Dandelion Recipes
Homemade Herbal Remedies

Easy to make homemade herbal remedies using dandelion recipes.

According to Margaret Grieve, author of the excellent herbal encyclopedia A Modern Herbal, dandelion is "diuretic, tonic and slightly aperient. It is a general stimulant to the system, but especially to the urinary organs, and is chiefly used in kidney and liver disorders".

This page will summarize what she said about dandelion herbal remedy recipes.

Dandelion Recipes #1
Cleanses The Liver and Kidney

If you live in warm climates and suffer from liver complaints, dandelion is said to give very marked relief.

A broth of dandelion roots, sliced and stewed in boiling water with some leaves of sorrel and the yolk of an egg, taken daily for some months, has been known to cure seemingly intractable cases of chronic liver congestion.

Alternatively, take 2 ounces of freshly-sliced dandelion root, and boil in 2 pints of water until it reduces to 1 pint; then add 1 ounce of compound tincture of horseradish. Drink from 2 to 4 ounces.

This recipe is said to cleanse both the liver and kidney.

Combine 1 ounce of broom tops, 1/2 ounce of juniper berries, 1/2 ounce of dandelion root, 1 1/2 pint water.

Boil for 10 minutes, then strain and add a small quantity of cayenne. Take 1 tablespoonful three times a day.

Dandelion Recipes #2
Aids Digestion

Dandelion has a good effect in increasing the appetite and promoting digestion. It is said to treat atonic dyspepsia (damaged stomach walls) and is a mild laxative for people prone to chronic constipation.

The decoction or extract of dandelion taken 3 or 4 times a day is useful for treating an irritated stomach.

Also, use 1 ounce of dandelion root, 1 ounce black horehound herb, 1/2 ounce of sweet flag root and 1/4 ounce mountain flax.

Simmer ingredients in 3 pints of water until it reduces to 1 1/2 pints, and strain. Take one glass after meals.

Dandelion Recipes #3
Treats Gallstones

This recipe is useful for treating gallstones:

1 ounce of dandelion root, 1 ounce of parsley root, 1 ounce of balm herb, 1/2 ounce of ginger root, 1/2 ounce of licorice root.

Place in 2 quarts of water and gently simmer down to 1 quart, strain and take a glass every two hours.

Dandelion Recipes #4
Simple Diuretic

In 1983, Dan Hoffman, author of The New Holistic Herbal, noted that the powerful diuretic action of dandelion is comparable to the drug furosemide, except that dandelion is a good source of potassium, and consuming it doesn’t deplete the body of potassium.

If you desire this same action, add 1 to 1/2 tablespoons of dandelion root to a quart of water, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes in a covered pot, let cool and drink one cup three times daily.

You can also add a tablespoon of the herb yarrow to dandelion root before simmering for a slightly different flavor.

Dandelion Recipes #5
Treat Piles

Use 1 ounce of long-leaved plantain, 1 ounce of dandelion root, 1/2 ounce of polypody root, 1 ounce of shepherd's purse.

Add 3 pints of water, boil down to half the quantity, strain, and add 1 ounce of tincture of rhubarb.

Drink a glass three times a day. Celandine ointment may be applied at same time.

In Derbyshire, the juice of the stalk is applied to remove warts.

Dandelion Recipes #6
Salads, Sandwiches and Vegetable Dishes

Matured dandelion leaves can taste bitter. But the young tender leaves make good salads and vegetable dishes.

To make salad, blanch the young leaves. Either eat alone or with other plants such as lettuce, shallot tops or chives.

To make sandwiches, lay the tender leaves between slices of bread and sprinkle with salt. Add a little lemon juice and pepper for flavoring. Always tear rather than cut the leaves to maintain the flavor.

The following recipe is suggested for cooking dandelion leaves:

The young leaves may also be prepared as a vegetable, spinach fashion. Boil, thoroughly drain, sprinkle with pepper and salt, moisten with soup or butter and serve very hot.

If considered a little too bitter, use half spinach, but the dandelion must be partly cooked first in this case, as it takes longer than spinach.

As a variation, some grated nutmeg or garlic, a teaspoonful of chopped onion, or grated lemon peel can be added to the greens when they are cooked. A simple vegetable soup may also be made with dandelions.

New! Comments: Like This Story? Leave A Comment!