Dandelion root tastes bad

O.K. I'm new around here and to the perma scene in general, but I really like what I'm learning.

A few days ago I decided to try something different. Yes you know where I'm heading with this, I went out picking dandelions. I figured that I would just start with dandy root "beverage". So I dug up some roots (some as thick as my finger!), soaked them in several changes of water, cut them up and soaked them a few more times. I spread them evenly over a baking pan, put them in the oven at 250, dried them to a nice brown (wow do they shrink), and thought "Hey, so far so good!". I then threw the pieces into the coffee grinder to chop em up a little more. The consistency was some powder all the way to extra large grind.

To make the beverage I boiled a cup of water, threw in the same amount as I would for coffee, let it steep for at least 10 minutes (looking for the water to darken), and "voila!" I thought, "this is easy!".

Let me try to explain the taste... hmm... it had a certain... PUKE TASTE!

What did I do wrong? Could anyone give me some pointers?

I wonder if it was too strong. I always mixed it with some regular coffee. Might try chicory next time...In the south USA they use chicory in coffee.

If you get the Dandy root in the spring, before the flower stem shoots up, it makes a great potherb.

mmm... i'm glad you posted. today i just got a bunch of dandelion roots. with the same idea, thinking... yeah, lets try this out.

maybe i'll just put it in a coffee maker, and see.... but now i'm a little scared to taste pukey water

I was taught by my grandparents that you picked the root in the fall for a coffee substitute, but I was young enough that I never questioned them why you pick in the fall.  We never have lot of dandelions left, the leaves for salads and the flowers for syrup.  I leave the roots so they will keep coming back with young leaves for salads.

I found a couple of sites that also state to pick in autumn, but they do not go into any details why.

http://www.wrc.net/wrcnet_content/herbalresources/herbwalk/herbwalk.aspx?hwid=18

http://www.pintailmedia.co.uk/Pintail_Media/Herbs/Entries/2010/1/19_Dandelion,_Taraxacum_officinale.html

well, now you simply have to give a recipe for syrup.... that's what you get for posting such an offhanded remark. not explaining and such..

i hope you learned your lesson

Me and my big mouth. 

We have used the recipe from the attached link for the last two years.  Last year my Wife humored me when I made one batch that produced just under a quart, she must have liked it a lot because she told everyone about it and she even helped me make 5 quarts this year.  She wanted to make more but we got rain, rain, and more rain until we lost all of the flowers, so I should be satisfied with 5 quarts. 

http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?language=2&Display=78&resolution=high

sevenseeker wrote:
What did I do wrong? Could anyone give me some pointers?

could be you've got the wrong plant.  are you quite sure you dug up dandelions?  there are a number of plants that look similar.  I don't mean to suggest that you're incompetent, just trying to get to the bottom of your bad taste.

I've been eating Dandelions raw root and all and think the taste good.

I think they use fall roots, for coffee and tea, because most of the bitterness goes down into the root in the fall.

The syrup idea is interesting but I wouldn't want to add white sugar to a wonderful food like Dandelions.

Jeff

The roots taste better than the leaves to me,,. But if you blanch the leaves until they turn white, they are not nearly as bitter. 

I cook the root and the early leaves all together in early spring and they are very good.

If i had more time, I would blanch dandies all summer to eat. 

Has anyone ever got a hold of the seeds for the commercial dandy lion that is grown for markets? I am curious as to it's taste..

I have found some dandy lions are far less bitter than others... usually it is the ones that go way into to summer before flowering.

Can we trust our programmed taste buds? After all they have lead many into a box of gooey doughnuts!

Three reasons I eat them raw:

1. Saves time (no time).

2. Saves energy.

3. I would think there would be more nutrients in them if left uncooked.

Jeff

When you say tasted like "puke" do you really mean that it tasted like stomach acid and bile, or were you using the term as a descriptor to express your displeasure at the taste.  The first time that I ever drank coffee as a young child I thought it tasted horrible, first time I drank beer, same thing, first time I smoked a cigarette I almost vomited.  Now I love all of those things and relish in the flavor of tobacco, super hoppy beer and the bitterest black coffee you can imagine.  Perhaps it is just something new and you were not expecting the taste and you have to learn to get into it.  Then again . . .maybe you did something wrong, or you should try using fall roots or whatever.  It sure seems strange that I couldn't stand any of those things and yet I still kept doing it and now I love them.  I should have trusted my instincts and never have adopted smoking because it's really hard to quit . ..

Thanks so much for the replies!

@ tel jetson
Yes it was for sure Dandelion, we have many many of em around here, and their pretty hard to mix up. I think there is only 1 other plant around here that even remotely looks alike.

@ Tardyviking
Its getting harder to remember what it tasted like now, but as I recall, it actually did remind me of acid and bile. Being 30 I've tasted (and enjoyed) many different things, and I was quite surprised and disgusted.

I'll try again in the fall. Unfortunately the yard where I got these has been sprayed this year, since it was turning into a meadow of grass and dandelion, so I'll have to find another source.

As far as the hot beverage, I have had this once with young roots, it was very bitter & I did not like it.

But her are some ideas if your into experimenting, younger roots, roast them less & steep them less.

FYI- perhaps the puke taste is like papaya? an enzyme that tastes gross but is good for digestion.


When next you try dandelion greens try this, 2 days before you harvest cover the leaves with news paper or burlap, I'm told that they will be less bitter if you keep the light off them for a day or 2,  then try dressing them with good olive oil, garlic & balsamic vinegar & top with some Gorgonzola.