Before you mow the lawn, pick some fresh young dandelion leaves and toss them into your juicer.
Spring is a great season for juicing. Last time we wrote about the benefits of juicing nettles, but there are a lot of other plants just popping up now that are great for juicing. One of the most common is dandelion. This scourge of the lawn is actually a useful herb, and can be used in many ways. You can fry the flowers into dandelion fritters, make dandelion wine, add the leaves to a salad, juice the stems and leaves, and dry and powder the root as a coffee substitute similar to chicory.
You can juice just dandelion leaves into a green shot, like you can do with other greens. Just make sure to use only the young and new leaves. If the flower has already appeared, it will taste very bitter. But we recommend to mix dandelions into your favorite fruit or vegetable juice. The most basic recipe would be apple-lemon-dandelion, as lemons provide a great balance to the slightly biutter dandelion taste. Of course, don't be afraid to try more complicated recipes. Here's one we came up with that has a nice mix of flavors.
Remove the rind from the lime and cantaloupe and cut the skin and core from the pineapple. Wash all the ingredients, then juice the ingredients alternately. Drink immediately for the best taste and nutrition.
Dandelions have many health benefits. It is a diuretic, which aids in keeping the kidneys and liver clean. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol . Dandelions are packed with antioxidants which can help slow down the effects of aging in skin and organs. Dandelion consumed regularly can also help with acne and eczema. Just add dandelion leaves to your daily juice for two weeks to see the benefits.
Attention: Because it contains powerful compounds, dandelions should not be consumed if you have stomach ulcers or gallstones. It should also be avoided if you are pregnant.
