It’s the most wonderful time of year… Spring has sprung, the rain has come, and little yellow flowers are popping up all over the yard. That’s right, it’s time for the Dandelions.
Dandelions are among the lovely weeds that are not only edible, but extremely nutritious from root to flower. While the root and leaves can be used for a million different things, here we will focus on harvesting the flowers and infusing them into an oil to use topically (not meant for ingestion). Along with containing powerful antioxidants, dandelion flowers have anti-inflammatory and mild pain-relieving properties, making them great for massage oils or therapy salves.
First, its important to note that there are a few flowers and weeds that resemble Dandelions, so it’s imperative to be able to accurately identify them. Notice the shapes of the leaves and flowers in the picture below:
Ok, so now you’ve identified the correct plant, and the flowers to pick. Time to start harvesting. You will want to remove the full flower blossom from the stem, keeping the base of the flower intact. I like to place my fingers all the way around the flower (like an arcade claw game), and gently pull up. If part of them stem comes out with the flower, no worries. You’ll just need to go through and remove the stems before drying them.
Once you have all your flowers removed from their stems, it’s good practice to wash them of bugs and any other debris. Always be sure to pick flowers that are free from harsh pesticides. Avoid areas you’re unsure about; any possible chemicals could make their way into your oil. Once the flowers have been washed, I like to get them as dry as possible by using a salad spinner. The flowers will stay intact and most of the excess water will be removed. This will also help to speed up the dehydration process.
Now that you have clean, dry flowers, it’s time to dehydrate them. If you don’t have a legitimate dehydrator, this is a simple process that can be done a couple ways:
- Spread them out on a baking pan and place in direct sun for at least 2-3 days or until they have fully dried and become crispy. You will want to bring them in at night or if it becomes windy.
- Place flowers on a baking pan and put in the oven for 2-3 hours. You will want to use a VERY low temperature as to not burn them. I generally leave it at about 160 degrees. Shake the pan every 45 mins or so to loosen the flowers and move them around.
Once dried, your dandelion flowers will shrink to about 1/3 their original size. It’s important to keep this in mind while harvesting, depending on how much oil you want to make.
You can now pack down your dried flowers into a canning jar, filling it about 3/4th of the way full. Then pour your carrier oil of choice over the flowers, filling until the flowers are completely covered, or to the top of the jar. Oil options include Jojoba, Grapeseed, Olive, Sweet Almond etc.
Now put the lid on your jar and store in a dry, dark place for 4-5 weeks. You can occasionally shake the flowers around if you like. When the time is up, slowly strain the oil into a clean jar using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth.
Now your oil is ready to use! It can be added to salves, massage oils, facial oils, lotions or soap bars!
Happy harvesting.