Dandelion

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Dandelions are familiar to all of us from childhood. Who did not weave wreaths out of them, who did not let their fluffy hair blow in the wind? They are ubiquitous and cheerful flowers. By their appearance, they kind of tell us about lightness, optimism and resilience in any life situations and beauty in little things. And today we will tell you about their usefulness and deliciousness.

Dandelions can be found almost everywhere: on the roadsides, in parks and gardens, in fields and meadows, in the forest and in the mountains. They grow anywhere and their vitality can only be envied.

Why is that? There is a beautiful legend about this.

Many, many years ago, the goddess of flowers descended to earth, she wandered through the fields and meadows, and in the forest and in the mountains in search of the most beautiful flower. And in one park she met a red tulip and asked him: "Where would you like to live the most?" “I would dream of living in the velvety grass in the meadow near the ancient castle,” the beautiful flower replied, “The princess would admire me and talk about my beauty every day.” The goddess looked sadly at the flower and turned to the rose. “And I would like to grow and curl up the wall of this castle, I need help and support,” answered the rose. The flower goddess got up and hurried into the forest, where she found a violet. She answered her: "I want to live in the forest away from prying eyes, the stream will cool my legs, and the tall trees will protect from the bright sun." Then she talked to the sunflower, but he only wanted to bask in the sun, with the orchid, which dreamed of dancing, with the daffodils, who did not even answer, as they were busy with narcissism in the reflection of the water. The goddess walked the earth for a long time and once, in a meadow, she met a strong and strong dandelion. After asking the same question, she heard: “I would like to grow up where happy children run and play, it would be great if on the way home they found me and gave me to their mothers. I would like to grow by the side of the road, in the fields filled with bright sunlight, among the stones in the yard. The main thing is to bring joy and happiness to people with the help of my bright yellow color. " The goddess of flowers was delighted, putting her hand on the curly head of a dandelion, she confessed that he had become her favorite flower. “You will bloom from spring to autumn, and you will become loved by all children,” the sorceress whispered.

The official Latin name for dandelion is "Taraxacum", and it refers to medicinal plants. And the people began to call him a dandelion from the verbs "blow" or "blow" - that is. because of the extraordinary ease with which, at the slightest breath of wind, ripe achenes break off and scatter.

The field, strewn with blooming dandelions, looks mesmerizing: as if a shining golden carpet covers the earth, as if numerous children of the sun descended from heaven and want to give us a piece of their warmth and joy. It is a pity that not all people correctly assess the value of dandelion for health, undeservedly considering it a malicious weed. Although in fact it is a medicine for many diseases, generously scattered at our feet by the caring hand of Mother Nature.

The dandelion begins to bloom in April-May, it is during this period that it is favorable to stock it with gifts for the general strengthening of immunity, blood purification, increase in hemoglobin, treatment of arthritis, increased stomach acidity, insomnia, irritation, diabetes, liver diseases, gall bladder, kidney and cancer prevention …

All parts of the plant have healing properties, therefore, the whole plant can be used for food, for the preparation of decoctions and lotions. As soon as the young and tender dandelion leaves emerge from the ground, collect them and prepare a spring salad from them. Dandelion salad is indispensable for vitamin deficiency, for enhancing immunity and improving metabolism. It helps to accelerate the breakdown of fat and restores a slim figure.

You probably didn't know that:

The genus of dandelion numbers more than 2000 species, of which about 70 varieties are the most known and studied

Dandelion for us is a bright yellow flower. However, in the Caucasus there are dandelions of an unusual purple color, and in the Tien Shan - lilac

• once dandelion for its inexhaustible life-giving power was called "the elixir of life", "grandmother's grass";
• one dandelion inflorescence gives up to 200 seeds, and the whole plant - up to three thousand;
• a dandelion has barometric properties: at the first rolls of thunder and an approaching thunderstorm, its flowers close;
• if you put dandelion leaves and flowers in a paper bag with unripe fruit, the plant will begin to emit ethylene gas and ensure the rapid ripening of the fruit;
• a dark red dye is produced from dandelion root.

