Do you want to do something good for your body? Then we have just the right plant for you, which will give you the right health kick with our recipes. Everything about dandelion tea at a glance
Dandelion tea: it really is that healthy!
Did you know that the dandelions that you pull out as a weed in your garden have healing properties? If not, now is the time to follow our tips and stop throwing the plant in the organic bin, but instead, drink it as tea.
Ingredients and health effects of dandelion tea
Although everyone is familiar with the “weed” dandelion, very few people know its beneficial properties for health. The dandelion plant is very resilient, which is why we can find it in almost every meadow. The ingredients of dandelion that are positive for our health are the bitter substances, minerals, and tannins they contain. Since most of them rarely make it onto the plate anyway, dandelion tea is a good option to incorporate into the menu. Bitter substances have many positive, healthy properties: They stimulate the appetite, strengthen the bones and promote the excretion of bile. In addition, dandelions also contain inulin, which is beneficial for intestinal flora.
There are four vitamins in dandelions – A, B, C, and E – which is why dandelion leaf tea can also help with flu-like infections. It contains as much beta-carotene like carrots and can help you improve your eyesight. Also, dandelion root extract has a diuretic effect, can help lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and has many other health benefits. What are you waiting for? Off to the green with you to pick dandelions for your medicine cabinet!
Dandelion recipes and tips for making tea
There are many delicious recipes for making the herb healthy. Dandelions can either be enjoyed as a salad or juice, and the leaves can even be used to conjure up the pesto. Probably the most popular way to consume the herb, however, is in the form of tea. Not only the yellow flowers are suitable for this, but also just as well – if not better – the green leaves and roots. We'll give you tips and show you our recipes for optimal preparation.
Recipe: make dandelion tea yourself (from leaves)
Leaves for tea can already be collected in spring from March until autumn, so you can get regular supplies here for over half a year. For a liter of tea you need a handful of green leaves, these are the best cut into small strips, pour hot water on them, and then let the dandelion tea steep for ten minutes. It is best to drink the leaf tea before eating, as it helps digest heavy and fatty dishes. It can also prevent gas and heartburn.
Recipe: make dandelion tea yourself (from flowers)
The flowers are best harvested in April as this is where they are freshest. In addition to the leaves and roots, which are ideal for drinking tea, the flowers of the plant are real beautiful miracle weapons. For example, you can boil a quarter-liter of water with two hands full of dandelion flowers to make a facial tonic that has a skin-clarifying effect and promotes blood circulation. You can use the flowers as a face mask immediately after cooking, the strained dandelion tea water will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
Recipe: make dandelion tea yourself (from roots)
Autumn is the best time to harvest the roots, as this is where the plant's forces pull back into the roots and you get most of the nutrients out of them. To harvest the dandelion root, it is best to use a root cutter or knife, as the roots are anchored deep into the ground. For the tea, you need one to three fresh roots for one liter of water. You leave this in the water overnight and then boil it for ten minutes the next morning. This tea made from the dandelion root has a particularly healthy effect on the internal organs and can help against rheumatism.
This is how you can dry dandelions
By the way: You don't always have to collect fresh dandelions so that you have a year-round supply, you can simply cut them open and let them dry on a tray. It will then keep in airtight glass containers for at least until the next spring.
Buy dandelion tea or make it yourself?
In summer the decision is easy – since dandelions grow in almost every meadow anyway, you shouldn't spend extra money on it if you can easily pick it. However, you should make sure that you only pick it in areas where there are few or no cars, otherwise, the air is not so clean. Fresh dandelion is also healthier than store-bought dandelion, as the healthy bitter substances in dandelion tea from the store are often no longer contained because many people do not like the bitter taste. The advantage of bought tea is clear: the dandelion has already dried and will last longer, if you collect it yourself you have to cut it, dry it and then pack it. Regardless of whether you opt for the dandelion tea you bought or the variety you picked yourself,