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Dandelions
The bright yellow flowers nodding in the early spring sunshine mean that warm weather is on the way. People are always striving to do away with these cheery little blossoms...mowing them down and covering the sturdy little plants with killer sprays. Not the bear, they rejoice at the sight of the dark green leaves and yellow flowers. The very young leaves are gathered and eaten raw in salads or steamed. The leaves are best before the buds open. The leaves become bitter when the plants come into bloom. Even then, young leaves can be steamed twice to make them more palatable. The Bear love the greens sautéed with onions and garlic. Add a loaf of fresh warm bread and the meal is fit for a king. The roots of the plant are gathered and dried. Then the roots are roasted slowly for several hours and ground when they become crisp and brown inside. The ground powder can then be brewed and served as Dandelion Coffee. The flower petals are carefully gathered and made into Dandelion Wine. The flowers are handled very gently so as not to crush the petals. The petals are placed in a large vat. Boiling water is poured over the petals and allowed to sit for two days. Sweetening is then added to the mixture and it is stirred to mix well. At this point a yeast slurry is added and it is allowed to ferment for three days. The mixture is strained and more sweetening is added. Then additional fermentation is necessary. A little liquid sunshine for a cool fall evening! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We do not recommend or condone gathering dandelion green or blossoms. With all the sprays and pollutants they may not be safe for human consumption. This is printed for entertainment not as a guide for use. I do thank the writers Rich Israel and Reny Slay for their book Home Steader’s Handbook. It is a great guide to raising, growing, preparing and preserving foodstuffs. **HOME**BEARS**TREE TRUNKS**BOOK CORNER**
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