How to Dry Dandelion Flowers

Dandelions are wildflowers that bloom yellow flowers. The blooms change into white, wispy seed carriers that children love to blow into the wind. Dandelion flowers, leaves, roots and stems can be dried and used for medicinal herbs, dandelion coffee, dandelion wine and other uses. There are different methods of drying them, including indoors, outdoors, artificial heating and a specific way to dry leaves and roots.

Things You'll Need

• Window screens
• Sawhorse
• Wire and clothespins
• Oven with fan
• Small brush

Instructions

Drying Dandelions

1. For outdoor drying, place yellow flowers and stems in a screen. Put the screen on a sawhorse so that the air can circulate through it. Keep the screen out of direct sunlight. Turn it about once a day to prevent mold. The dandelions should be dry in about two weeks. Store in low moisture so that no mold grows.

2. For indoor drying, hang dandelions by the base of the stem, with the flower hanging down. Clip the base with a clothespin to a wire, then hang it from the ceiling. An attic is a good place for this. Be sure to keep the dandelions out of direct sunlight. As soon as they are dry, remove them from the wire to prevent dust collecting on them.

3. For artificial drying, you'll need an oven with a fan. The oven and fan must be synchronized so that when the fan is turned off, so is the heat. Keep the heat below 100 degrees F.

4. Roots and leaves are a little different. Lay the leaves on a screen and stir them up frequently until they are dry. This can be done inside or outside, but keep them out of direct sunlight.

   Clean roots with a small brush to remove dirt and other objects. Put the roots in your oven, turn on the fan, and keep the temperature under 100 degrees F. Turn frequently. The roots are dry when they snap with only a little bending.

Tips & Warnings

• Artificial drying, if done incorrectly, will dissipate much of the plant's potency.

References

• Dandelion
• Harvesting, drying & storing Dandelion
• Dandelion