Cultivating Dandelion for Food, Herbs, and Tea

Dandelions' taste falls into the category as chards, collard greens, and maybe spinach.

Yellow dandelion flowers

I have successfully dried a large batch that I am saving for the winter when I will then sprinkle them into soups and other culinary pleasures.

I hope to study wild edibles and become able to find them while hiking and survive on plants. Earth worms would be good protein, but getting past their appearance is a challenge; no "Fear Factor" winner here!

When first trying Dandelions about three years ago, I ate one raw right off a lawn and never tried them again. Not that it was bad or anything, but it just did not taste enough like a Milky Way Bar I guess. So I'd not recommend judging them by their raw form. It was after they were steamed and seasoned like any other good healthy green vegetables that I realized they are actually good. If one were addicted to junk foods, maybe that one would not like Dandelion flowers and leaves, but then again, they probably don't eat spinach either.

. . . the bees are so preoccupied that they would not even notice the lawn mower about to shred their plans . . .

I have decided to mow the lawn so the neighbors will not gather against me regarding the threat of Dandelions, but I am going to reserve an isolated patch in the back for cultivation purposes. If any of the neighbors ever give me trouble, I will threaten them with Dandelion seeds.

Dandelions, "King of the Neighborhood"!

I tried to mow the lawn but had to stop because of all the bees that are harvesting the pollen from the dandelions to make their early spring honey.

Bee harvesting dandelion flowers

Stopping and waiting for the bee to finish the flower before I cut the flower down was necessary because the bees are so preoccupied that they would not even notice the lawn mower about to shred their plans for the day. I could have just run over them as they would stay in the flower while it was being driven over. I didn't actually mow them, but tested them to see if they would get out as the front axle rolled over them and the blades were starting to pull air. I am sure I would get them before they would react. I have left several large areas for the bees, but my neighbor walks the property line disgusted that I have not mowed them down.

Dandelions are early in the season so the Bees first make great nutritious Dandelion honey that is very healing. My entire perspective on this weed has been modified. My reasons are as follows:

The plants are free.
The plants are prolific.
The plants are very nutritious and healing to some diseases.
The plants can be made into several types of meals or teas.
The bees make honey from them and the honey is good for us.
The flowers are very beautiful.
Children love to blow on the flowers once they go to seed so children will actually help spread the goodness around.
The flowers grow in such a way as to make themselves available.

On the other hand:

People pay money to hire professionals to kill the plants.
People spray poison on the plants to kill them.
People sometimes hate dandelions. Although the flowers are pretty, people don't like the look of the leaves in their lawn; sometimes called "lawn stars".
People who are enamored by their lawn tend to hate neighbors who do not kill dandelions.
People mow down dandelions with a machine that uses gasoline, polluting the environment with sound and toxins.
People would rather be sick and have a golf course like lawn than be well by eating healthy free plants.
People don't care about natures needs as long as they have the illusion of perfection from a straight, level, solid colored space.
What the hell is wrong with people.
People will never admit to it, but I think they sometimes hate Dandelions more than they love their children.
I have a theory that some people love their lawn mowers and somehow and in someway, they don't have lawn mowers because they have lawns, but instead they have lawns so they can justify having a lawn mower. Of course, when I purchased my home, the lawn was inherited because it came with the house. It's just a theory, but it does sometimes seem that people talk more about their mowers than their lawns.

Note: I suppose that Dandelions can grow to the point of becoming too many, but just as we control our lawns, we can learn to control and harvest the benefits of wild plants. I noticed that I have several wild flowers in my yard. Wild flowers are beautiful and necessary to a healthy world. I never really liked lawn care when it is all about the lawn. It wastes water and time. I am realizing that my natural perceptions are good in this regard and now see landscaping differently. This would be a great subtopic.

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