The Spring is well and truly here! Although sometimes the weather tries to convince us otherwise 😉 We all know that one of the signs of the warmer days are dandelions! But – did you know there are so many ways we could use dandelions? You can make it a mission to collect as many dandelions as you can on your next daily walk! Have a look!
1. Create your own dandelion picture using paint and a fork! Simply cover the back of the fork with yellow paint and stamp it on a paper making a little circle. For the stalk you can use your finger, a string, a paintbrush or even the handle of the fork!
2. Dandelion stamps – we wonder what shape can dandelions make when we stamp them? To find out, dip the dandelions in paint (or even food colouring!) and make your own prints on a piece of paper! You can use lots of different colours and sizes of dandelions – why don’t you try making a dandelion rainbow?
3. Dandelion chain/crown – now, I think most of us have heard of a daisy chain, but… We could also make pretty chains or crowns with dandelions! For this we will need the full flower including the stem. Twist the stalks together – make sure they are tight and secure! How big is your dandelion chain? Is it going to be a necklace? Or a crown?
4. Dandelion honey – we know, we know! It sounds crazy, but… It’s something to try with your family, especially with the grown ups! Did you know that dandelions are edible (this means we can eat them!)? Although we do need to make sure that they are clean and picked from safe spaces. Dandelion honey is popular in vegan diet. If you’re going to have a go at making it – please remember! Only pick dandelions where it is safe to do so – the best place is a lawn or field away from roads and dog walkers. Also take care not to pick anywhere that may have recently been sprayed with pesticides (an adult will help you decide where the best and safest place is!). Here we go!
What we need:
- 4 cups densely packed with dandelions (only flowers, we don’t need the stalks)
- 4 cups of water
- 3 lemon slices
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 2 1/2 cups of sugar
Steps to make it:
- Pick your dandelions during daytime while they are in full bloom.
- Soak the flowers in cold water for five minutes.
- Remove the petals, then measure the petals only – throw away the centre of the flower and the stem.
- Place the petals in a heavy saucepan along with the water, lemon slices and vanilla bean.
- Bring it to a boil (let a grown up do this part), reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes; Remove the pan from the heat and let steep for 6 hours (we know, it’s a long time – you could do it overnight, too!).
- Strain the dandelion tea through a cloth or a very fine sieve.
- Place the dandelion tea in a saucepan and bring it to a low boil.
- Gradually add sugar to the boiling liquid while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and let it simmer uncovered until it turns thick and syrupy – just like honey (this make take around 4 hours – we know it’s so long again, but it’s so worth it!).
And here we are – dandelion honey! You can enjoy it on your toast, pancakes or however else you like your honey! Let us know if you gave it a go! 🙂
