A couple of questions about dandelions

[aln]

I want to try dandelion coffee and I was thinking about making it in a stove top espresso maker. Has anyone tried this? I have the roots dried and ground, how many teaspoons per cup?
The other thing I'm wondering about is dandelion wine. All the the recipes I've read say to remove all the green from the flower heads. Does this mean only the petals are used?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Crastney]

dandelion wine - remove as much green as you can from the flowers, only use the flower heads - a bit of green won't matter, but try to minimize it as much as possible.

[MKG]

Crastney's absolutely right. Get rid of the green in a reasonable manner - you don't have to be anal about it, though.

Mike

[boboff]

Crastney's absolutely right. Get rid of the green in a reasonable manner - you don't have to be anal about it, though.

Mike

So you can use your hands?

[MKG]

I knew there was something about this place I was missing

[Zech]

I've tried dandelion root coffee in a cafetiere. 2-3 teaspoons for a mugful of coffee seems about right, possibly more if you like your coffee strong (which I don't). The first batch I tried was really nice, but I roasted the second batch too hot and it was more bitter, so if you don't like the first attempt, variations in roasting might make a difference.

Also dandelion flowers - yes, leave on the green that holds the flower together, remove the other bits, more or less.

[prison break fan]

MKG, I see you are back! Can you help? I am trying to find your recipe for fruit tea bag wine, but am pretty stupid on the computer, can you please point me in the right direction. Cheers. Have just made dandelion wine for the first time. pbf.

[Skippy]

I've tried the dandelion wine but to be honest I thought it was a lot of faff and fiddly for the end result , still drunk it mind.
Funnily enough I was talking to a friend recently about dandelions and he recalled a tale told to him by his mother (possiblily a old wives tale )which says that handling the flowers makes you wee yourself. I can't say I'd heard it before but my daughter has now discovered "dandelion clocks" and tries to tell the time when we are out walking.


Pete

[niknik]

Not an old wive´s tale Skippy, well not in the sens you might mean of it being incorrect!
Dandilions have diuretic properties!, and it isn´t for nothing that they are called pissenlit (pissthebed) in French

[aln]

it isn´t for nothing that they are called pissenlit (pissthebed) in French

Growing up in Scotland we called them pee-the-beds.

[MKG]

MKG, I see you are back! Can you help? I am trying to find your recipe for fruit tea bag wine, but am pretty stupid on the computer, can you please point me in the right direction. Cheers. Have just made dandelion wine for the first time. pbf.

Sorry, pbf - I missed your reply completely. Here's the recipe ...

Box of 20 fruit tea bags of choice (not minty, chamomiley stuff) which should contain mainly hibiscus petals and then a few other flavourings like raspberry, blackberry etc.
One common or garden tea bag.
One kilo of sugar.
Yeast nutrient (optional but highly recommended).
Anything between 10 and 25 milligrams crushed Vit. B1 (optional).
Juice of half a lemon or orange (or a good squeeze of PLJ or a level teaspoon of citric acid).
Yeast.

Put the sugar in a big pan and the teabags on top. Pour on a kettleful of boiling water, stir until the sugar dissolves, cover and leave to cool. When cool, remove the bags (don't forget to squeeze) and then transfer to a demijohn (or whatever you're using). Top up with cold water leaving a bit of space for possible frothing (not seen too often). add the nutrient, B1 and lemon juice, and give it a good stir. Add the yeast, airlock on, go away for a week. Come back and top up to the gallon, go away for another week. It will fall absolutely clear when it's finished, at which point you can rack it.

Mike

[Andy Hamilton]

The green bit of dandelion will impart a bitter flavour to the wine, so yep just the leaves. I've also made dandelion coffee in a filter but you don't even have to be that prescise I've made by just pouring hot water over cut up bits of the root.