Dandelion Tea Recipe
When life gives you lemons make lemonade. If you lawn gives you dandelions, make dandelion tea! [common dandelion Taraxacum officinale]
PREPARATION
Once you pick the dandelion greens, wash them thoroughly to remove dirt particles.
When clean, store them in a plastic bag which has holes punched for circulation, keeping them cold and humid. Use them as soon as possible, since greens are quite perishable.
Select young, tender leaves for the tastiest dandelion tea.
Individual portion
Pour:
1 cup boiling water
Over:
1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves
For a pot of tea
Pour:
1 cup boiling water for each person
Over:
1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves for each person
Throw in:
1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves “for the pot”
Cover and let steep 3 minutes. Stir and let steep another minute.
Serve with your choice of:
(lemon)
(orange)
(mint)
(honey)
Or, buy some Dandelion Tea Bags now
Notes:
Use a non-metal pot, if possible.
Never boil tea.
May 25th, 2011 at 6:14 pm
Earlier in the week, I commented to a friend that I have never been hungry enough to eat a dandilion when she reminded me that they were edible. After reading the many rave reviews on their yumminess today, I, too brewed myself a cup of Dandilion tea- using the whole plant- but I forgot the baking powder. It was incredibly bitter- so I will try again with the baking powder (or soda) and maybe a little more water and perhaps it will curb the bitterness. Thansk so much for making me hungry enought o partake of the many health benefits of the dandilion (and an excuse to let my lawn just be).
May 27th, 2011 at 9:10 am
I am always happy to hear from people who want to get to know dandelions better.
Some suggestions you may wish to try, for a not-so-bitter dandelion tea:
Gather the plant after the first frost and until it starts to bloom.
Brew the dandelion tea weak—use more water.
Add something to the tea to give a new flavor component.
Eager to hear what works for you! Ruth
May 28th, 2011 at 6:21 am
I had a successful(and very tasty)cup of dandi lion tea today. I used only the greens- no flower or root this time, and I made it much weaker then added stevia and milk. So, “Dandileche” is what I’m calling it. LOL I also ate the leaves when I was done boiling them for the tea. They wer still very stron, but that’s ok. I’ll try them with vinegar next.
Thanks for your support!!
Mekale
May 28th, 2011 at 8:31 pm
[…] Dandelion also have really great healing properties – being a rich source of antioxidants, Vitamins A, B and D. The leaves also make a great tea – to see how to make dandelion tea, check out this great recipe. […]
May 30th, 2011 at 10:40 pm
Using a pitchfork, I have just finished purging my yard of many compound dandelions and tossing in the yard waste container. I was so tickled with this effective way of getting the critters out of my yard that I wondered if there was so dialogue about how great it works. Found this site and now I’m wondering if I should go out and dig through the container. I pulled entire roots, and with several plants growing in a single clump, the roots looked like taproot systems. So, are the taste and health benefits really worth it? I have plenty more. Also, how do I know which are dandelions? The leaves often look a bit different. Is the puff ball of seeds the only sure way to tell it’s a dandelion? I suspect the taste is better before flowering.
This is really weird information. 🙂
dale
May 31st, 2011 at 2:36 pm
Hi Dale,
Great to hear from you with your great, time-tested method of harvesting dandelions! I hope by now that you have rescued the wonderful dandelions from the heap in the container. Are dandelions worth it? “I’ll say!”
How to tell a dandelion? To view some of the most beautiful art and photographic prints I’ve ever seen, click on the Allposters link on our website page. And then type dandelions in their search box to see exactly what gorgeous dandelions look like – they have hundreds of magnificent, inspiring images.
You are right: dandelion leaves have various shapes, from a rather rounded tear-drop shape, to deeply-toothed and notched edges and margins. How wonderful! Some say deeper notches have more “bite”.
Lots of blooming plants have seed puffballs, but the dandelion has “perfected” the technique and is the most famous example.
As to taste, the plant is less bitter before blooming (and after the first frost). I eat dandelions year ’round. They taste best to me when I am eating them, and I like to eat the blooms. (My neighbors like me to eat the blooms, too!)
