I’ve seen more dandelions this spring than I ever have. Their cheery blooms are a bright spot after the cold of winter.
A dear lady at Uncle Lucky’s funeral a few weeks back told me she was going to go home and make her some poor man’s honey. She meant dandelion jelly. I’ve made it often over the years and it does taste like a weak honey to me. If you’ve never made it before here’s an old post with the recipe.
Many folks enjoy eating the greens of dandelions. I’ve cooked them for us before, but since we grow various greens its not something I do often. Follow this link for a wonderful story of having dandelion greens in winter. Amazing how they kept them growing just to enjoy them as a Christmas treat.
The only thing I’ve managed to do with dandelions this year is to try and teach Ira to blow the seeds. He tries but hasn’t mastered the art of blowing yet 🙂
Here’s a poem I shared a few years back, I believe it’s anonymous but Ron Greene shared it with me.
Oh, dandelion! Oh dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all day? “I wait here in the tall, green grass, ’til the children come to play.” Oh dandelion, yellow as gold, what do you do all night? “I wait and wait as cool dew falls, and my hair grows long and white.” And what do you do when your hair grows white and the children come to play? “They take me in their little hands and blow my hair away!”
A few years back when I was visiting Satterfield’s Nursery over in Robbinsville, NC Pat and Betty’s grandson Quincy showed us a jar of dandelion seed blooms he had sitting inside one of the greenhouses. He said he gathered them just in case anyone wanted to blow one and if we wanted to we could just help ourselves.
Last night’s video: A Mighty Fine Day: First Mess of Kilt Lettuce & Planting Flowers with Abandon.
Tipper
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After reading this I decided to make dandelion syrup to use as a honey/syrup replacement and liked the results so much I’m in the middle of a larger batch to can up for winter now. Thanks!
Debra-that is wonderful!
I love poor man’s honey. What some call a weed looks like gold to me. There are so many things it can be used for. Sipping dandelion tea sitting on the porch swing in the spring is just bliss! Only thing to make it better is my younguns, or grandyounguns sitting with me.
I’m gonna read this poem to our littles. Thanks for sharing!
My little grandson is only 4 months old but I couldn’t resist picking a dandelion to show him and gave his nose a lil tickle with it. There just ain’t nothin better than watching a child discover things for the first time, their big bright eyes taking it all in….yep, nothin better!
That Quincy is a sure ‘nough jewel.
As a kid, I often enjoyed blowing the “hair” off of dandelions.
Truth be told, I still do!
Isnt it fun to teach the little ones the simple fun pleasures God gives us with His creation such as providing us with dandelions not just to eat but to play with.
We used to put the flowers under our chins to see if we liked butter.
Of course, everybody did when the color reflected on their skin.
I was delighted this morning when I saw the sweet Dandelion Poem posted. My grandmother, who would be about 135 yrs old now if she was living, used to recite this poem to her children, grandchildren & great grandchildren. I couldn’t remember all of it, so I was so happy to see it on your post today. I took my 98 yr old Mom a Dandelion yesterday & she was so thrilled. After a little while with no water, it started to close up & my sweet Mom said, “ Well, let the little thing do what it wants to do.” Before I left Mom asked me to put it in her Bible.
Your comment was so sweet, Cheryl! Thank you for sharing.
Oh my gosh, that Quincy is a card.
Riding with a friend in Wisconsin one spring, we passed a large field that was carpeted in bright yellow. It was a striking scene, and I had never seen anything like it down South. I asked, “What are those gorgeous yellow flowers?” He gave me the side-eye and said, “Dandelions.” I felt like a dummy. I had known dandelions all my life, in hand and blooming in lawns, but I didn’t recognize them when they absolutely covered a big piece of ground. Later, I wondered if that field had been sown and was being grown as a crop. I never inquired and never pursued the subject.
The humble dandelion – such a hardy little flower – and all parts are edible – or so I understand – but I have only ever eaten the leaves and flowers – (as long as no pesticides on them!) The blooms can be washed well and dipped in a batter then fried, and the leaves eaten in a salad or made like your ‘kilt lettuce’ Tipper. I have heard (not confirmed) that the root can be dried, then ground as a coffee substitute. Often one of the first ‘bouquets’ a child will bring to their mama or granny. Most hate the dandelion and consider it a weed, but they make me happy – such a bright spot of yellow among the green – another little treasure in God’s creation – and often the first ‘feeding station’ for bee’s.
