Content
- Freeze dandelion or rather dry?
- The leaves and flowers prefer to dry
- Frozen and thawed leaves are mushy
- The roots are suitable for freezing
- Tips
Dandelion leaves and flowers should be better dried for preservation
Freeze dandelion or rather dry?
Unfortunately, wild plants such as dandelion have only one season in which to grow and to collect. If you do not want to give up dandelion even in winter or if you want to save yourself the trouble of collecting it in the summer, you can dry or freeze it if necessary.
The leaves and flowers prefer to dry
The collected leaves and flowers should preferably dry when the amounts are too much. The leaves are bound together in bundles and hung upside down in a shady and airy place. If this is not possible, the leaves can also be dried in a dehydrator at temperatures between 30 and 40 ° C.
The flowers are similar. Since they are bad to hang (the stalks with the milk juice should be removed), it is better to spread them out and dry in the air or in the dehydrator. This should go quickly, so that the flowers no longer have the opportunity to close.
Frozen and thawed leaves are mushy
But why is it not advisable to freeze the leaves from the dandelion? There are several reasons. The leaf structure is too soft. If the leaves were thawed again, they would be limp and very wet. This does not look appetizing. Even pets like rabbits and guinea pigs, who otherwise like to eat dandelion, usually have no interest in thawed dandelions.
If you really want to freeze dandelion leaves, you should do it like this:
The roots are suitable for freezing
On the other hand, the roots of dandelion are suitable for freezing. They preserve their solid consistency as much as possible. Before freezing, they should be washed and cut into pieces about 1 cm thick. Alternatively, you can rub them with a rasp and freeze in a freezer bag.
Tips
To get the best quality, you should orient yourself to the ideal harvest time for the leaves and flowers!