Photo by Lala89 on Flickr
Fall is my favorite season of the year. The weather in sunny and the weather where I’m at in Columbia, S.C., is cooling down. The leaves are changing and the last of the dandelions are blooming with their bright yellow flowers. I love to pick the flowers and create a delicious healthy elixir, in honor of the fall season. In my Pinehurst neighborhood, a great number of the bright yellow flowers grow all throughout the yard — I take my wicker basket and go off on a dandelion hunt!
When I have harvested all the flowers, I take them into the house, rinse them quickly, and put them in a medium pot with water and sugar to boil for 30 minutes. Soon, the whole house is warm and the fragrant, earthly smell of dandelion is all throughout the house. After the 30 minutes, I let the contents cool, and then I strain, and add it to a glass bottle, add a little yeast and wait about four days.
Some of the benefits of dandelion are regulating blood sugar, reducing inflammation, and lowering blood pressure. (The Herbal Academy) With this dandelion elixir you are able to drink to your health!
When the dandelion drink is ready, I pop the bottle and pour it into a clear glass. The contents are bubbling, foamy, the color is a clear, vibrant yellow and the drink tastes fruity, yet earthy and very delicious. It is a seasonal treat that I love to have again and again, and it reminds me of the beauty and bounty of the fall season here in sunny Columbia.
Dandelion Elixir Recipe
Ingredients:
- ¼ pound dandelion flowers
- ½ gallon water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
Directions:
1. Rinse dandelion flowers thoroughly.
2. Bring water to a boil. Add sugar and stir to combine.
3. Let cool, strain and bottle
4. Add 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast to the bottle and close. Wait for four days for the carbonation to begin. Wait enough days for the desired level of carbonation to be reached.
April Jonesis the founder of downtown Columbia, S.C.’s Pinehurst Farmers Market. Passionate about community, gardens, and farmer markets, April advocates for her community on issues of food justice and food sovereignty. Connect with April at Pinehurst Community Action on Facebook and at Pinehurst Farmers Market onFacebook. Read all of her MOTHER EARTH NEWS posts here.
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