A simple dandelion flower has nothing to do with the complex mechanisms of a clock or barometer, but this plant can accurately indicate the time and predict changes in the weather. Dandelion inflorescences open between 5-6, and close by 20-22 hours. This feature of the plant was used by the Swedish botanist Karl Linnaeus, when creating the so-called flower clock.

The range of medicinal properties of dandelion is so wide that one can safely secure the status of one of the most famous healers in the world for this plant.

For a long time, dandelion has been used as a means of reviving the human body. It contributes to the good functioning of the digestive tract, activates the excretory function of the stomach, increases appetite, has a positive effect on metabolism, for example, eliminates the manifestations of high blood sugar, reduces sexual dysfunction. Various parts of the plant are used in the treatment of coughs, constipation, with stagnant bile, to get rid of worms. Dandelion improves the tone of the human body, its immune capabilities.

Dandelion root was originally regarded as a gastrointestinal agent for improving digestion and maintaining liver function, and the leaves of the plant were used to achieve a diuretic effect. It has been proven that preparations based on dandelion root cleanse the blood from excess cholesterol, have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and help with sleep disorders.

Specially prepared dandelion juice has a stimulating effect on the liver, while being a general tonic. Dandelion juice is effective for stones and sand in the gallbladder.

Dandelion root powder heals well skin lesions: wounds, deep abrasions, burnt places, bedsores. The root drink will be appreciated by diabetics: dandelion root powder is useful for high sugar levels.

Oculists recommend consuming at least 12 mg of combined lutein and zeaxanthin daily to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related visual impairment. Dandelions contain both of these nutrients.

Peter Gale, author of The Health Benefits of Dandelions, saw this plant as almost a panacea. According to him, “if you are looking for a miraculous medicine that, as part of your daily diet (in the form of food or drink), depending on the characteristics of your body, can: prevent or cure hepatitis or jaundice, act as a mild diuretic, cleanse your the body from toxins and toxins, dissolve kidney stones, stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, improve skin condition and bowel function, lower blood pressure, relieve you of anemia, lower blood cholesterol levels, reduce dyspepsia, prevent or cure various forms of cancer, regulate blood sugar levels and help diabetics, and at the same time not have any side effects and selectively affect only whatWhat worries you…. then the dandelion is for you."

How and when to collect

When collecting dandelions, it is important to remember that it is strongly not recommended to pick plants near the roadway, roads or within the city, since dandelions easily assimilate and accumulate lead and other carcinogenic substances.

Collecting the parts of the plant used includes harvesting leaves and roots.

The roots are harvested before the beginning of the flowering period or in late autumn. The roots are dug up, cleaned with cool water, dried for several days under the influx of fresh air, and dried in a dark, dry room, in a dryer at a temperature of 40 to 50 degrees. Properly harvested dandelion roots do not lose their healing properties for more than 4 years.

It is more advisable to store a dandelion leaf at the beginning of flowering. Trim the small, thorny leaves just off the ground as soon as they begin to lean forward. They should be picked before the flowers open (unopened buds are delicious). If you delay in this process, the leaves will become too bitter for food.

To pull the plant out, it is best to use a weeding fork. It sticks about 7 cm into the ground under the dandelion rosette and breaks the articulation of the crown with the root. The dandelion is then pulled out of the ground and the dirt and last year's leaves are removed.

Pay close attention to removing sand and dirt from all crevices of the formed crown. Let the plants soak in a deep saucepan, changing the water several times. Then cut the crowns, being careful not to damage the leaves, and clean them out. The final rinse can now be carried out and cooking can begin.

Dandelion menu

The simplest treatment for dandelion is to eat it regularly. In cooking, dandelion is used fresh, dried and canned, various hot and cold dishes are prepared from it, jam, marshmallow and even honey are made. The dried leaves and flowers are used to brew tea, and the roots are used as a coffee substitute. Dandelion is a part of complex herbal herbal teas.

