Eating the leaves - taste and usage ideas
The leaves of the dandelion are not only food for rabbits and Co. They are also healthy and edible for humans. They taste tart and spicy and, depending on their age, have a bitter aftertaste. Admittedly, they don't taste particularly good on their own. But processed, you can conjure up delicious things from them.
also read
- From April to October - collect dandelions
- Is there a good use for dandelion?
- Dandelions - Worryingly Toxic?
It is best if you use the leaves fresh. If you have collected large quantities, you can also dry or even freeze the leaves.
Here are a few ideas for using it in the kitchen:
- Wild herb salads (e.g. with ground elder and nettles)
- juices
- Pestos (with cedar kernels, pine nuts or walnuts + salt + olive oil)
- Vegetable dishes (e.g. casseroles, spinach, and stews)
- Risotto
- as herb quark with potatoes
- Sauces
- Soups
Better to eat only the young leaves
Something few people know is that it is better to eat only the young leaves of the dandelion. The older leaves taste bitter and are less healthy in large quantities. Among other things, they are rich in oxalic acid. Consumption in excessive amounts often leads to nausea and vomiting.
Eating the flowers - recipe ideas
The sweet-tasting blossoms can not only serve as a decoration in fruit salads or on summer cakes and tarts. They are also suitable for salads, syrups, jams and jellies. For a jelly, you can boil the flowers with water, lemon juice, lemon peel, agar agar and xylitol, strain them and fill them into glasses.
Eating the roots - coffee for self-catering
Even the roots can be eaten and used. It is best to dry and grind them. Then a mild coffee can be made from the powder. It used to be a common alternative to regular coffee in wartime.
Tips
By the way, the dandelion with its bitter substances helps with digestive problems. As a preventive measure, you can therefore add it to difficult-to-digest meat and fatty dishes.
