Dandelion Recipe: Lemonade

We have been having some hot spring days here in Washington this past week or so, and luckily there have still been some dandelions in full bloom. This has allowed us to enjoy a wonderful hot weather treatโ€ฆ dandelion lemonade. We love this dandelion recipe.

One of the best parts about making this dandelion recipe is that you get to spend a few minutes outside in the sunshine in your favorite dandelion path gathering fresh dandelion flowers. Dandelion flowers have a lovely mild taste with a hint of bitter that’s much less intense than the bitter flavors of dandelion root or dandelion leaves. In addition to dandelion lemonade, I also love making dandelion fritters with the dandelion flowers.

A closeup photograph of fresh squeezed lemon juice in a glass bowl
Freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a tasty addition to this dandelion flower lemonade.

How to Make Dandelion Lemonade

Making dandelion lemonade is a wonderful way to enjoy the health benefits of dandelion and to cool down on a hot spring or summer day.

Ingredients you’ll need…

-2 quarts of dandelion flowers
-The juice of 4 lemons
-Honey to taste

Yield: 1 gallon of dandelion lemonade

  1. After gathering the flowers, bring them inside and place them in a gallon jar.
  2. Fill the jar with room temperature water and add the lemon juice.
  3. Add fresh honey to taste, and chill.
  4. You can strain the flowers out after a few hours or just leave them to fall into the glasses when you serve the lemonade. Enjoy fresh.
A closeup photograph of a yellow dandelion flower in full bloom.
Abundant dandelion flowers offer many benefits.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)ย Medicinal Benefits

Dandelion blossoms steeped as tea can help relieve mild headaches, menstrual cramps, backaches, and stomach aches. So, not only will this dandelion recipe be a tasty treat, it will be another way to access the healing properties of these beautiful sunny edible flowers. Save a glass or two for the rainy spring days that inevitably follow the hot sunny ones, and perhaps you will find your spirits lifted as you drink.

A closeup photograph of a cup of dandelion coffee / dandelion tea on a wooden table.
Dandelion root coffee is a simply delicious dandelion recipe to make.

What Can You Do with Dandelions?

So, in addition to dandelion lemonade, what can you make with the dandelion plant? You can make dandelion root coffee with the roasted dandelion roots (which have a rich, earthy flavor), a dandelion greens pesto with the leafy greens, fermented dandelion stems, dandelion vinegar, a salad garnished with the yellow petals, dandelion syrup, and so many more dandelion recipes.

A closeup photograph of two children harvesting dandelion flowers.
Dandelion flowers are so fun to harvest together as a family.

Tips on How to Harvest Dandelions

There are a few different “dandelion seasons.” It’s best to harvest the dandelion greens in the early spring when they are young and less bitter. Dandelion roots can be harvested in the fall after the first frost or after they’ve gone to seed in the late spring. The flowers can be harvested while in they’re in bloom, and they’re typically most abundant in early spring. When harvesting dandelions, make sure to not harvest in a place that has been sprayed with pesticides. If you can’t find a place to harvest them, you can check your local farmers market or grocery store to see if they carry dandelion greens.

How Can I Learn More About Dandelion?

If you want to learn more about how to work with dandelions, including harvesting tips, medicinal benefits, and more, you can check out our comprehensive Dandelion Plant Profile (which features even more dandelion recipes) on HerbMentor. HerbMentor is our affordable online platform for herbal education. Right now you can try out HerbMentor for just $1 โ€” no strings attached. Sound too good to be true? See for yourself: HerbMentor is your affordable home for herbal education.

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