Dandelions growing in the wild or in one's backyard (Free of pesticides!)

Equipment needed:
Sharp knife to dig out dandelions
A very large container (such as a grocery bag) to place picked dandelions in*

*Keep in mind that a grocery bag full of newly-picked dandelions, after they are cooked in boiling water, will end up being no more than a cup or two of greenery.

o To pick dandelions you have to be able to distinguish which vegetation growing wild in the woods or in one's own backyard (Yes the dandelions that grow in one's backyard are edible!) are dandelions and which are not. This is quite easy to do as dandelions have a characteristic shaped leaf. P.S. If one digs out dandelions in the wild one must be completely sure that area has not been sprayed with pesticides. The dandelions are not poisonous, but the pesticides sure are.

o To make a salad out of dandelions one has to pick only those very young dandelions that have not yet flowered (no flowers in evidence, though the occasional small stem is O.K.). One only gets this type of dandelion in the early spring (In Montreal, Canada they are generally available only at the end of April, and in early May).

o To make a side dish with dandelions one can pick older dandelions that have flowered -- of course the flowers and their stems are removed, as are the roots. However, in Canada the older dandelions are only good until the end of May. After May the second crop of dandelions are too bitter to make a good dish.

o Cut off the roots, flower stems, grass and any other type of vegetation that might be attached to the dandelions.

o Separate the leaves, one by one, again making sure there are no flower stems, grass or any other types of vegetation still attached to the dandelions (Do this prior to washing the dandelions, as everything is more visible at this time).

o Wash the dandelion leaves under running water over and over -- 4 to 5 times.

o Soak the dandelion leaves for 10 minutes or so.

o Re-wash the dandelion leaves.

o When one is completely sure the dandelion leaves are clean, drain well. Remove any excess water.

o If one uses dandelions with other food stuffs such as rice or spaghetti many people cook them together, but if one wants to be completely sure they are completely clean, one can boil them separately.

o If after boiling the dandelion greens and finding them too bitter to eat, one can assume either of two things: a) the dandelions picked were too big and too old (only early spring dandelions are pleasing to the palette ) or b) they should be mixed with other foods (e.g. spaghetti or rice) to reduce the taste of the bitterness. Also, some people do not like and will never like dandelion greens no matter how well they are cooked. If this is the case, substitute Boston lettuce in any recipe that calls for dandelion greens and the results might be just right for you.

