Dandelion Lilac Tea
It’s Recipe Redux time again! I am so excited because I have been hanging on to my homemade dandelion tea for a few weeks now. If you follow my Instagram you always get a sneak peek into the YUM world and what I am currently working on.
This months theme for Recipe Redux was:
Floral Flavors – Nothing brightens up a dish like a real flower! Whether you live in the northern or the southern hemisphere, edible flowers can add flavor and aroma to salads, breads, spreads, desserts or dips. Make your recipe bloom with rose water, flowering herbs, floral teas, dried lavender blossoms or even fresh flowers like nasturtiums, violets, borage, squash, sunflowers or pretty much any blossom in a vegetable garden.
I was pretty excited for this because kiddo and I had picked some dandelions from our yard after I had stumbled upon some dandelion tea and wine recipes. I thought since we ALWAYS have so many dandelions growing at the beginning of summer that it would be a perfect chance to me to try some of these recipes. Hubby wasn’t for the idea. For some reason he has this weird quirk about dandelions. He says they gross him out. Kiddo and I just laugh at him.
We picked a nice bucket full and brought them in. I laid them out on newspaper and let them dry. We had also picked some dark and light lilacs (well, kiddo did. picking is her thing.) from our trees. I thought they would be good to dry out as well.
Tea is one of my favorite things. It does not have to be cold out for me to enjoy a nice cup of tea, but when it does get super hot out I am known to drop in a few ice cubes!
Once all my flowers were dried, this tea was super simple to make.
In a tea strainer I placed a dandelion flower, some stems and a bit of lilac. I boiled some water and poured that in my cup, placing the tea in there to steep.
What you come up with is this wonderful, fragrant and healthy dandelion lilac tea.
I’m sure you are wondering just what the health benefits of dandelion tea are.
Glad you asked. 😉
- Dandelions are natures diuretic.
- Dandelions can aid in improving digestion.
- I’ve heard that harvesting the actual root and mincing it can provide a natural (and free!) alternative to coffee.
- Dandelions can be a great addition to salad.
- Give your immune system a boost.
I do believe I am going to try making some dandelion wine next. I don’t have a lot of dandelions so I plan to make a small batch. Test the waters and see if I even like it. Most of the instructions I have found call for a quart or more of dandelions. The little jar you see here is all I have. No quart here. But, if I mix it with some lilacs, perhaps. I might be worth holding on to these and seeing what sort of ingredients I can use from the garden and try out a new flavor!
Because, that is how we learn, right?
Tea. Do you like it? Whats your favorite? How about your feelings towards dandelions?
If you are interested in how others are incorporating flowers into their recipes, please check out the Recipe Redux list for this month!
Enjoy!
I have about 232.323 of them in my yard and I had no idea they served a purpose of any kind. This is so cool.
I’ll take them! LOL
I must say this is pretty neat. I love drinking tea but never thought to use a flower to infuse it. I would love to see how your dandelion wine comes out!
I was hoping for another batch of dandelions to sprout. This time of year I dont get many because hubs is always mowing!
I have heard of people using them to make a drink, but I think I was thinking beer. I did not know that you could use them for tea! I learn something new every day.
Oh beer?? I might have to look for that. I know they make wine with them. Good stuff.
My grandpa used to have me help him pick them out of the yard. I should have saved them for my grandma’s tea! She loved to drink tea.
Great story. I wonder if my grandmother did too. I know my aunt makes wine out of them!
It would take me a little bit to wrap my mind around a tea based on a weed, but I’m sure I’d give it a try! I know this is fairly popular.
I have a feeling a lot of herbs started out as ‘just weeds’ at some point until someone started to use them. Just a heads up, they do make dandelion tea already in satchels. I think Yogi makes one. This way, you will never know it came out of your own yard! 😉
I love dandelion leaves in my juices. They are a bit bitter but so good for you
I agree. That is why I added lilac. Gave it a bit different taste. I also like mixing with some simple black tea. The last one I tried was this recipe mixed with a peach tea. Delish.
I’ve heard of others using dandelions (especially in drinks.) It sounds interesting, though I don’t know if I’m brave enough (yet) to try it myself!
Oh you should! Its pretty interesting. Once they are washed and dried out they really dont resemble a dandelion much.
I just saw a book about eating foraged food. I think it was called Eating Wild. As a child we gathered nuts, but I could never get into dandelions.
That sounds like a book I need to read.
I do not drink tea that much but my hubs loves it.Interesting way to use dandelion i have plenty around now i know what to do with them thank you lol.
You are welcome. I hope you give it a try and enjoy.
finally more ways to benefit from dandelions!! my uncle in law makes dandelion wine
Thats next on my list to try and make!
I’m like you with the tea. I can drink it cold or hot weather and be happy. 🙂 This is a cool share!
Thank you!
I have heard of dandy lions in a salad but never in a tea before. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome!
To me they are a weed and I just don’t know if I can get over that enough to try drinking a tea made from them. I’d be scared to pick the ones from my yard for fear of weed control sprays and stuff on them.
We don’t use anything on our yard. I also wash them before I use them. It’s no different than herbs from a garden.
I had no clue you could use them for any purpose at all! lol I will have to do some research on this, I have plenty of them to use lol
Glad to be of help 😉
Neat idea! The dandelions don’t gross me out but I’m not about to eat them either!
They are completely different once washed and dried out. I wondered if I would like them too.
I’ve heard of dandelion tea but I’ve never had it. Good to know they can be useful!