I’d love to hear feedback from you on those dandelions, Dale! Ruth
June 9th, 2011 at 8:59 pm
I’m so happy to hear about all the benefits of dandelions. Growing up in a greek household a staple dish is dandelions! Boils a bunch of dandelions, draine (as pointed out with all the benefits keep the rest as dandelion tea!) place boiled dandelions in a bowl add olive oil, salt, and squeeze lemon to taste and you’ve got a great easy healthy side dish!
One question, is it safe to drink dandelion tea when trying to conceive?
Thanks for the great info!
Georgia
June 10th, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Hi, Georgia,
Thank you for writing and for what you said! As a side to your question, dandelions being a staple dish indeed had a quite lovely effect on YOU coming into the world, right?! Dandelions are food, not a medicine or drug. Dandelions are good and healthy, one of the most nutritious foods on earth!
Wishing you all the best, I would love to hear of any “new developments”!
Ruth
June 14th, 2011 at 12:50 am
Dear Ruth June 13’2011.
I am overwhelmed by the enthusiesm of everyone. I,like the experience of Dale was just about to dump 2 large tubs of good Dandelions into the dunpster when I saw what my mom fed us when the garden greens were not up yet. I stopped an grabbed some large buckets and started filling them with all I could get out of the paths between the Garden boxes and walkways around the buildings.
Here in Lacombe,AB.CA. I do hope and pray that the city is not bullied into poisoning our medicine/healthfood supply, while out on Neighborhood Patrol, reporting un-manicured lawns.
I am letting my neighbors know that they can pick my patch. I pulled 2 large bags of them out of my Raspberries & back yard where we seeded them about 4-5 years ago. They will soon be up again with tender leaves ready to pick again. I have 8 bags I saved yesterday to prepare for the freezer. The next is for drying for my home made Barley-greens from green grain and Angelica, and greens , dried & powdered for Winter’s Liquid Breakfasts. I would like people to know the Dandelions are in danger of being poisoned by the uneducated city workers. GO-OG. Children & critters will thank you & most of us Grannies who learned how to feed the earth so it will feed us.
Organic is safe to eat.
Tomorrow I try the tea and eat the greens. Lemon & honey will be nice to add. I’ll remember the Baking soada my mom used for all wild greens.
Margaret.
June 14th, 2011 at 10:06 am
Dear Margaret,
So glad to hear from you! What good news you write! Wow, 2 large tubs of good dandelions!? Awesome! You sound like a great cook! (Can I come over and eat?) I would love to hear how you prepared & enjoyed the dandelions! Thank you again! Ruth
June 19th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
After drinking the dandelion tea does it make you urinate?
June 20th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
Hi, Toya,
Thank you for writing about one of dandelion’s most famous characteristics and the main reason for many of its nicknames: indeed, dandelion tea can certainly prompt urination!
Ruth
January 31st, 2012 at 11:11 am
I bought the supplement instead of tea bags. What ratio to a cup of tea should I use?
January 31st, 2012 at 3:47 pm
Hi Robbye, Thank you for writing. What a ratio: many kinds of supplements, to many kinds of tea! What is the name of the supplement? Where did you buy it?
We do not sell anything. The advertisements on http://www.dandeliontea.org help defray the cost of running our website if a person clicks on an ad and then purchases from that store. We are thankful to receive a percent from the sale.
We appreciate visitors. And the visitors who shop off of our website – thank you! Your support helps us keep going. It’s a real supplement that makes a cup of tea.
I do look forward to hearing back from you! Ruth
February 17th, 2012 at 10:57 am
I recently read this article on dandelion roots and how they may help in treating some types of cancer. Thought it might help someone. Hope the link comes through.
Glen
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/02/16/wdr-dandelion-tea-cancer-killer.html
March 25th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Hi, I wanted to share with you all, I used to make my sister dandelion tea with the roots for her acne and it worked well because its considered a blood purifier as well. I also like to take the leaves and clean them well, chop them up and saute them in a bit of olive oil, add a bit of chopped onion, and bit of chopped garlic according to taste, and some bacon bits. It reminds me of spinach which I do this was as well and it is great!
March 30th, 2012 at 7:25 pm
Have you read the book The Teeth of the Lion by Anita Sanchez? It has tons of info about dandelions and is an interesting read!
Also, have you tried cultivating dandelions indoors in pots? We’re going to experiment with this to see what happens, but I was wondering if you had any experience with it yourself.
