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Up in.. Amana, Iowa.. They have Amana Village which is kinda like an Amish/Mennonite/craft kinda thing. They have alot of craftsmen around and specialty shops.. That kind of thing. Here you go..
Anyway.. They had wine tastings.. First off.. Not a wine person.. But they had Dandelion Wine. That was high enough on the weird-o-meter that I had to give it a shot.
Tastes EXACTLY like they smell.. While the smell isn't bad.. That's not a good taste.
..... I did multiple searches on poisonous weeds, and found nothing that resembles dandelions, which to me are very recognizable and have a yellow flower that even children know.....
That's because you were looking for the wrong thing. Instead of doing searches on poisonous weeds and then looking for resemblances to dandelions, you should do searches on plants that are dandelion look-alikes or what are known as false dandelions and then do searches on those plants' potential edibility or toxicity.
There are numerous species of plants that are dandelion look-alikes in both leaf and flower that are in the dandelion tribe of plants within the daisy family. And there are others that are not even remotely in the dandelion tribe. Some of them have really toxic properties, and others aren't very toxic and might even taste like dandelion and be tolerated in small quantities but they contain compounds that can still have a mildly ill effect on kidneys or liver and can cause severe stomach pains and diarrhea.
Young sow thistle for example has leaves and flowers that look absolutely identical in appearance and taste to dandelion (to most people) when it's a tender young plant but it's not edible for humans and even herbivores and birds that love to chow down on real dandelions won't ever touch sow thistle. Half the time when amateur foragers and gatherers are hunting for dandelions in their yards they are picking young sow thistle by mistake because they can't tell the plants apart. There are several other types of thistles besides sow thistle that look like dandelion when they are young plants, but which when they mature become unmistakably NOT dandelion.
Here's another hint - if you see plants that look and taste exactly identical to dandelion, check to see if anywhere the leaves or stems have any fuzz on them. If they have even the slightest, most miniscule, almost invisible hint of fuzz or tiny hairs on them they are not dandelions.
This is a tough as nails weed that surprisingly begins wilting soon after picking. A few times during early Spring we typically pick to make a salad for lunch with them right after cleaning. A good soak in cold water after being cleaned gets them nice and crisp again.
Fresh pick vegetables last much longer in my fridge, this is store bought.
However, I feel nervous. Every web site I visited warned 'please buy your dandelion greens in the grocery and never pick wild greens unless you are an expert, because so many very poisonous weeds mimic edible plants.'
I did multiple searches on poisonous weeds, and found nothing that resembles dandelions, which to me are very recognizable and have a yellow flower that even children know. I've had vegetable gardens and never worried about dogs cats and wild animals contaminating them (another big warning.)
I only ate a few bites of my salad last night, and this morning I feel fine. I'd like to eat the rest of it today. Would you eat it?
(I've planted lettuce seeds, but there won't be any lettuce, I'm guessing, until June. Meanwhile, the dandelion is all over the place.)
Oh yes! Just make sure that they were not sprayed with a toxic "weed killer". Dandelions are food, to me.
Would I eat it? I do eat then. In many countries in Europe they are thought of as a Spring tonic, or cleanser.
dandelions are known to lower body inflammation which helps decrease your bad cholesterol and lower your blood pressure if you don't have underlying issues. However pesticides can increase inflammation, i would definitely avoid pulling them from lawns unless you know you don't use any pesticides. Probably safe to pull from side of roads that are not being managed. They are super easy to grow indoors since they are weeds.
Pesticides like roundup causes cancer and research shows are the leading causes of allergies and possibly birth defects and fertility issues with men.
I had some fresh today with my escarole lettuce. Not as bitter as I thought. I kind of like it raw.
I agree, when picked in Spring dandelions are not overly bitter as they can get later in the Summer. If you can pick in a pesticide-free location you are guaranteed great nutritional benefits not to mention a nice flavorful salad or as cooked greens.
I feel, knowing about where I pick my dandelions gives me advantage over most produce coming from a store because I have no idea what is on store-bought or where it came from other than which country.
dandylion and burdock make a nice probiotic drink, burdock leaves are heart shaped and flat against the ground, difficult to get with a lawnmower, the drink is made from the roots.
This fellow Daniel Haritan is a naturalist with graduate level science knowledge and seems to know what he's talking about. He outlines the various nutritive qualities of the dandelion flower: polyphenols, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory (COX-2 inhibitor), and chemo-preventive (anti-angiogenic properties, thus may help prevent cancer).
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