Things You'll Need:
- Knife
- Plastic bag
- Bowl
- Kettle
- Butter
- Baking soda (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Step 1
Locate young dandelions as they emerge in the spring before they have blossomed. Be sure the area has not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides.
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Step 2
Grasp the dandelion leaves in your left hand. Using your right hand, slide a sharp knife under the roots of the dandelion and cut.
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Step 3
Pull the dandelion from the ground and shake excess dirt off the root.
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Step 4
Continue digging fresh dandelions until you have a large bag full. Dandelions shrink in size, just as spinach does, when cooked. A large kettle of dandelions will shrink down to two cups of cooked greens.
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Step 5
Clean the dandelions by hand, removing stray pieces of grass or other debris. Do not remove the individual leaves. Wash in cold water to remove dirt.
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Step 6
Fill a two-quart kettle with fresh dandelions and cover with hot water. Add a pinch of baking soda to cut the bitterness. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and maintain a steady boil for 5 minutes.
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Step 7
To remove bitterness, drain dandelions and discard the water. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Boil until dandelions are soft.
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Step 8
Serve steaming hot with melted butter, salt and pepper to taste.