Do you have your own dandelion “bed” or provide compost and good soil for your dandelions, or do you just let them grow where they may? I’m curious to see if well-tended dandelions grow differently than those “let be,” and we may be experimenting with that this spring, as well.
Thanks for the great site! I loved reading all the comments and replies!
Jolene
March 31st, 2012 at 10:42 am
can you use the flowers in dandelion tea? my sister and i are making dandelion wine out of the flowers,. i’ve heard dandelion tea can help gout
May 1st, 2012 at 10:19 pm
This is a great website! I just picked my first dandelions from my yard and will try out a salad and tea tonight! My mother makes the dandelion syrup (which is amazing)!
thank you!
May 8th, 2012 at 9:25 am
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/04/20/wdr-dandelion-tea-research-grant.html
Curing cancer ~ for free ! Naturally ~ : )
May 21st, 2012 at 1:39 pm
i was wondering can i use the dandelion tablets and pour the contents into water? i have tried looking for dandelion tea bags in the store but can never find them or when i can online its expensive and my dad is constantly spraying chemicals on our lawn to help grass grow and get rid of weeds so i don’t think its safe to use the ones growing there. if i cant use the tablets do u have a suggestion for where i can buy dandelion tea?
August 12th, 2012 at 9:42 am
[…] have been used in several recipes ranging from salad, soup and wine to tea. One salad recipe suggests tossing together dandelion greens, red onion, and tomatoes to be […]
March 7th, 2013 at 12:27 pm
I dry my herbs and dandelion leaves in the microwave, or at least get the drying process started, then lay on a tray to finish, then crumble. I also boil dandelion leaves after many washings, never pour water off, dip them out with your hand because if there is any dirt it will settle to the bottom. I fry some bacon then put my greens, after boiling, in a small amt of bacon grease and break up the bacon in them..Delicious. My mother and grandmother ate them this way many years ago. Just tradition to have our spring tonic, as my mother used to say.
May 9th, 2013 at 4:03 pm
how to dry them out..
use a dehydrator, that is the best way to dry n preserve the leaves.
May 14th, 2013 at 9:40 pm
[…] Dandelion Tea […]
March 5th, 2014 at 5:20 pm
[…] http://www.dandeliontea.org/dandelion-tea/dandelion-tea-recipe […]
May 18th, 2014 at 5:06 am
[…] lemon, orange, mint or honey to improve the flavour (to make dandelion tea) […]
June 2nd, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Awesome! Thanks for the recipe, my teacher told me about this, and well I got curious, haven’t tried it yet, but don’t worry! I surely will try it!
June 14th, 2014 at 11:11 am
Hi,
This is my first visit to your site and I really enjoyed all of the comments about dandelion tea. I was almost ready to order the tea online when I decided to find out how to make my own dandelion tea. I am one who was not particularly fond of them in my yard, but have long since stopped trying to kill them off.
After reading the comments I now have a new appreciation for them and am going outside right now and digs a few up.
Best to All
June 14th, 2014 at 5:52 pm
P.S.
The tea was good and the greens delicious. I did not add the baking powder…but just drizzed the hot greens with a little coconut oil, sea salt and pepper (yum yum)!
Star
February 11th, 2015 at 10:50 pm
well i never, i can’t believe how good dandelions are for a person, I curse them every time I see them bloom on the grass at this guesthouse where I work. I am definitely going to try and make the tea. as i have high cholesterol and see it lowers it
thanks for this wonderful article
cathy
April 22nd, 2015 at 6:23 am
Hi
I wait for spring every year so I can pick wild dandelion outside. My dad Always made dandelion salad and I have followed in his footstepsyi. He also boiled them, but I myself like them fresh in a salad. This dandelion tea sounds great and I am going to try it.
Thanks Marie
June 8th, 2015 at 6:25 pm
I just made some Dandelion tea using the flowers, stems and roots (dried in a dehydrator & ground), saved the choicest leaves for a side dish later. The tea is very good. I look forward to tasting the greens but we do love Collard, turnip, mustard greens, etc…so am pretty sure these will also be good. Thank you for the information you post here. I notice you are so diligent in giving replies~ not like many other websites. TY for your time and ‘teaching’ us.
June 21st, 2015 at 4:34 am
[…] lemon, orange, mint or honey to improve the flavour (to make dandelion tea) […]