Baking & Brewing with Dandelions

For as long as human history has been recorded, the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been used as food and medicine across the globe. While not native to this continent, this nutritious golden flowering plant arrived with the European colonization of the 1600’s and is now commonplace in lawns and meadows across North America. In the spring, the dandelion is one of several common wild edibles foragers look for to supplement their dinner plates. Grow Forage Cook Ferment has a helpful list, which includes, of course, DANDELIONS!

Looking through the lens of dandelions, interests in culinary arts, pastry arts, baking, and even home brewing can be supported. Within these interests, lessons in chemistry and math are implicit, while the art of taste and texture is an explicit driving force as highlighted in this video.

Learn how to identify and properly harvest dandelion leaves, flowers, and roots this year, and give them a go in your own kitchen too. Try a recipe for Dandelion Lemon Cupcakes to support an interest in pastry arts, or if you prefer baking, check out this recipe for Dandelion Leaf Bread. Or put on your chef hat and pair Dandelion Fritters with a Dandelion Leaf Salad to experiment with the textures and flavors found within the culinary arts.

If you’re interested in beverages, this Dandelion Root Coffee Recipe can set you up with a warm brew, or learn about the art of fermentation by making Dandelion Mead or Dandelion Fennel Kombucha!

While this naturalized species is the seasonal community-based resource being featured here, supporting community-based resources include general stores and co-ops for ingredients, supplies from brewing shops, untreated meadows and lawns for safe foraging, and libraries and book stores for materials to continue your learning at home.

Plant Species: Dandelion

• SUPPORTED INTERESTS: Culinary Arts. Pastry Arts. Baking. Brewing. Wild Edibles. Foraging. Nutrition. Fermentation.
• CBEdu RESOURCES: Naturalized Plant Species. Lawns. Fields. Meadows. Grocery Stores. Brewing Supply Shops. Libraries. Book Stores.
• SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Cooking. Baking. Brewing.