Crafty Little Gnome

How to Make Dandelion Root Tea

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Make dandelion root tea from common weeds growing in your garden. Learn to harvest dandelion roots and make delicious tea after they have been dried and ground up. Infuse the dandelion roots with water to make medicinal tea that can help to detoxify your liver, improve appetite, soothe digestive issues, and possibly relieve constipation.
 

how to make dandelion root tea
How to Make Dandelion Root Tea

Did you know those pesky dandelions growing in your yard are edible? Yup, and they are actually good for you too. As spring turns into summer more and more dandelions will start blooming in our yard and on the rest of the farm.

There is no way we could ever destroy those weeds all no matter how hard we try. We cut the grass regularly but the roots are still growing beneath the soil. Since we don’t use chemical pesticides in our garden we can either ignore and cut the dandelions down or try to dig them up from the roots.

If you are suffering from the never-ending dandelion battle you may want to try using them to improve your health by making dandelion tea.

What does dandelion tea do for the body?

  • It is believed to help cleanse the liver and gallbladder.
  • It can increase the flow of bile through the liver and biliary tract.
  • According to the University of Michigan dandelion is rich in vitamins A, B complex, C and D.
  • It is a source of iron, potassium and zinc.
  • Dandelion is a natural, mild laxitive

According to Learning Herbs dandelion is actually a Pre-biotic:

“Dandelion roots are high in a starchy substance called inulin. Inulin is not digested by humans, but when eaten it passes to the colon where it provides foods and nutrients for healthy gut flora. Many pro-biotic formulas now boast that they also contain pre-biotics like inulin. With dandelion roots you can avoid pills and let your food be your medicine.”

You can use pretty much the whole dandelion plant in different ways to make food and beverages.  The leaves and flowers can be added to salads and even used to make wine. Today I’m going to  show you how to make tea out of dandelion root.

Does dandelion tea help with water retention?

This a great tea to drink if you feel like your body needs a bit of a cleanse.

Some herbs and dietary supplements, such as dandelion, ginger, parsley, hawthorn and juniper, may have a diuretic effect that can help with sodium and water retention. But proceed with caution before you take any supplements. … In theory, natural diuretics may help relieve fluid retention by making you urinate more.

Dandelion should not be used in place of prescription medication or as a substitute to medical care.  If you are unsure if you should be using dandelion root for medicinal purposes check with your doctor first.

dandelion root tea in cup with yellow flower

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How do you make fresh dandelion tea?

Step 1: Harvesting dandelion roots for tea

This is the hardest part. The roots are tough to get out. The bigger the bunch of leaves growing out of the ground, the bigger the roots. Try to harvest after it has rained. The ground will be considerably softer and it will be easier to pull out  the roots .

Using a small shovel slice into the dirt surrounding the root. Try to loosen the soil and then grasp the root as deep as you can and pull. Some will come out nicely, some will just snap off.  Trim the leaves off the root. You can discard them or add them to a salad.

Two important things to remember, 1) only use roots of plants that you know for sure are dandelion 2) Only harvest from dandelions you know have not been sprayed with weed killer or other nasty chemicals.  You can harvest any time of the year but it is believed that the roots will have the most nutritional value in the spring and fall.

Here is more information from Joybilee Farm:

“Dandelion roots harvested in fall are slightly sweeter and less bitter than dandelion roots harvested in the spring. Both are helpful to your liver and bile production though. The fall dandelion roots have a higher concentration of the prebiotic inulin,that encourages the good microbes in your gut to bloom. Having more beneficial microbes in your gut like lactobacillus, improves your immune function, helps you think more clearly, protects you from bad microbes like staph, and strep, and even helps you maintain a healthy weight.”

For more in depth information check out this video from Rain Country:

dandelion roots on grass
big roots on this one

How to dry and cook dandelion root

Can you eat dandelion roots raw? Yes but they won’t taste very good. Most parts of the dandelion plant are very bitter. The roots will taste much better roasted.

You will need the following to prep dandelion roots for tea:

  • dandelion roots
  • Kitchen knife
  • Roasting pan
  • Coffee grinder

Once you have gathered enough roots, take them to the kitchen. Wash them thoroughly and pick off the fibrous stringy bits. Rinse them again and then cut into small pieces. You want them ¼ – ½ inch pieces or smaller.

Place on a roasting pan and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.  Flip after one hour to make sure all the sides are roasted.  Once they are cooked try to chop them even smaller. You  can put them in a coffee grinder to make them even finer.

 
Dandelion roots with dirt on them laying on table
Dirty roots waiting to be rinsed
dandelion roots cleaned and chopped into 1 inch pieces
Chopped up in the pan, waiting to be roasted
dandelion roots roaster and chopped
Out of the oven. Notice how much they shriveled up
dandelion roots stored in mason jar
This was how much was yielded after the roots were roasted and chopped

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How to brew dandelion root tea

Put your root powder in a tea infuser and steep for about 20 minutes. It tastes very light and kind of earthy, a little sweet and a little bitter. I added a cinnamon stick to mine for a little more flavor.

Next time I think I will add some cloves and some nutmeg for even more flavor. You can drink it on it’s own, it’s just a little bland for my taste.  Store extra root powder in an airtight container.

 The tea was a lot lighter in taste and color than I was expecting. I steeped it for a very long time but it didn’t get very strong. Considering the time it takes to prepare the root this isn’t something I would make on a regular basis but I did have fun making it.
 
