Dandelions?

[Keith2202]

How do eat the leaves raw in salads? I find them very bitter.
I stick them through the juicer and in soups as that disguises the taste with all the other ingredients, but you still get all the free nutrients!

[Two_Sheds]

How do eat the leaves raw in salads? I find them very bitter.

They are *supposed* to be forced/blanched, like early rhubarb - then you get tender, less bitter leaves.

[Keith2202]

Ah right, thanks.
Can't be bothered doing that, so in the soup they stay!

[divvy]

In the markets in france we saw them for sale , they were not blanched though , just the same as in the garden and in bunches like watercress . I add them to salads too but only the small baby leaves , before they get too bitter.

[TonyF]

I've never seen them blanched here, unless it's for the posher end restaurants. Most people just pick the leaves when they're very young and eat then or make soup. This year we've been over run with them but a quick strim before they seed sorts that out - and as we don't do lawn here, a few dandelions don't make that much difference, nor do the daisies that are pushing up on one of the cultivated banks in the garden, they look quite nice too.

[stupot]

I'm off to rip some of the B&%ggers out of my lawn now. Send me a SAE and you can have the lot

[Warmframe]

Pinch out the flower stems as they appear, so their strength is not waste in flowering for strong roots and leaves, i think that will keep everyone happy

[Sonata]

Hi!

I'm just down the road from you, in Ashford. I'm also growing dandelion - and have a strawberry seed tray of them growing on my windowsill. I have grand plans to make coffee!

I'd just put some mesh over them, or perhaps a fleece cloche/tunnel sort of thing. I'm sure I've seen some sort of netting that's a bit like what you put in your windows - in fact, perhaps try some of that?

[anneatkins]

Yeah, the window screen was what I thought, too! THANKS!

It's also a good idea to kill off the flowers once they come, I think. Will try that.

[nerobot]

Think I might grow some in my balcony when I move house. Does anyone know know what the best type of seed to grow is?

Steven