Lots of Dandelions? Learn how to make Dandelion coffee.

I've made this several times now and the taste is really growing on me (yes the pun is intended). I would describe the taste as very earthy. Once brewed it looks identical to coffee. It has no caffeine which could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view.


DANDELION COFFEE RECIPE

1.      Learn how to correctly identify a Dandelion. Although at first glance it may seem simple there are several other plants that look like a dandelion and you don’t want to be picking the wrong ones. Dandelion can be identified by its flower stalk and by its leaves, which are in a basal rosette. The flower stalks rise straight up out of the centre of the radial leaves with each stalk holding one flower head. Both stalks and leaves release latex, a milky sap when cut, and may cause dermatitis for people who are latex-sensitive. Flowers begin as roundish, green buds huddled in the eye of the leaf rosette and open into 5 cm flower heads made up of bright yellow flowers. The seed heads are well known to most people and especially children who blow them into to the air to make wishes (and thereby propagate the plant!). The bright green leaves deeply and irregularly toothed, and can grow to 25cm in length. Make sure that you only pick Dandelion from your own garden where you know that they haven’t been sprayed with herbicide. Remember that if you can't identify them then don't use them.

2.      Remove the Dandelion from the earth. This is best done when the soil is moist so you can get all the tap root out. Ideally you want to pick really large Dandelion so you get plenty of tap root as the tap root is what goes into the coffee. Remove the leaves and eat them if you wish.

3.      After gather lots of Dandelion tap roots wash them several times in clean water to get all the dirt off them. After you have washed them cut the small lateral roots from the main tap roots.

4.      Place the roots in between some paper and let them dry for a few days. Alternatively you could use a food dehydrator if you are lucky enough to possess one.

5.      Cut the Dandelion roots into small sections under 1cm in length and then place them into an oven at around 180 degrees Celsius with the door open for about 30 minutes. I then cut them into even smaller pieces and put them back in the oven with the door closed. Keep an eye on them throughout all this, the longer you roast them the sweeter the coffee will taste but you don’t want them to burn. I’m not exactly sure as to how long I roast them with the door closed, basically I just keep checking them and when they are nice and dry and brown I know they are done.

6.      Remove the roots and give them a good mortar and pestling. You should now have a nice and dry substance which looks like instant coffee. 

 7.      I like to brew the Dandelion coffee in a plunger adding 2 teaspoons per cup. Add milk and sugar if you wish. Enjoy.

The common sight of the seed head. Who would have though that as kids we were propagating them when we blew the seed head into the air to to make a wish.

Big 'bucket o lions'

The tap roots are where the action is at.

  

Chopped, washed and ready to oven.

Chopped again ready to put back in the oven with the door closed.

Ready to brew.

Dandelions a weed, medicinal herb and urban / rural edible

A COMMON AUSTRALIAN GARDEN RESIDENT

In Australia and probably many other parts of the world the common dandelion is easily recognized by its bright yellow flowers and fluffy seed head. Many lawns (unfortunately including my own) are full of dandelions and they seem to pop their heads up the next day after a mowing if the conditions are right. They can be an absolute pain to remove by hand as their tap root system can run very deep which anchors the plant into the ground. The whole tap root needs to be removed to kill the plant. If you want to clear a large lawn of dandelion a selective herbicide can be used which will kill the broadleaf weeds and hopefully not kill your grass. You have to be careful when doing this as buffalo grass is particularly sensitive to selective herbicide so if you have Buffalo grass you need a produce such as Yates buffalopro weed killer. There are several different species of dandelion (Taraxacum Sp) including Taraxacum californicum the endangered Californian dandelion. The word Dandelion is of French origin and means "lion's tooth". Dandelions are thought to have evolved over 30 million years ago in Eurasia.

A common sight in my lawn

DANDELIONS AS FOOD AND AS DRINK?

As hated as they are as a weed Dandelions can be used as a food source. The young leaves are edible although rather bland tasting. The young leaves can also be made into a tea. If you wash the roots and slowly roast them in the oven on a very low temperature they can then be ground up and brewed into a coffee like drink. I've tried both the Dandelion tea and Dandelion coffee. I found the tea a bit tasteless but the coffee actually wasn't too bad. The coffee like drink can be purchased some Australian shops. It is quite expensive, funny that what most consider a weed costs so much to buy as a product in the supermarket. 

The tough tap root system of a dandelion



DANDELIONS AS A MEDICINE

Dandelions have been used as a herbal medicine by humans for much of recorded history. Native Americans boiled dandelion in water and to treat skin problems, heartburn, kidney disease, swelling,  and upset stomach. In traditional Chinese medicine it has been used to treat appendicitis, stomach problems and breast problems, such as lack of milk flow or inflammation. Europeans have used it to remedy boils, eye problems, fever and diabetes.

They are tough little blighters. Look at this one growing in straight crushed rock at my home in Macedon.



WEED INFORMATION SUMMARY

COMMON NAME: DANDELION

BOTANICAL NAME: TARAXACUM SP

FAMILY: ASTERACEAE

DESCRIPTION

Dandelion is a very common broadleaf biennial weed plant in Australia. It will grow in most soil types. It is a prostrate plant with upright yellow flowers. It is a broadleaf plant with deep taproots. Dandelion is a warm season plant that dies back over winter.

METHOD OF SPREAD

It is mainly spread via airborne seed. Mature dandelion flowers are very light and easily transported by wind.

CONTROL

Hand weeding dandelion can be difficult even if the soil is moist and soft. The whole taproot needs to be removed or the plant can regenerate. Solarisation may an easier method to employ for controlling dandelion. Glyphosate will destroy this weed if a chemical control method is considered. Dandelion needs to be removed before the flowers mature and become transported by wind or other means. Repetitively scalping dandelion may work but it will take many scalps to totally destroy the plant.