Technically, the word, "cicoria" (sometimes spelled as chicoria in Molisani dialect) is, in fact, translated in English as "chicory." However, what Southern Italians dug out in the fields in their home country in the 1930s and what they dug out in the fields in their adopted country in the early 1960s was not "chicory" but dandelion greens. Now the actual word for dandelion in Italian is "dente di leone" but no one that immigrated from Italy to North America ever referred to what they dug out in the wild as "dente di leone." They called the greens "cicoria" and so nowadays everyone assumes "cicoria" and "chicory" to be one and the same. While chicory and cicoria are part of the same family, and are very similar, both in taste and in looks, they are not the same plant (Lots of detailed information about this on the internet). Nonetheless, for those who do not want to dig out their own cicoria, store-bought chicory is a very good substitute for dandelions growing in the wild. Chicory can be used in any recipe that calls for "cicoria".... P.S. According to both my mother and my aunt, Zia Rosina, it seems that in Molise very few women, except for the very poor, gathered wild dandelion greens in the 1930s. My mother believes the reason for this was that the land was so arid and dry that nothing grew there, not even "cicoria," dandelion greens. However, my aunt disagrees with this explanation. She thinks the reason the majority of women did not go out picking wild dandelion greens in Molise is because most farmers grew very similar greens in their own fields. Chicory (almost identical to dandelions) grew well, as did other types of salad greens, so it was not necessary to supplement their diet with plants that grew in the wild (except, of course, for mushrooms which men went to gather). However, those women who immigrated from Molise to Canada in the early 1950s, noticed that their neighbors, many of whom had immigrated from Puglia and Marche, did go out and pick "cicoria." So they too began to do likewise. In the 1950s "chicory" was not available in the local Italian grocery shops; however, by the late 1980s it was, so many first-generation Italians stopped gathering wild dandelion greens and settled for store-bought chicory. **** Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia on dandelion greens: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Dandelion" Description A dandelion flower head composed of hundreds of smaller florets. The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere of the Old World. The leaves are 5?25 cm long or longer, simple and basal, entire or lobed, forming a rosette above the central taproot. The flower heads are yellow to orange colored, and are open in the daytime but closed at night. The heads are borne singly on a hollow stem (scape) which rises 4?75 cm[3] above the leaves and exudes a milky sap (latex) when broken. A rosette may produce several flowering stems at a time. The flower heads are 2?5 cm in diameter and consists entirely of ray florets. The flower heads mature into a spherical "clocks"[citation needed] (also known as a "wishie"[citation needed]) containing many single-seeded fruits called achenes. Each achene is attached to a pappus of fine hairs, which enable wind-aided dispersal over long distances..... Dandelion leaves are believed to have a diuretic effect as they increase salt and water excretion from the kidneys[4]. Dandelions are thought to have evolved about thirty million years ago in Eurasia[8]; they have been used by humans for food and as a herb for much of recorded history[citation needed]. They were introduced to North America by early European immigrants.... ******************** "Medicinal properties of dandelion" From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dandelions may have medicinal properties. The common dandelion, taraxacum officinale, is a weed that is often considered a nuisance and to give lawns an unkempt look, but it is a versatile item in both the kitchen and as a medicinal herb. History The medicinal and nutritional uses for the dandelion are the main reasons why there are so many dandelions today. Dandelions have been purposely cultivated and widely used throughout history. The Celts introduced it to the Roman legions when Caesar invaded the north. The Anglo-Saxons and the Normans used it to prevent scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) and monastery gardens used it for both food and medicine in the Middle Ages. The Puritans used it only as a vegetable. As different crops became more popular, dandelions were no longer considered a staple, primarily because of the bitter taste. Medicinal uses The dandelion is approved by the Commission E for dyspeptic, liver and gallbladder complaints, infections of the urinary tract, and loss of appetite. Other unproven uses include treatment of disturbances in bile flow, inflammation of the efferent urinary tract, dyspepsia, hemorrhoids, congestion in the portal system, gout, rheumatic disorders, eczema and other skin disorders.[1] The dandelion is considered to be very safe and sometimes carries the slang term, ?pee in the bed,? referring to its diuretic ability in increasing water and waste products in the urine. Dandelion has a high potassium content and replaces potassium lost in normal urine secretion, leading to a net gain in potassium levels[2]; this fact is worthy of note because that is not the case with the use of over-the-counter diuretics. Dandelions are also thought to be effective in helping to ease the ailments of many other conditions including herpes, genital warts, and even obesity. Studies on both rats and humans that involved injecting them with dandelion have resulted in them losing up to 30% of their body weight. [1] Dosage and side effects The dandelion is readily available in health and supplement stores in many different forms. To name a few, there are pills, teas, tablets and liquids. Use of dandelions medicinally is not recommended when there is closure of the biliary ducts, gallbladder empyema, and ileus. There is a possibility of superacid gastric complaints upon use and a small possibility of sensitization reactions. [1] It has been shown that Dandelion has some anti-cancer properties [3] Notes 1. ^ a b p. 245, PDR for herbal medicines. 2nd ed. Montvale, N.J.: Medical Economics Co., 2000. ISSN 1099-9566 2. ^ p. 141. Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of herbal medicine. New York: DK Pub., 2000. 3. ^ Salvucci ME, Werneke JM, Ogren WL, Portis AR. 1987. Purification and species distribution of Rubisco activase. Plant Physiology 84, 930?936. References 1. ^ Mars, Brigitte. Dandelion Medicine : Remedies and Recipes to Detoxify, Nourish, Stimulate. Pownal, VT Storey Publishing, 1999. External links * www.beginner-gardening.com * In Defense of the Dandelion: By: Susan M. Thigpen * Dandelion on Drugs.com Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicinal_properties_of_dandelion" Categories: Medicinal plants

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