Pour boiling water over fresh or dried flowers and let steep for about ten minutes, covered. This gentle preparation was appreciated as an accompaniment to spring meals. One tablespoon of dried flowers per cup, 1 to 2 cups per day.
Boil the chopped root in cold water for about ten minutes, then let steep off the heat for a few additional minutes before straining. Traditionally drunk before meals to support digestion. Dosage should be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
Fresh root was macerated in alcohol for several weeks according to traditional herbalism methods, then filtered. This more concentrated preparation requires professional advice for appropriate use. Dosage should be validated with a healthcare professional or recognized pharmacopoeia before use.
Dandelion is commonly found in meadows, gardens, and untreated roadsides; it is also available dried, as root or flowers, at herbalist shops and medicinal plant stores.
Flowers are harvested in spring, at the beginning of flowering, while the root is traditionally gathered in autumn or early spring, outside the flowering period.