Charlotte LR Payne
Charlotte LR Payne
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Dandelions / pis-en-lit / たんぽぽ

5/8/2015

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Today, I decided to ignore the election results and make dandelion tea instead.

Did you ever use dandelions to tell the time? Did you ever use the milky residue from dandelion stems as a medicine?

No? I did! I have no idea who taught me these things, but I do remember very vividly the person who taught me the French word for dandelion - 'pis-en-lit'. This literally means 'piss the bed', which is great, and according to my grandfather anyone eating dandelion leaves is pretty likely to do just that...

Anyway! He was right. Tea made from dandelion root and/or leaf is a traditional remedy for all sorts of things, including kidney problems, iron-deficiency anemia, liver damage and constipation. 

So, today (after an evening that may not have been particularly kind to my liver), I resolved to make dandelion tea.

I began by digging up a few dandelions:
Picture
And then, I separated the roots from the leaves, and chopped them into tiny pieces:
Picture
Picture
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Next, I'll roast the chopped roots on a low heat for a couple of hours, and dry the leaves indoors for a few weeks. I really can't think of a better way to deal with today's news.
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