Dandelion Recipes

What could a frugal heart love more than going right out in your own backyard and foraging for food that is just there in the ground. You didn't plant it or care for it, it's just there naturally.

I remember my grandmother telling me that Dandelions could be eaten and I know she mentioned something about Dandelion Wine.

When picking Dandelions to eat make sure they are free from insecticides and steer clear from those growing near well traveled roads.

Frittered blossoms

Pick fully opened blossoms, the bigger the better. Trim stems very close to the heads. Soak in cold salt water for two or three hours. Rinse under cold running water and drain.
You'll need:
One inch of oil in heavy pan
1 and 1/2 cups of finely crushed cracker crumbs Make an egg batter:
2 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Roll drained blossoms in cracker crumbs, then in the egg batter, then cracker crumbs again. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, drain and serve warm. These taste a little like mushrooms.

Dandelion Jelly

This golden clear, delicate tasting jelly is glorious with biscuits and gravy on the first snowy morning of the year.
You'll need:
Quart of fresh, bright dandelion flowers
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
5 1/2 cups of sugar
1 package (1 3/4 oz) powdered pectin
paraffin
Using enamel or stainless steel pan, boil the flowers in 2 quarts of water for 3 to 5 minutes, cool, and strain, pressing the liquid out of the flowers gently. Measure 3 cups of the liquid, add the lemon juice and pectin. Put into a deep jelly kettle and bring to a boil, then add sugar and stir to mix well. Stir and boil for 2 1/2 minutes, or until mixture sheets from a wooden spoon, pour into jelly glasses and seal with melted paraffin when cool .

Dandelion "Coffee"

This really isn't coffee, but it's an interesting hot drink that's easy to make once you've dug the dandelion roots. Scrub the roots well and trim away broken ends and hair roots. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake at 250 - 275 degrees until lightly browned. Cool and grate, grind or put them in a cloth and crush with a hammer.
Pour a cup of boiling water over a scant tablespoon of the crushed root. Let it set for a few minutes, then strain. Add honey, sugar and/or lemon.
Where the plants have had plenty of water the taproot will be fat and comparatively short, but if you're digging in a dry area, the root will be long and thin and much harder to harvest.

Thanks to About.com's Frugal Living