, means “disease remedy.” The plant gets its common name from the French description of its sharply serrated leaves: dent de lion translates as “lion’s tooth.” The French have given this plant a funnier name that comes from its function as a diuretic: pissenlit or “pee in the bed.”
Health Benefits
Dandelion leaves are eaten in salads, the flowers are made into dandelion wine, and the roots are roasted and ground to make a coffee substitute. The plant also has many traditional medicinal uses. The roots and leaves are used to treat gastrointestinal ailments. The European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) recommends dandelion root for improving liver and bile function and for treating indigestion and loss of appetite. In Canada, the Natural Health Products Directorate recognizes products containing dandelion for their role in treating appetite loss and indigestion, and as a diuretic.
In clinical practice dandelion is used to detoxify the liver and gallbladder, reduce side effects of medications metabolized by the liver, release stored water (edema), and relieve symptoms associated with liver disease.
Dandelion also contains inulin, a dietary fibre key to helping the good bacteria in your gut proliferate.
DIFFICULTY
Easy (it’s a weed!)
HARDINESS
Perennial in zones 3 to 9
TIME TO PLANT
Early spring
TIME TO HARVEST
Early to mid-spring
LOCATION
Full sun
SOIL TYPE
Will grow anywhere
Growing
Dandelion is a weed loathed by people who want a lush green lawn, so it feels odd to talk about planting it. Just take a short walk and you will find dandelions growing in front yards, gardens, ditches, fields, forests—even the cracks in your driveway. Despite its lowly status, dandelion is an important plant for both culinary and medicinal use. Being Italian, my family made harvesting ciccoria an annual celebration: We would go in search of the perfect patch untouched by pesticide, dog urine, or human foot traffic!
Common Varieties: If you do decide to grow dandelion in the garden, there are several cultivars available in seed form and, occasionally, even as transplants. In addition to the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), look for red-seeded dandelion (T. erythrospermum) and Japanese white dandelion (T. albidum).
PLANT
Dandelions will grow anywhere, and they will disperse their seeds far and wide. So “planting” them is really more about controlling where they end up. Prevent seeds from being distributed by removing the flower heads early on. Dandelions are known for their incredible tap roots—if even the slightest section of the root is left behind, another plant will grow.
GROW
Dandelion is disease- and insect-resistant, and it has a perennial taproot that makes the plant drought-tolerant, too. You will spend more time controlling it than encouraging it to grow!
HARVEST
Harvest dandelion leaves in early to mid-spring when foliage is young and before blooms appear—that’s when they are tastiest. Harvest the flowers when they bloom in mid-spring (midday is best, after the morning dew has dried and the flowers are open).
The roots of mature plants can be pulled in late fall or early spring. Harvesting roots is best done after rain or when soil is moist, as tap roots will come up more easily. Use a dandelion puller—or in a pinch just grab a screwdriver, kitchen knife, or fork—to loosen the surrounding soil.
STORE
Wash dandelion leaves just before use. To store fresh leaves, wrap them in a paper towel and place in a resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. Use freshly picked dandelion flowers in salads or make dandelion wine (pages 101–102).
Dandelion roots can be dried or stored in the refrigerator or cold storage like any other root vegetable, such as carrots. To dry, scrub roots thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, cut lengthwise, ensuring uniform thickness (to speed drying). Spread in a single, even layer on a drying screen and set aside in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks or until brittle. Dried roots will keep in an airtight container for up to a year. Store fresh dandelion roots wrapped in paper towel in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Put It to Work
Always bloated? Eat a prebiotic salad!
Dandelion is rich in inulin, a naturally occurring carbohydrate called an oligosaccharide (several simple sugars linked together). Inulin is a prebiotic—a nutrient that “feeds” the much-desired probiotic bacteria in your gut. If you’re feeling bloated, try this prebiotic salad.
1 tsp mustard powder
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
½ red onion, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch dandelion greens (about 10 oz)
2 medium tomatoes
In a salad bowl, whisk together the mustard powder, oil, and lemon juice. Add the onion and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the dandelion greens and tomatoes and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.
After you have eaten this salad at least 5 times in one week, try consuming an over-the-counter high-dose, broad-strain probiotic for a week. Don’t stop eating the dandelion! With this regimen, regularity will return and your bloating is sure to disappear.
Feel the need to cleanse? Detox with Tarax!
Your liver may be overwhelmed: it’s the organ that breaks down medications and removes metabolites from alcohol and fatty foods. Dandelion leaf and root are diuretics that can remove excess toxins and water from your body, helping purify your blood and leaving less work for your tired liver.
We’re going to supercharge this detox with garlic and onion, boost it even more with lemon, and empower the immune system with shiitake and maitake mushrooms!
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
2 cups chopped red onion
2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms
2 cups chopped maitake mushrooms
10 cups dandelion greens
¼ tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
Heat the oil in a large wok or cast iron pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic and onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until slightly browned. Add the dandelion and salt, season with pepper to taste, and sauté for 1 minute, until the leaves are just wilted. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and serve.
Indigestion? Wine not try this!
Dandelion benefits not only the liver but also the gallbladder, its digestive associate responsible for bile production and breaking down dietary fats. If you want to help it do that important job, a glass of this aperitif is what you need!
A field of commercially grown dandelion—or what your lawn might look like if you’re not careful!
Dried dandelion root.
2 cups whole, young dandelion flowers
1 bottle your favourite red wine (preferably Cabernet)
½ tsp ground ginger
1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves
In a large bowl, cover the flowers in water and set aside to soak overnight. Remove the stems and leaves and any bugs and debris. Using a colander, drain then rinse the flowers under cold running water. Transfer the blossoms to a blender and add half the wine and the ginger and rosemary. Blend on high speed until puréed. Using a funnel lined with a coffee filter, strain the mixture back into the original half-filled wine bottle. Re-cork and refrigerate overnight before taking first dose.
Drink 3 to 4 ounces before dinner or heavy meals. One bottle will yield about 5 glasses, and the wine will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Holding water? Drink diuretic tea
Dandelion helps to cleanse the entire urinary tract and naturally lowers blood pressure by stimulating you to urinate more. Use this tea only if you’re not already taking diuretics or “water pills.”
Pick and thoroughly wash 4 dandelions—flowers, leaves, roots, and all. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the dandelions and boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and steep for 15 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the tea into a mug and sweeten with honey or stevia, if desired.
Fast Forward
Fast forward to the health food store to purchase St. Francis dandelion tincture or equivalent. Follow the instructions on the label.
Cautions
Herbicides are widely used against dandelions in urban areas. Never pick and use dandelions unless you can guarantee they have not been sprayed with poisons!
Dandelion is a strong detoxifier and may decrease the body’s absorption of certain drugs, such as antibiotics. Because some medications are metabolized in the liver, dandelion might decrease how quickly the liver performs this task; it might also increase the effects and side effects of medications.
Don’t use dandelion if you are already using another diuretic. Also, if you’re taking lithium, dandelion might decrease how well the body gets rid of it.
Consult your pharmacist before combining dandelion with your prescription medications.