Herb Of The Week - Dandelion - Susun Weed Info

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The following are excerpts from Susun Weed's pages about dandelions ...

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

 

http://www.alittleolfactory.com

 

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http://botanical.com/site/column_susun/susun_weedwalk.html

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) is a persistent perennial of lawns and

gardens and one of the best-known medicinal herbs in the world. All

parts - the root, the leaves, the flowers, even the flower stalk -

strengthen the liver. A dose of 10-20 drops of the tincture (0.5-1 ml)

relieves gas, heartburn, and indigestion, as well as promoting healthy

bowel movements. A tablespoon of the vinegar works well, too. More

importantly, taken before meals, dandelion increases the production of

hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus increasing bio-availability of

many nutrients, especially calcium. And the oil of the flowers is an

important massage balm for maintaining healthy breasts. (There's lots

more information on dandelion in Healing Wise.)

 

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http://www.ashtreepublishing.com/Book_Healing_Wise_Recipe_Dandywine.htm

 

 

 

Dandelion Pharmacy

Excerpt from pages 151 - Healing Wise

 

Dandelion Wine à la Laughing Rock

 

 

Our year's supply for rituals and medicine

 

 

2gal/8 liter crock

3-5 qts/3-5 liters blossoms

5 qts/5 liters water

3 pounds/1.5 kg sugar

1 organic orange

1 organic lemon

1 pkg/8 grams live yeast whole wheat bread toast

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Find a field of dandelions in bloom on a glorious shining day. Follow

the honeybees to the finest flowers. Pick them with a sweeping motion of

your parted fingers, like a comb. I leave the green sepals on, but get

rid of all stalks.

 

Back home, put blossoms immediately into a large ceramic, glass, or

plastic vessel. Boil water; pour over flowers. Cover your crock with

cheesecloth. Stir daily for three days. On the fourth day, strain

blossoms from liquid.

 

Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus (omit rind if not organic) for

30-60 minutes. Return to crock. Add citrus juice. When liquid has cooled

to blood temperature, soften yeast, spread on toast, and float toast in

crock. Cover and let work two days. Strain.

 

Return liquid to crock for one more day to settle. Filter into very

clean bottles and cork lightly. Don't drink until winter solstice.

 

 

Preparation time: A week's worth of effort yields a drink not only

delightful but good for your liver, as well.

 

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http://www.susunweed.com/An_Article_wisewoman3b.htm

 

 

 

A springtime feast wouldn't be complete without Dandelion greens.

Although in America the Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has gotten a

bad reputation, this isn't true everywhere. In France, beds of the

prized bitter delicacy are planted right outside the kitchen of many

homes. My Italian grandfather sent his five children out to pick

dandelion greens as soon as they appeared in the spring. In America we

rarely eat bitter foods, although sadly we are missing out on a secret

many Europeans still know. Bitter foods tone and stimulate the entire

digestive tract.

 

Eating Dandelion greens, even just a few, with your meal will encourage

your stomach to produce hydrochloric acid, your liver to produce

enzymes, your gallbladder to produce bile, and your intestines to step

up peristalsis. The whole digestive process is assisted, and as a result

we are able to assimilate more nutrients from our food, and problems

like gas and constipation are decreased. Dandy is a potent liver tonic

and rejuvenator, prized as a spring tonic by many cultures. Several

leaves a day will go far in helping you make a healthy transition into

the springtime.

 

 

Worth eating for their nutritional value alone, the greens are

extraordinarily high in Vitamins A and C, potassium, and calcium. They

are also high in iron, phosphorous, and the b-complex, as well as other

trace minerals. Tasty both fresh and cooked, try adding a chopped

handful to your salad and put some in with your other steamed greens. I

like to cook them with sweet foods that help cut the bitterness, like

onions, squash, and garlic. Surprisingly, without their telltale yellow

flower dandelion plants can be hard to identify in early spring. The

best key is that their toothed leaves have no hair at all, unlike their

look alikes. And remember- the flowers are edible too!

 

By: Jessica Godino, Red Moon <http://www.redmoonherbs.com/> Herbs