How to get rid of bitterness

Bitterness improves appetite and digestion, enhances the secretion of gastric juice, has a choleretic effect. Well, if you don't feel like eating bitter dandelions at all, there are several ways to get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste to you.

The most time consuming, but giving the best results is whitening. Dandelion leaves grown in the dark are devoid of green color and bitterness. For bleaching, it is enough to cover the growing socket with something impervious to light - a board, a box, a black film, and in the end - an empty can of canned food. After a few days, the leaves under the cover will turn white and stretch out strongly. These bleached leaves retain their fragility and firmness, which are more pleasant in a salad

The other two are much faster, but the result is soft, wilted leaves.

1. First, you can simply scald the dandelion properly with boiling water. At the same time, it will darken and soften, and at the same time it will lose some of the vitamins.
2. Another way is to regulate the bitterness left in the leaves. To do this, they need to be soaked in salt water. How long to keep dandelions in brine, decide for yourself to taste, but the finer they are cut, the faster the bitterness disappears. Usually, 20 minutes is enough to get slightly bitter leaves that taste like a regular salad.

Dandelion leaves become tough and tasteless after budding.

Dandelion Vitamin Salads

Recipe 1:simple. Tear the leaves, pour lemon juice and vegetable oil and that's it. Light tasty spring salad.

You can prepare the following dressing: squeeze lemon juice, add salt and white pepper to it, a spoonful of honey, it will just soften the bitterness, vegetable oil. Mix everything and season the dandelion leaf salad.

Recipe 2: chop 100 g of young dandelion leaves. Crush 10 walnuts in a mortar. Mix everything and add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of honey.

Recipe 3: dandelion leaves - 40 g, sorrel - 20 g and spinach - 60 g. All these greens are crushed and mixed. 1 tbsp is added to the mixture. a spoonful of vegetable oil, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped green onions and salt to taste.

Recipe 4: dandelion salad with egg. To 100 g of chopped dandelion leaves, add 50 g of chopped green onions, 25 g of chopped parsley, 10 g of dill, 1 egg, vegetable oil, vinegar, pepper and salt to taste.

Recipe 5: dandelion salad (100 g of leaves) and nettle (100 g) with yogurt or kefir (half a glass). Chop all the greens, but do not forget to scald the nettle and dandelion leaves with boiling water before chopping. Pour the mixture with curdled milk (kefir).

Dandelion juice. For its preparation, the leaves and roots are passed through a meat grinder and squeezed through cheesecloth. A press-type juicer is also used. Drink before meals, 50-100 ml 2-3 times a day for 2-3 weeks.

Recovery tea. Usually, dry greens from the entire aerial part of the dandelion are used at the beginning of flowering (rosette of leaves and flower buds). One tablespoon of herbs in a glass of boiling water is insisted for 1 hour, filtered. Drink 20-25 ml 2-3 times a day for 30 minutes. before meals.

Fried dandelion baskets. You will need: 300 g of dandelion flower baskets, 70 g of crushed crackers, 70 g of butter. Rinse the dandelion sockets thoroughly and boil for 7-8 minutes in water with a pinch of salt. The baskets collected in early spring may not be soaked, but it will be better if they stand in cold water for a day. This will help remove bitterness from them. Put the boiled flowers in a colander, and when the water drains, dry on a towel, roll in breadcrumbs and fry until a beautiful ruddy color in butter. It will turn out to be a very tasty, exquisite delicacy.

Okroshka. You will need: 10 flowers and 5-6 dandelion leaves, 2 glasses of kefir / sour milk, 1 tablespoon each. dill, green onions, sour cream, salt. How to cook dandelion okroshka. Leaves, if they are young, do not need to be soaked, immediately chop into strips. Pour kefir into a plate, add chopped leaves and whole flowers, herbs, sour cream, mix and salt to taste, serve okroshka cold.