When I was little (I’m 69 now) I remember my grandmother making what you call kilt lettuce with dandelion greens. But here in Lancaster Co, Pa they call it wilted greens with hot bacon dressing.
Your recipe does taste like honey, and my grandkids love it straight out of the jar. The little boy down the road heard me talking to his mamaw about making Tipper’s dandelion jelly and didn’t say a word until I left. He asked his nanna for a ziplock bag so he could gather enough flowers to give me so I could make a batch. I haven’t picked any dandelions since this area became overpopulated with deer and other wildlife that potty anywhere they please.
I love Dandelions. I use mine to make a salve, there are so many uses for this sweet “weed”. Since I use the flower for the salve, I’ve noticed this year that I dont have as many now because they aren’t left to go to seed. Might have to visit the neighbors!
I love to see the little yellow dots on my lawn in the spring. It is just so bright and cheery! I have family members who despise them calling them weeds. I just love them!
enjoyed the post. I used to love blowing the dandelion seeds when I was a kid. Mom said just don’t blow them in the direction of the garden as she had enough weeds to contend with and she wasn’t growing dandelions! We also loved pulling the flowers of red clover and eating them as they tasted like honey too.
That Quincy is a real treasure! And I know you’ll love seeing Ira blow his first dandelion and, hopefully, make a wish! I have pictures of both of my grandsons as toddlers, blowing dandelions.
Back in the late 90s our daughter had an iguana named Intrepid and his favorite treat was dandelion blossoms. We had to gather them from yards in the neighborhood after we fed him all of ours. I’ve actually bought dandelion seeds to plant at this house because my mother had done her best to eradicate them over the years. She was always much more of a “lawn” person and I’m a weed lover.
During the Covid lockdown , I took our 2 year old grandson on a walk up the road to an empty piece of property we have. There are lots of dandelions growing there and he helped me pick them to make dandelion syrup. I sweetened tea and lemonade with it.
Melanie – did you meet Quincy when you went to Satterfields?
We saw him and enjoyed listening to him and then, when he was unloading a truckload of hanging baskets, he made sure to tell us they were all for sale. But we just stuck with the vegetables and herbs and one big, beautiful pot of dianthus.
That’s a cute poem. One of my grandsons called them “blow flowers” when he was little. I thought that was a good name. I’ll just bet you are having fun teaching Ira to blow them. There seems to be an abundance in my front yard this year. Even though they are usually considered weeds I think they are cheery to see. I’ve never tried to eat them but might. Thanks for the reminder.
I noticed that the dandelions are popping up everywhere here too. Last year, there weren’t as many—not sure why. The honey bees love the dandelions and clover that cover our yard. We keep the yard mowed and fertilized each year, but we let the wild things grow and bloom as they wish. What a special childhood memory you have awakened this morning…blowing dandelions on a summer day. That little Quincy is certainly having a wonderful childhood…with all the outdoor activities that keep imaginations alive and growing.
My mother often quoted this poem from memory of when she was in school I loved to hear it but couldn’t remember all the words. Thank you for sharing.
I watch Celebrate Appalachia and enjoy it so much.
I have never tried eating anything made from dandelions but have said some “ugly” things about them when they sprout up all over my yard! Tipper mentions children blowing the seeds. There is some kind of wild flower/weed that will have a white bloom and long stem. I remember picking these as a child, mother putting them in a mason jar with water that had food coloring added to it. The white blooms would change to the color of the food color.
Randy, I know you can do that with Queen Anne’s Lace, to see the flowers change colors. And they exactly fit your description.
Oh that Quincy, he is a treasure. I learned recently that dandelions are not a weed but related to sunflowers. No wonder they’re happy little flowers.
We’ve been making dandelion jelly this spring and I agree, it does taste like honey. I never heard it called poor man’s honey but I like that. Corn cob jelly has a similar taste. We’ve also been making violet jelly and lilac jelly. I think my husband is hoping for a whole lotta strawberries so he doesn’t have to eat flowers all year