1. Dandelions as food

Think of dandelions as you would other leafy greens, like lettuce or spinach. This means you can use them in:

• Salads (fresh from the yard, but washed).
• Soups or casseroles (fresh or dried).
• Green juices
• Stir fry (chopped up).

2. Dandelion tea

Yes, you can buy dandelion tea in almost every health food store, but why not learn how to make your own? My grandmother used both the greens and the root. Simply boil a little more than a cup of water, add about a tablespoon of dried leaves and/or root, and cover and allow to simmer for three or so minutes. Strain and add some honey. Speaking of honey……….

3. Dandelion honey

This isn’t actually a honey; this is more of a syrup. On occasion, when honey ran low, my grandmother would make this.

Start off by gathering a bunch (perhaps four cups) of dandelions, roots and all. Wash and place in a pot of boiling water. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes; cover, and turn off the fire. Allow to soak overnight. Strain out the dandelions, and put back on the stove under a very low flame. Add about a cup of sugar and the juice of one lemon. Leave the pot uncovered and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Store in a glass jar and use like you would honey. This tastes so good, you won’t believe it! Try it on pancakes for a really different taste!

4. Dandelion wine

If you really want to taste some homemade goodness, you simply must try dandelion wine. For this recipe, you will only need fresh flowers, no roots or leaves. Be sure to pull the green little stem at the bottom of the flower. All you want are the yellow petals (nothing green or the wine is very bitter)!

5. Medicinal uses

These little yellow flowering plants have a wide variety of medicinal uses:

• Lower blood pressure.
• Calm an upset stomach.
• As a mild laxative.
• Remove warts

Source: OffGridNews