Unfortunately, wild plants like dandelions only have a specific season in which they grow and can be collected. If you don't want to do without the dandelion in winter or want to save yourself the trouble of constantly collecting it in summer, you can dry or freeze it if necessary.

Leaves and flowers of the dandelion should be dried better to preserve them

The leaves and flowers prefer to dry

You should preferably dry the collected leaves and flowers if the quantities are too much. The leaves are tied together in bundles and hung upside down in a shady and airy place. If this is not possible, the leaves can also be dried in a dehydrator at temperatures between 30 and 40 °C.

The flowers are treated in a similar way. Since they are difficult to hang (the stalks containing the milky sap should be discarded), it is better to spread them out and air dry or in a dehydrator. This should be quick enough that the buds don't have a chance to close.

Frozen and thawed leaves are mushy

But why is it not advisable to freeze the leaves of dandelion? There are several reasons for this. The leaf structure is too soft. If the leaves were to be thawed again, they would be much limp and very wet. That doesn't look very appetizing. Even pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs, which otherwise like to eat dandelions, are usually not interested in thawed dandelions.

If you really want to freeze dandelion leaves, you should do it like this:

  • clean
  • cut small
  • Fill in ice cube trays with water
  • or chopped up and packed in freezer bags
  • freeze
  • suitable as a seasoning for soups and stews

The roots are suitable for freezing

On the other hand, the roots of dandelion are suitable for freezing. They retain their firm consistency as much as possible. Before freezing, they should be washed and cut into pieces about 1 cm thick. Alternatively, you can grate them finely with a grater and freeze them in a freezer bag.

tips

In order to get the best quality, you should be guided by the ideal harvest time for the leaves and flowers!

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

  • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Herbs