Ah, spring is finely here! We passed a yard the other day and it was covered with dandelions. Inspiration struck! We gathered our paring knives and headed out to the yard for a mini foraging expedition.
Dandelion recipes are found in just about every circa 1800s cookbook I’ve ever read. Most common are the boiled dandelion greens. We’re talking really, really boiled – from 20-60 minutes, which, I suppose, would make sense if you are preparing mature plants…

And while I’m sure that well-boiled dandelions are edible, I’m not sure if they’re palatable. Besides, who would prefer soggy greens to a fresh spring salad comprised of delicate young leaves?

Wondering how to get started with dandelions? The internet is filled with informational videos and how-tos, and it is pretty straight forward.
Summary:
- Find a dandelion infestation.
- Harvest.
- Clean.
- Cook. (or not)
Foraged Dandelion Greens Soaking in Cold Water & Vinegar
The cleaning part is a bit of work and will take several rinsings. I left our leaves soaking in cold water and vinegar over night to help loosen soil. Does the vinegar help to sanitize the greens? Maybe. Maybe not. But it doesn’t hurt.
Or so I thought…
As is want to happen, along came life and I did not have the opportunity to drain the greens the next morning…or even the next afternoon…
So they soaked. And they soaked.
And they soaked some more … until around lunchtime on day two, when I was able to take them out of the fridge and…YUCK! They were no longer fresh, vibrant, tender greens, but a grayish-green mishmash of soggy leaves.
Not even Freckles the rabbit would eat them (Yes, I know, using him as my poison checker may seem cruel, but in this instance I felt well entitled as the higher mammal in the house).
Back to square one.
We picked up our pairing knives and headed back to the yard to repeat the exercise. This time, opting out of the over-night soak. Using the recipe above, the salad came out well.

Served with sardines and toast, this made a lovely lunch. My daughter thought it was delicious, commenting, “It tastes like something you’d pay a lot of money for at California café.” High praise from my normally monosyllabic teen.
Chez Panisse here I come!
Lesson learned: If you don’t have time to properly clean your dandelion greens, feed them to the rabbits.
Have you every used dandelion greens? If so, what did you make and how did it turn out?
More Fun Discoveries
- Children’s 1922 Party Recipe
- Spinach…Contains Little Nourishment ~1856
- Resolutions on Temperance: “To Uphold Every Vice and Iniquity in the Land…” ~1866
Source: The Franco-American Cookery Book – or – How to Live Well and Wisely Every Day in the Year. By Felix Deliee, 1844.
Great post! And your salad looks lovely and delicious!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much! It was fun!
LikeLike
A fun read I must say. Will be trying it out. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do! Thanks for stopping by!!
LikeLike
Great! It was a family effort and tasted wonderful! I would use a stronger vinaigrette next time! Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
What a beautiful blog! It’s so impressive.. Love the whole old world charm of it. This recipe is so simple & amazing 👍🏻👍🏻
Your new reader,
Noorain
LikeLike
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you found it!
LikeLike
This is a great post, thanks for sharing! I love dandelions! They are so sunny and happy looking. I have just started a poetry blog here on WordPress in case you have time to look? Today’s post is about being in the moment and features a pic of me lying in a dandelion meadow! Happy Monday, Sam 🙂
LikeLike
Especially after a long winter – Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a tonne of dandelions in my garden right now. What a sight, but the platter looks nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are so cheery! Our rabbit loves them, too! I was reading a book about French cooking in Provence circa 1960 and it was describing how every family kept rabbits for meat and the workers would bring home greens on the way home from work to fatten them up!
LikeLike
I’m guessing the vinegar was to blame for them turning nasty during the long soak. Not that I know what I’m talking about, mind you. It’s just a guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very possibly-It would be a good experiment! The leaves are so delicate, much like baby spinach.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That surprises me, that they’re delicate. I think of dandelions as bitter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Bitter, yes – but as young greens, they’re very tender!
LikeLiked by 1 person