When you are making tea you never want to steep the tea in boiling water. You should bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a few minutes before adding your diffuser or tea bag.
 
If you place the tea in boiling water to steep you may burn the tea and it can affect the taste.
 

I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t plan on liking the taste but I actually don’t mind it at all. Since I have so many dandelions growing in my yard I will be experimenting with other recipes like dandelion salad and wine. Stay tuned.

dandelion root tea in mug on table with dandelion flowers

What are the side effects of using dandelion root tea?

Dandelion is likely safe for most people when used in the amounts commonly found in food. It is possibly safe when used in medicinal amounts (larger amounts than those found in food).

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of dandelion during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Ragweed allergy: Dandelion can cause allergic reactions when taken by mouth or applied to the skin of sensitive people. People who are allergic to ragweed and related plants (daisies, chrysanthemums, marigolds) are likely to be allergic to dandelion. If you have allergies, be sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking dandelion.

Print

Dandelion Root Tea

Make dandelion root tea with dandelions from your garden. Turn annoying weeds into medicinal tea

Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 5 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp dandelion root roasted and grinded

Instructions

  1. Clean and chop dandelion roots into one inch pieces. Roast them on a pan in the oven for 2 hours at 250 degrees

  2. Let the roots cool and grind them in a coffee grinder

  3. Place one tbsp in a tea diffuser and steep in hot water until it reaches your desired taste.

Comments

  2. Hi Adrienne!

    How are you?

    I sure am glad I stumbled upon your blog. Haha. It's cool and the crafts and recipes you posted are quite fun – they are the kinds I enjoy perusing.

    This is definitely a cool type of tea. I really love tea – I doubt if we have dandelion from where I live but this is definitely cool.

    Have a good week! 🙂

  3. Hello,

    Thanks for the informative post. The reason your tea was so light was because you need to boil water with the root for at 5-10min (5 min minimum) and then I let it sit for a good 5-10 min again. You'll get full body taste from doing this. It's delicious, nutrition and very healthy for the liver and other organs.

  5. sounds like so much fun I got inspired by all the dandelions on the side of the road

  6. Well as of today Sunday April 22 2012 released on CBC news this morning the federal gov has given a sizeable grant to a team of researchers in Ontario after dandelion root extract caused cancer cells to commit suicide snd cured one man who was deemed terminal with lieukemia

  7. That's how I ended up here 🙂

    Is the oven step for drying, or to improve flavor? I'm asking because I would normally use a dehydrator to dry leaves and roots for tea.

    Thanks!

  9. I picked a bunch of Dandelion roots earlier and I had no idea how to prepare them and this was a perfect and simple explaination for a newbie gardener like me. Thank you!

  10. Also try Burdock root tea or the two together, They both share the same qualities. Did you know that Dandelion was called “yellowdock”? Also try washing your tired legs and feet with this tea (let dry naturally ie: don't wipe it off) I use fresh ingredients and therefor don't bother to dry them prior to use. Also after the tea is made I mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with lipton iced tea (lemon or green) and drink it all day and that I really enjoy. I cut about 1 cup of the roots up very small or very thin and bring to a boil, let it boil for 5 minutes then turn the burner off and let remain until cool. This is a good time to dip your cup in and try it hot with a little honey and lemon. This will keep in the refridgerator for up to a week.

  12. Likely, it is for drying. That length and temperature is indicative of a drying method.
    Additionally, if your are looking for medicinal enhancement, add chicory root (another side-of-the road plant), ginger root, licorice root, star anise, and, for females, it is always good to integrate turmeric. Turmeric is another herb associated with anti-cancer properties but specific for the female reproductive system.

  13. wow I found this to be very informative and plan on trying this and using on a regular basis. I am trying to use natural remedies instead of the counter stuff which you think about it after reading all the side effects these over the counter drugs have or may cause I would rather go natural.

  14. I believe that “yellow dock” generally refers to Rumex crispus, another weed but much larger that dandelion.

  15. Roots most often need to be prepared as a decoction (boiling) rather than an infusion (steeping). You could boil with a small slice of ginger root to give it a nice sweet and spicy flavor to counterbalance the earthy and slightly bitter flavor. An infusion of the flower is a good facial astringent.

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  17. Awesome information! Came across your little page here while searching for some info on Dandelion tea. Thanks for the post! I'll try this today. 😀

  18. I just found this site today also. Last year I was in a horrific car accident and am still working on healing. My Mom saw on Dr Oz that dandelion is a great cleanse. How much root per cup and how many cups a day. Can I add the leaves?? When will I see benefits of drinking the tea? Thanks for taking time to answer.

  20. I would also suggest adding some crushed green cardamom pods while steeping the dandelion roots. I had tons of these buggers in my yard and I dug them out every year and now there are just few that show up in my garden. I have planted few dandelion in my pot using organic soil and harvest the leaves for salads.
    – Anu

  21. My neighbors think I'm crazy for not digging up my dandelions to keep them from taking over the yard. I think they're very pretty, but had never really thought about eating them before. I just pray enough come up in the yard at our new place so I can try this recipe. I love herbal teas!

  22. I doubt if we have (my farts dont stink but i hold my nose in the air anyway) from where I live but this is definitely cool.
    if you live in the united states you have dandelions

  23. Its amazing how good nature is to mankind.
    All this goodness is free and growing wild and we take advantage of them. Some of kill them off with weed killer. The stores sell them in salad too. Next time, I getting the stuff from my own garden!