Dandelion Root Casserole … Cut the washed dandelion roots into small pieces, boil in salted water for 10 minutes, discard in a colander, mix with ready-made rice porridge, pour in the milk-egg mixture and bake in the oven.

Dandelion root cutlets. Crush dandelion roots boiled in salted water with a wooden pestle, add amaranth porridge, make cutlets, moisten in egg mixture and fry in a pan.

Dandelion root cakes. They are prepared in the same way as cutlets, only sour dough is taken instead of amaranth porridge, boiled dandelion roots crushed with a pestle are added to it. The required thickness is obtained by adding yogurt and flour. They are baked on the stove like regular cakes and pancakes.

Dandelion root groats. Grind dried dandelion roots in a mortar or in a coffee mill, sift on a sieve. Use the resulting cereal for the preparation of side dishes, gravies, sauces and other dishes. Store in a cool dry place.

Jam. Wash 400 flowers quickly, add 2 chopped lemons with the zest. The mixture is immersed in 0.5 liters of boiling water, boiled for 15 minutes. The resulting broth is filtered, squeezed, 1 kg of sugar is added and boiled until it resembles honey in color and density.

Dandelion coffee. Wash and peel the roots, dry them and place them on a baking sheet. Fry the roots at low temperature until they darken and become brittle. Grind the roots in a blender. Brew one teaspoon in a glass of water and simmer for about 3 minutes. Strain, add cream, milk, sugar to taste. Store dandelion coffee in a tightly closed jar.

Who is contraindicated

There are no serious contraindications for the use of dandelion in food and in the form of a medicine. But you should not get carried away with eating a large number of flowers and leaves, all parts of the plant contain bitterness, which increases the secretion of acid in the stomach, which, when the biliary tract is blocked, increased acidity of gastric juice, gastritis and ulcers, can be dangerous to health.

Use in traditional medicine

It is always important to remember: before starting to treat the symptoms of any disease, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause of its occurrence. Without this, treatment may not be effective or have a temporary effect. It is possible to identify the root cause of the disease (or a set of causes) using the AURAGRAPHIC method or using methods of working with the subconscious. After that, together with the use of appropriate methods for correcting the root cause of the disease, it is worth using the appropriate spices or herbs. In this case, health recovery will be significantly accelerated.

In modern folk medicine, infusions, tinctures, decoctions, extracts, ointments, oil, powder for dusting are made from dandelion. All parts of the plant are used for this, both fresh and dried. The sap of the plant and leaves and roots crushed into gruel are widely used.

Warts, corns, age spots, freckles are smeared with fresh milky juice. For ingestion, the juice is obtained from crushed leaves and roots by pressing or extraction with a small amount of warm water. To mask the taste of bitterness, add a little honey to the juice or mix it with sweet fruit juice.

Dandelion juice is taken in a tablespoon before meals for liver, kidney and bladder diseases, to strengthen teeth and bones, relieve swelling and pain in joints, increase appetite, normalize blood sugar levels and activate metabolism, with intoxication and poisoning, as effective diuretic. With sleep deprivation, juice is drunk at night.

Leaves crushed into gruel are used in the treatment of skin diseases, wounds, ulcers, boils, bedsores. Used for compresses for joint inflammation and rheumatism. For compresses, you can use cotton wool soaked in an alcoholic solution of dandelion juice or infusion of leaves and roots. For external use, powder from dried roots is also used. In addition, it can be taken orally, but in small quantities (1-2 grams). Inside, they also take fresh root grated or crushed in a blender, which is considered an effective remedy for diseases of the liver, kidneys, gall and urinary bladders.

