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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gardening: Rethinking the versatile dandelion

The much-maligned dandelion can be used to make wine and beer. It also provides an early spring source of pollen for bees and beneficial insects.

Dandelions are the bane of many gardeners’ existence. But if you think this is going to be a column about how to get rid of them; think again. For me and a lot of other people, dandelions are quite useful.

I love dandelions in late April and early May because they provide one of the most abundant early sources of pollen for honeybees, ladybugs and many other beneficial insects beginning to lay their eggs. The pollen provides a much needed source of protein to feed new larvae. My honeybees are very happy with the acres of dandelions just down the road in an old golf course. I leave those that pop up in my lawn alone until they start to set flowers and then mow them.

The lowly dandelion has been used as a food and medicinal plant for millennia. The word itself comes from the Greek then French “dent de lion” or lion’s tooth for its deeply lobed green leaves. Young dandelion leaves can be served in a salad mix while the flower bud can be fried in butter and end up tasting like mushrooms. The dried root makes a reasonable coffee substitute.

There are even culinary dandelion varieties available in a few seed catalogs that can be grown in a vegetable garden, producing larger leaves than those found in your lawn. If you pick the leaves, do it before the plant goes to flower, as they become bitter.

Dandelions can be made into wine and beer. For wine, you will need a quart of fresh, unsprayed, well-washed flowers. Pour a gallon of boiling water over them and let stand for four minutes. Remove the flowers and cool to 90 degrees before adding yeast, sugar and sliced lemons and limes. Place in a fermenter. The wine will be ready in about three weeks. For a detailed recipe check out: http://allrecipes.com/ recipe/dandelion-wine/.

For beer you need the whole plant including the roots. According to Roger Phillips in his recently published book, “The Wild Food Cookbook” you need a quart of young dandelion plants including the roots which are mixed with lemon rind, ginger and water and boiled. The solids are strained out and the liquid mixed with brewers’ yeast, sugar and cream of tartar, and fermented for about five days. The complete recipe is at: www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/ seasonal-recipes/dandelion-beer-recipe- zerz1504zcwil.aspx. This drink was a favorite of iron foundry and pottery workers in England during the Industrial Revolution.

Lastly, dandelions have many medicinal uses. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, dandelion plants were boiled by Native Americans and then used to treat a variety of illnesses including kidney disease, swelling, skin problems, heartburn and upset stomach. The Chinese used it in traditional medicine to treat stomach issues, appendicitis and inflammation and lack of milk flow in breasts. Europeans used various remedies to treat fever, boils, eye problems, diabetes, and diarrhea. Check out the university’s website: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed /herb/dandelion#ixzz3ZnCqJtKV for more information. Talk to your medical provider before trying any remedy.

Master Gardener Pat Munts can be reached at pat@inlandnwgardening.com.