Saturday, June 4, 2022

Better Thoughts of a Common Weed

Being the sort that is easily entertained, I enjoy seeing and admiring things that many might take for granted - or even dislike (or declare never-ending war on in the pursuit of a perfect lawn). Dandelions, for example, can be quite charming, given half a chance.

I remember filling May Day baskets with them (along with violets and other early wild flowers) and hanging them on neighborhood doorknobs when I was a small child. They don't fare very well in vases, but I tried that, too. 

Amish families in the neighborhood of the family homestead fry dandelion blossoms and eat them, claiming they are a great delicacy. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure I will get around to the experiment at some point - curiosity, don't you know... 

So, despite their general classification as a "weed", when I encounter their sunny blooms with bees humming around them while busily gathering pollen, they make me smile - and I wonder what dandelion honey tastes like.

9 comments:

Neet said...

I love to eat dandelions. Leaves and all. Very good and healthy.

Webfoot said...

I'm obviously going to have to expand my salad fixings as well as my fried appetizers. :)

Shutterbug2012 said...

Way back in the days of my childhood I remember my Grandmother collecting the baby dandelion leaves for a summer salad. Use them just like you would lettuce.

Anonymous said...


Dandelion greens are my guinea pig's favorite treat!

Anonymous said...

My mom used to cook up young dandelion leaves - said they were better than beet greens 😊

Webfoot said...

Well, I clearly have some culinary adventures in my future. I've always liked beet greens (the beets, themselves, took me a bit of time to learn to appreciate). Happily, as long as I ate the greens, my mother didn't make me take more than a "no, thank you" helping of the root. If dandelion greens are better than beet greens, I have a treat in store. :)

Guinea pigs have good taste. The ones I had as a child would clamor loudly whenever they heard the plastic bag from around the lettuce rattle. They could tell from all the way across the house and insisted on their fair share.

Bungalow Boxer said...

I had a boxer friend who made dandelion wine!

The Borgas said...

We planted a dandelion stamp for PAL Day!

Anonymous said...

can use the greens in a tossed salad. . . just make sure they have not been sprayed. young, small are best and more tender. you can even buy them in some grocery stores, go figure.

my grandfather used to make wine with them. way before my time, I don't know if he used the flowers or the leaves.