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How to make Dandelion Cookies, Wine and other treats!

Pretty Flower

Each year, usually the last week in May, my community (Wallace, NS) hosts the Dandelion Festival. It is a quintessential, small-town gathering with raffles, sales, a dandelion photo contest and lots of fun. Check out their Facebook Page for all the details.

To honour the dandelion and the festival I thought I would pull together a few dandelion facts and recipes to share with you.

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I had good intentions, deliberately not mowing one section of my yard – letting the dandelions take over and grow wild in anticipation of this post. I had planned to pick the fresh flowers and try a number of recipes, picking my favourites to add to this post. As usual; however, the week got away from me and when I went out to pick the dandelions this morning it was raining and they have all closed up.

I’ve decided to push on – create this post with recipes (untried by me… yet) that look promising. I will try them soon and update the post accordingly.

If you try any, let me know your favourites in the comments below.

Table of Contents

Dandelion Facts

  • Official name: Taraxacum officinale
  • Blooming in the early spring and throughout the summer, dandelions are great for pollinators – go bees!
  • Although many consider them a weed, seeing a whole field covered in their bright yellow blooms is a beautiful sight.
  • Dandelion roots can grow up (or down) to 16″ – and help aerate the soil.
  • They are not native to Canada and are believed to have been brought by French Settlers
  • Interestingly, you should avoid dandelions if you have a latex sensitivity.
  • The seeds of a dandelion can travel up to 8km (5 miles) on the wind – wow!
  • Dandelions are prolific – every time you make a wish on a dandelion, you blow anywhere from 50 – 170 seeds into the air
Puppy lying in the dandelions
They make a soft bed, too!

Benefits of Dandelions

Many have a love / hate relationship with dandelions. If you want your lawn to look good – you don’t want them; but, they are so good for so many other things:

  • As an herb – every part of the plant is edible
  • The flowers, roots and leaves contain lots of nourishing and healing vitamins and minerals: iron, potassium, calcium and vitamins A, several Bs and C, E, and D!
  • Dandelions are high in fiber and a mild diuretic.
  • Eating dandelions can help the liver, gallbladder and kidneys and are a great digestive aid.
  • They also make great spring bouquets for moms and wonderful flower crowns

Blowing dandelion fluff - or using it as a microphone?
Apparently, they are also pretty good as microphones!

How to Differentiate between Dandelions and Similar Flowers

  • Dandelions are most often confused with prickly lettuce which look very similar. On closer inspection, prickly lettuce leaves have hair on their underside and their leaves grow along the stem rather than at the base.
  • Don’t worry, there are no poisonous dandelion look-alikes.
Dandelions

Recipes

The Canadian Wildlife Federation shares a number of wonderful dandelion recipes on their site. You can find some HERE!

Ways to Use Dandelions
  • Add clean, washed leaves and/or flowers to salads and sandwiches
  • Use in soups, stir-frys and casseroles
  • Dry the leaves and/or roots and steep in water to make dandelion tea
  • Steam the leaves with butter, garlic and lemon for a nice side dish
  • Fry the flowers in batter to make flower fritters

Cookies
https://huckleberrybotanicals.com/dandelion-lemon-shortbread-cookies/
Jelly
How To Make Dandelion Jelly
Wine
https://flustercluckmama.com/how-to-make-dandelion-wine/
Egg Noodles
Dandelion Egg Noodles
Ice Cream
Dandelion & Honey Ice Cream

If you try any, let me know your favourites in the comments below.

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Looking for other things to do in Wallace and Malagash, check out our North Shore adventure post:

Ice Cream, Anyone? Adventures on Nova Scotia’s North Shore!

and some of our other other NS Adventures:

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Susan Spicer

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