Often for ingestion, infusions and decoctions are used, which are prepared from leaves, roots and flowers individually or in a mixture. As a rule, for their preparation, take a tablespoon of dry leaves and flowers, a teaspoon of dried roots (twice as much fresh) in a glass of boiling water. To obtain an infusion, it is kept for 2-3 hours in a thermos or in a warm place, then filtered and wrung out. To obtain a broth - bring to a boil, incubate for 5-10 minutes on low heat or in a water bath, then allow to cool. Usually drink 1-2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup before meals. When coughing and bronchitis, drink hot infusion or broth between meals. With sleeplessness and depressive states, an additional decoction or infusion is drunk at night.

It is not difficult to make oil or ointment from dandelion, which are used externally and in the treatment of inflammation of the mucous membranes. To obtain oil, dry leaves, flowers or roots in a ratio of 1 to 3 are infused with vegetable oil. To obtain an ointment, one part of dried leaves, flowers or roots, ground into powder, is mixed with three parts of thick oil, lard, fat or petroleum jelly. Before using it as directed, the resulting mixture is kept for at least a week in a warm place.

Dandelion gives beauty

This seemingly ordinary plant is an inexhaustible source of essential nutrients for skin and hair. Unfortunately, few people use this gift of nature.

The use of dandelion in facial cosmetology softens and smoothes the skin. It is one of the most inexpensive and effective treatments for skin rashes, acne and age spots. Since this plant is a good antioxidant, it helps to get rid of the signs of skin aging. When using dandelion for hair, it is possible to strengthen the roots, get rid of split ends, and prevent dandruff.

For the preparation of cosmetics, all parts of a dandelion are used: flowers, leaves, stems, roots.

Dandelion root powder

Dried dandelion roots are ground into a fine powder. This powder has a large number of useful properties and methods of application:

1. It can be used as a component of a face mask to remove toxins, reduce inflammation, get rid of skin blemishes, including age spots, and fight acne.
2. This powder can be dissolved in both water and oil. This means that dandelion root powder can be enriched with lotions, creams, ointments and other ready-made cosmetics.
3. Dandelion powder can be mixed into shampoos and hair conditioners. Dandelion supplement will help to cope with unruly hair and make it smooth.
4. If you mix dandelion root powder with massage oil, you get a remedy to fight skin inflammations.
5. In addition, this powder is an excellent additive for any home-made cosmetics: soaps, lotions, scrubs and creams.

Dandelion Vitamin Face Mask

Grind a handful of dandelion inflorescences and leaves into gruel, insist for 10 minutes in a tablespoon of warmed milk. If your skin is oily, add half the egg white to the mixture, if dry, add the same amount. The mask must be applied to the skin several times. First one layer, when it dries - the next and so on. Wash off with cool water after 20 minutes.

If you need to get rid of freckles or age spots - wipe your face with juice from young leaves of this amazing plant that has not yet begun to bloom.

Dandelion hair rinse (for split ends)

Finely chop the dandelion greens. Pour boiling water at the rate of one spoonful of leaves in a glass of water. Defend until the water darkens, strain and rinse washed hair.

And to strengthen your hair, you can take a handful of dandelion leaves in the same glass of boiling water. Rub the resulting infusion into the scalp every two days. This is best done in the evening.

A simple dandelion in cosmetology can work wonders and is not inferior at all, and in some cases even surpass purchased cosmetics in a beautiful advertising package. So take a closer look at it. And let this annoying weed turn into a treasure chest for you.

And finally - a parable

One man was very proud of his beautiful green lawn. One day he saw that dandelions were blooming among the grass.

The man did not sow them and therefore was annoyed by the fact of their appearance - he immediately pulled them out with his hands. After a while, the dandelions reappeared. They disguised themselves as ordinary grass. And no matter how a person tried to get rid of them, dandelions continued to appear on the lawn, grow vigorously and bloom.

Finally he wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture. List in detail all the methods of weed control used. And he ended the letter with a question: “I tried all the methods. Advise what to do?"

Soon he received the answer: "We invite you to love them."

And we also invite you to fall in love with these amazing flowers.