Dandelion Tea
Spring has arrived! The grass is green, tulips are blooming and the deciduous tress are starting to leave out. It’s a beautiful time of year up here in Maine. Spring in Colorado can be so short lived, sometimes there is only about two weeks of spring green between unexpected snow storms and the landscaping drying out to brown. Here in Maine spring is a slow building gradual thing that I’ve really enjoyed. This dandelion tea recipe is the perfect way to taste and enjoy spring.
Earlier this week my youngest son picked some dandelions and had a brilliant idea of selling dandelion tea to our neighbors. This truly melted my heart in so many ways. Our yard is currently a sea of dandelions so he has ample supply at literally zero cost, I love that he is providing a healthy beverage instead of the good ole fashion lemonade stand. Mostly I love his creativity and thinking outside the box. I hope he never looses it. So we decided to test out making dandelion tea together and took a walk down to the water while sipping our delicious homemade concoction.
How to Make Dandelion Tea
Making dandelion tea is so simple. All you need is a tea pot or mug with an infuser. Simply pick a bunch of dandelions, about two dozen works great for my 34oz Bodem tea pot. Rinse the dandelions in cold water and add them to the tea strainer basket. Heat up some hot water and pour over the dandelions. Let this steep for 5-10 minutes, then it’s ready to enjoy. It’s really that easy!
I only use dandelions from my own yard because I know they have not been treated with any pesticides or other chemicals. Be mindful of where you are collecting dandelions from for your tea. This is a wonderful job for little helpers. My kids absolutely love to go out and collect dandelion flowers for tea.
We use the dandelion flowers when making tea just because it easy but the entire dandelion plant: flower, leaves, and root are all eatable. You can experiment making tea with all parts of the plant and choose what you prefer. I hear roasting the roots is a great coffee substitute!
Health Benefits of Dandelion Tea
Health Benefits of Dandelion TeaIt is amazing that we have something so healthy growing in our yards that is often discarded and seen as a weed. I am also very guilty of this in the past, trying to keep my yard pristine. It’s quite liberating to now see the sea of yellow dandelions as a beautiful nutritional treat growing in my yard with zero effort.
Dandelion flowers are high in potassium, beta-carotene, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc. According to WebMD health benefits of dandelions include:
Anti-inflammatory Effects – Dandelion contains taraxasterol, a compound known for having significant antioxidant properties that combat inflammation. Taraxasterol can help regulate your white blood cells and keep them from triggering inflammation unnecessarily.
Lower Blood Pressure – Dandelion tea is an excellent source of potassium, a mineral and electrolyte that stimulates the heartbeat. Potassium may help the kidney filter toxins more effectively and improve blood flow.
Improved Liver Health – The polysaccharides in dandelion are known to reduce stress on the liver and support its ability to produce bile. They also help your liver filter potentially harmful chemicals out of your food.
Immune System Support – Dandelion is also a good source of Vitamin C, one of the most helpful vitamins for the immune system. The presence of Vitamin C may account for its reported effectiveness against seasonal colds.
Can you call that a weed? All of this nutritious goodness growing right in our back yard. Time to start brewing some tea!
PrintDandelion Tea
Super simple steps to brew homemade dandelion tea, made from dandelion flowers picked right from your yard.
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Plant based
- Method: No cooking
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- Approx. 24 dandelion flowers
- 8 cups of boiling water
- Tea pot with tea strainer
Instructions
- Wash dandelion flowers thoroughly.
- Put dandelion flowers in a tea strainer.
- Pour boiling hot water over the dandelion flowers and let the tea steap for 5-10 minutes. Then it’s ready to enjoy!
Notes
Delicious served hot or cold!
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