Wild Edible Plant of the Week - Dandelion

Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale

There are not many months in a year that you do not see this wild edible. Gardeners gasp at the sight of them. To them they are like a sequel to a very bad movie. We all know this plant, because it seems to follow humans everywhere they go. Of course I am talking about Taraxacum officinale, also known as, the common dandelion.

This plant, or as some of us would call “a weed”, is found just about everywhere. It is easily recognized by the yellow flowers that cover many lawns and gardens, and even roadsides and places unexpected. It is one of the first flowers to emerge in the spring. As the days go past, the yellow eventually turns into fluffy, white, airborne seeds that create a whole new crop of these “weeds” that everyone loves.

Little do you know the value of what you have by just walking out your back door. You may scoff at the sight of these plants, but let me tell you, they are very good eating. They are not only good eating, but they make a great homemade wine. Because of the abundance of these plants throughout the years, there are many known uses.

This plant has 3 main edible parts, these being:

1. The succulent roots.
2. The tender root crowns.
3. The young leaves and flower buds

The roots of this plant can be eaten after being scraped, cleaned, and boiled in salt water. They can also be dried and roasted until nut-brown all the way through and then used as a coffee substitute or stretcher. Mostly sold as a diuretic, dandelion root is a registered drug in Canada. The root crowns, by many opinions, have an even finer flavor than the young leaves.

The leaves and flower buds can be eaten raw, if you don't mind the bitterness. Boiling would fix the tang of bitterness, changing the water at least once. Even the old leaves can be eaten, but there will most likely be enough young ones around to make a meal. Used in salads, this is a tasty plant not to be passed up.

Next Wild Edible Plant - Yellow Nutsedge
Previous Wild Edible Plant - Cattail

Images courtesy of Wikipedia