This week, we put in onions and potatoes and, God willing, we'll be bringing them to the market in just a few months! It was grueling work, so I hope it really pays off.
Today, I decided to try my hand at foraging. Most of us are familiar, even if only slightly, with the idea of foraging. This is not a new concept; our ancestors have always used the plants that God has provided for healing and food.
Another thing that we are ALL familiar with is the dandelion. Considered a weed and a nuisance by most, the dandelion is actually an herb with many healing properties. (Note: Do not use dandelion unless you have educated yourself about the different uses and effects!)
Due to lack of materials and time, I am only freezing the dandelions for later use in teas.
The parts of the dandelion used are the flowers, leaves, and roots. The stems are never used because they produce a milky, latex-like substance. I plan to dig the roots up in the fall; for now, I just harvested the flowers and leaves.
I picked only about one-third of the dandelions that are on the farm. Why not all, you ask? Many reasons!
- I didn't want to pick flowers that are in high-traffic areas, whether trodden on by people or pets, or passed by/over by vehicles.
- I wanted to leave some flowers for our friends, the bees.
- I am still sore from planting the onions and potatoes!
My harvest
If I had a kitchen scale, I would have weighed what I collected.
I rinsed the flowers and leaves, then put them on napkin-lined baking sheets to dry. Once they're dry, I'll freeze them in a single layer on a pan, then put all of the frozen dandelions into a freezer bag.
Go enjoy the nice weather (if it is nice where you live) and try your hand at foraging. Just search "foraging" on the internet and you'll find resources on how to get started and how to identify edible plants. If I was a good blogger, I'd provide you with helpful websites. :S
Happy hunting!
