You know those little yellow flowers everywhere? You know…the ones some people get really upset about and go around killing them off, yeah, them. They’re pretty little things too. Well, it turns out they are actually really helpful little plants.

First I need to get one thing out of the way before I go on any further. If you are on any medication, or are pregnant or nursing or could have allergies, then please check with your doctor before using any herbs or natural plants that could interfere with medications you are on.

Okay…now onto the fun part. It’s time to go foraging for Dandelions. Make sure you pick from clean areas, no chemicals or pesticides sprayed in the areas you forage. One of our historic properties we are fixing up has tons of Dandelions everywhere on the land, and we don’t use chemicals on our gardens, so I took a break from working one day and started picking Dandelions to use later for recipes.

Here are a few recipes to use your Dandelions for…

Dandelion Salve.

3.5 ounces ( 100 grams) of Dandelion infused oil, 0.5 ounces (15 grams) of beeswax pastilles, 0.5 ounces of Tamanu oil (optional), Add the oil and beeswax into a heat proof container. Set it gently into a pan containing several inches of water, Gently bring the temperature up to medium-lowish heat and let the container stay in the makeshift double boiler until the wax is melted. Remove from heat and carefully pour into tins of jars, then let sit until firm. Shelf life of salve is 9 months to a year.

Dandelion vinegar.

Use fresh clean and organic Dandelion blossoms and leaves-rinse well and fill a jar full of them, making sure to not pack too tightly. Pour apple cider vinegar over the fresh plant matter until jar is filled. Cover the top of jar with wax paper or plastic wrap and then a lid. This added layer keeps the acidity from the vinegar from eating away at the metal lids. We have plastic lids for some of our canning items that use vinegar in their recipes to prevent that from happening. Place the covered jar in a dark cabinet and store for 4-6 weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain and it’s ready to use, dilute with equal parts water and use as a hair rinse. Or you could dilute with water and dab on itchy bug bites.

Another way to use Dandelion vinegar is to pour 1 cup of vinegar into a bath along with one cup of Epsom salts for achy tired muscles. Dandelions are full of minerals. Such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron. The whole plant is safe for animals and everything on it, including the leaves and roots are edible. Please check with your MD first in case you are on other medications that don’t mix well with natural healing. Poor little plants get a bad rap, always being destroyed once they pop up. Research the benefits and history of this plant and you will understand why this gift that God created for us, is a really good one. Happy Dandelion hunting everyone.