Its kinda weird, but hey, I’ll take it since its free!
I love tea. I’ve never tried dandelion tea, though!
I hope you give it a go sometime.
I have not had dandelion tea. But it sounds like it is a healthy tea to enjoy.
Its really good. I have been experimenting with other flavors, too.
Dandelions to drink…thats a new concept. I am sure there are some holistic benefits to it so thanks for sharing this interesting tidbit!
You are very welcome!
This sounds just lovely. I drink a lot of tea. I’ll have to try this.
I hope you do!
I didn’t even know they had that kind of tea. I’m going to have to try it out.
I hope you do and let me know how you like it. Dont be afraid to experiment with different flavors by mixing it with your favorite tea!
I didn’t even know they had that kind of tea. I’m going to have to try it out.
Love Dandelion tea. Been drinking it most of my life.
I am glad to meet someone else who enjoys it!
Love Dandelion tea. Been drinking it most of my life.
I told my husband that dandelions were useful and he wouldn’t believe me. I have to show him this.
My husband hates them! He was clueless too. He still hates them though. lol
This tea looks delicious. I always love to find a new diuretic, especially during those annoying times of the month.
I think this would be useful for that and if you are lucky enough to have the dandelions in your yard – free! Cant beat that.
This tea looks delicious. I always love to find a new diuretic, especially during those annoying times of the month.
I think this would be useful for that and if you are lucky enough to have the dandelions in your yard – free! Cant beat that.
The tea looks yummy! I never knew that dandelions had so many health benefits
If you give it a try, please let me know!
I had no idea you could actually eat (or in this case drink) dandelions. Very cool! I’m not a tea person but that sounds really interesting.
It’s pretty cool to take a free thing growing in your yard and use it for something useful.
I had no idea you could actually eat (or in this case drink) dandelions. Very cool! I’m not a tea person but that sounds really interesting.
I’m not a big tea drinker, but the display looks delicious. I need to give it a try!
Thank you Krystal. Let me know if you do.
Wow I had no idea that dandelions had so many health benefits and i also had no idea that you could even use them this way.
I found it pretty interesting. I had known about its uses for a while but never bothered to give it a try. Maybe next year I will actually did up the roots and make root tea and coffee. I hear its amazing.
I have never even thought about using out weeds in tea! This is very cool- but I might sit this one out and stick to my earl gray!
It’s not for everyone. But the tea has a really mellow taste. You wouldn’t think it was a weed at all.
I have never even thought about using out weeds in tea! This is very cool- but I might sit this one out and stick to my earl gray!
I knew they were edible as I’ve seen a lot more recipes including them I just didn’t know they were healthy. Using them would bring back tons of memories of rubbing them along the insides of our wrists, I can’t even remember what for now.
I did that too. Something about mommy made it to the bathroom, daddy made it to the bathroom but baby did not. LOL.
I would like to try more natural teas like this. It would be fun to make my own out of dandelions and lilac.
Let me know how you like it if you give it a try.
I’ve been seeing more and more dandelion posts. I’ve actually never tried eating them myself. Tea may be a way to ease into that
I’ve been seeing more and more dandelion posts. I’ve actually never tried eating them myself. Tea may be a way to ease into that
I have been wanting to add them to my salads. I hear its wonderful. But now we don’t have many in the yard 🙁
I’ve used edible flowers before, but never dandelion and never in a beverage. I can’t wait to try this!
I hope you like it! I find it tastes good mixed with a nice black tea too.
I’ve used edible flowers before, but never dandelion and never in a beverage. I can’t wait to try this!
I hope you like it! I find it tastes good mixed with a nice black tea too.
That is very interesting. I don’t know if I will be brave enough to try it though. Thanks for linking up to Tasty Tuesdays at Creative K Kids. I pinned it to the Tasty Tuesdays Pinterest Board.
Thanks for having me!
Thanks for having me!
I did that too. Something about mommy made it to the bathroom, daddy made it to the bathroom but baby did not. LOL.
Glad to be of help 😉
You are welcome. I hope you give it a try and enjoy.
Oh you should! Its pretty interesting. Once they are washed and dried out they really dont resemble a dandelion much.
I have a feeling a lot of herbs started out as ‘just weeds’ at some point until someone started to use them. Just a heads up, they do make dandelion tea already in satchels. I think Yogi makes one. This way, you will never know it came out of your own yard! 😉
I’ll take them! LOL
I’m not a big tea drinker, so I don’t think I’d care for this. The only dandelions I get are ones that my 3 year old has crumpled and picked from the yard.
I understand. If you are not a fan of tea, then you probably won’t care for it. I do know you can dig up the roots for coffee. There are actually dandelion coffees on the market. All the health benefits with none of the work.
I am a tea lover. I love chamomile, black and green but they are all store brought. Sadly, I live in a NYC apt and don’t have any dandelions I can pick. Boo! Btw, I’ll be tweeting from @MsLatina and @MomsRising on the 4th of July sharing healthy recipes during their #FoodFri chat — 1pm EST. Feel free to tweet your recipes. Just make sure to add #FoodFri to your tweets. Hope to you can join!
Thank you so much for the invite. I will surely try to make it. You can buy dandelion tea at any tea shop, health food store and even supermarkets. All the benefits, none of the work!
Thank you so much for the invite. I will surely try to make it. You can buy dandelion tea at any tea shop, health food store and even supermarkets. All the benefits, none of the work!