Drying and Reusing Dandelions: This is the Best Way to Proceed

Dandelion is one of the edible wild plants and can also be dried well. So you can use the valuable plant all year round. We will tell you how it works and what you can use the dried dandelion for.

How to dry dandelions

Many people only see the dandelion as an unloved weed. All parts of the plant are edible and very healthy. So it’s worth not fighting the plant, but using it in the kitchen. Crop surpluses can easily be dried.

• You can hang dandelion leaves upside down in small bunches in a warm, airy place. Direct sunlight should be avoided. Alternatively, you can also dry the leaves at around 40 degrees Celsius in a dehydrator or in the oven.
• Dandelion flowers are best dried on a wooden frame covered with wire or gauze. Here, too, attention should be paid to a warm, airy place. It is even easier and quicker to dry the flowers at 40 degrees in the oven or in the dehydrator.
• The root of the dandelion is also edible and contains many healthy ingredients. Dig up the roots and thoroughly remove adhering soil with water and a brush. Then cut the root into small pieces and thread them onto a piece of string at intervals. The string should then be strung in a warm, airy place.

Harvesting, storage and use of dandelions

Dandelion can also be used dried in many ways. Above all, the bitter substances it contains are very healthy, as they stimulate bile activity and digestion. In this chapter you will find out when the best time for the harvest is and what you can use your collected herbal treasures for.

• Of course, it is best to harvest dandelions from your own garden. Be careful not to collect dandelions on the side of the road or next to conventionally used farmland.
• The best time to harvest the leaves is in early spring before flowering. The flower itself can be harvested almost continuously from April to September. Fall, on the other hand, is the perfect time of year to dig up your roots.
• All dried parts of the dandelion can be stored for about a year in an airtight and dark place. After that, the dandelion is still edible, but loses a lot of its aroma.
• The dried leaves and flowers can be used, for example, as a seasoning for salads, soups and herb butter. All parts of the dandelion also taste good in herbal teas and help against a feeling of fullness and flatulence. A coffee substitute can also be brewed from the ground root.