Wednesday, March 30, 2011

dandelion root

First go at making dandelion root coffee!

This stuff is great for you...it supports the health of your kidneys and your liver,can help purify your blood, help eliminate acne, assist in weight loss, increase the regularity of bowel movements, cuts down or eliminates acid indigestion and gas buildup...and the list goes on. In fact, "dandelion", or "Taraxacum officinale", means "Official Remedy for Disorders."

I thought I'd show you one way to utilize the power of the dandelion. Let me know if you try it!

Step 1:
Dig up the dandelion. You can find them all over the place...but we got them from our school yard. I forgot to photograph this, so here is a picture of a dandelion plant:


Try to get the whole root out if you can. It works better to use a shovel as opposed to ripping it out of the ground with your hands.
You can wash and use the leaves to eat as a salad, or satay them in some oil and garlic. If there are flowers on the plant, you can use them to make wine!

Here's what the roots look like:



Step 2:

Wash the roots.
I couldn't get them all the way clean, but I'm sure you could.





Step 3:
Now you're ready to chop.


Chop them up pretty small.



Step 4:
Once they are all chopped up, spread them out on a cookie sheet. I have read different things different places about how hot your oven should be. You are aiming to dry them out, and roast them. I set my oven at 130 and let them roast for about two hours, then blasted them in the broiler for a few minutes. I have heard that you can put your oven on 250 with the oven door open a little so the moisture can escape for about two hours. You can also use a dehydrator if you have one of those. Use your judgment, and check on them periodically. They should turn a darker brown, and shrink considerably in size. They should feel dry to the touch.




While you wait, I suggest going into the backyard, building a fire, roasting some apples, and experimenting with hypnosis techniques.





Step 5:
Once your roots are dried up and out of the oven, you're ready to grind them in a coffee grinder, or smash them up any way you please.
It's best to put the grounds in a french press, but if you grind them fine enough, they can also be used with a drip coffee brewer.




drink up, and enjoy the benefits.

4 comments:

Brittany said...

how did it taste sister??

Ricky Qumar said...

Yes, how did it taste?

Emily said...

well guys, it tasted....earthy, obviously. it smelled similar the potato chips which was odd...but it tasted pretty good! I don't think I could be tricked into thinking it was coffee..but I definitely liked it. It also wakes you up like coffee, without the caffeine. Possibly the placebo effect...or possibly all of those nice vitamins and minerals.

Mark Z. Ciarleglio said...

I want to try this!