A Detailed Guide to Dandelion Harvesting Time and Tea-Making Methods

Every spring, the hillsides and the edges of grasslands become covered with dandelions, very beautiful, and at this time many people also dig some up to take home to cook as a dish or brew as tea. But because dandelion has strong medicinal effects, many people like to make it into tea leaves and steep them in water to drink. So when is the best time to dig dandelion? How do you make it into tea?

1. Introduction to dandelion:

1. Is dandelion a cold-natured or hot-natured plant?

Dandelion is a cold-natured plant, so people with a cold constitution should not eat it, to avoid excessive coldness causing physical discomfort. People in good health can eat it regularly, and it can clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling, protect the liver, and so on, so it is very suitable for people with sore and swollen throat, damp-heat jaundice, cholesterol and other conditions.

2. When does dandelion appear?

Dandelion is a perennial herb of the Asteraceae family. It generally blooms in early April, enters full fruit stage in May, and about half a month after fruiting, it blooms all year round, and once concentratedly blooms again in September to October, at which time many people pick it and take it home to eat.

2. When is the best time to dig dandelion?

Dandelion can be dug at any time, depending specifically on how you intend to use it, because dandelion can not only be eaten as a dish, but also brewed as tea and used as a medicinal herb. The specific digging times are as follows:

1. Digging time for eating: it is best to dig during the Spring Festival period each year, and the best time is around Qingming, when the dandelion has not yet bloomed and the leaves are still relatively tender, so the wild vegetable made from it is also fresh and tender, and it is very good whether served as a cold salad or steamed.

2. Digging time for brewing tea: it can be dug around Qingming, but the taste is slightly milder, and it can be brewed directly as tea. Of course, it can also be dug in August to September; dandelion during this period is bitter and high in nutritional value.

3. Digging time for use as a medicinal herb: dig in August to September, and the whole plant can be used; dandelion during this period is bitter and high in nutritional value.

3. How do you make dandelion tea?

Step 1: After picking the dandelion and bringing it home, wash it clean, then leave it to soak in clean water for two hours.

Step 2: Take the dandelion out and put it in a cool, ventilated place to drain off the water. At this point there are two ways:

Method 1, direct sun-drying: simply put it directly under the sun and dry it until it is about 60 to 70 percent dry.

Method 2, steaming in a pot: simply put it directly into a pot and steam it, but do not steam it for too long, otherwise it will be steamed too mushy.

These two ways can be chosen freely. If you are pressed for time, choose the second; if you are not pressed for time and the weather is good, choose the first.

Step 3: Put the prepared dandelion in a pot and stir-fry it. Before stir-frying, try to wash the pot clean, to avoid oil inside it. Of course, it is best to use a new pot for stir-frying, to avoid oil in the pot, because if there is oil in the pot, the dandelion stir-fried at that time will have a smell of cooking fumes, and then when brewed it will have an oily taste, losing its mouthfeel. In addition, when stir-frying, control the heat, use low heat and stir-fry slowly, for about 10 minutes, and keep turning it constantly to ensure the dandelion leaves are heated evenly.

Step 4: After stir-frying for a certain time, when the dandelion has a slight aroma, rub it with both hands, just like hand-making tea, but if you do not care about the shape, it does not matter, and you can just stir-fry it dry.

Step 5: After stir-frying, put it in a cool place to dry.

When stir-frying the tea, be careful not to burn your hands. Beginners in particular should try to wear a pair of gloves. If you have stir-fried tea by hand before, then you can do it directly with your hands.

Overall, hand-stir-frying dandelion tea is a relatively simple thing. Master a few key steps: wash clean - air-dry (60 to 70 percent dry) - stir-fry - air-dry.

The above is a detailed introduction to dandelion harvesting time and tea-making methods, and I hope it is helpful to everyone.