While picking dandelions this week for dandelion jelly, dandelion soap, and dandelion wine, I thought it would be fun to see what old newspapers had to say about dandelions, and what old recipes I could find. As always, the results were... interesting. Here's a look at what I found:
One of the most interesting things I came across was dandelion wine during prohibition. I did not know that loopholes in prohibition legislation allowed families to produce 200 gallons per year of fermented fruit juice for home consumption. As long as the wine didn't leave the house, drinkers were safely within legal bounds.
In 1922, families were making dandelion wine, "believing dandelion was a fruit."
The Miltonian, 1922
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Miltonian 1911
Gather the delicate young leaves early in the morning, as the hot sun of midday seems to toughen them.
That advice is repeated in the modern recipes I have read as well.
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1911 Recipe For "Dandelion Sandwiches"
The Miltonian, 1920
Dandelion was stocked in local stores, appearing in advertisements frequently in the 1920s.
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Dandelion "Tea" for jelly, and dandelion heads drying to infuse oils for soap.
The Dandelion Jelly Recipe I use is from the Farmers Almanac. The jelly tastes similar to honey.
Lewisburg Journal, April 1886
An 1886 Recipe for Dandelion Tea
Half a pound of Dandelion Leaves
Two ounces of Honey
Pint and a Half Of Boiling Water
Take "half a gill three times a day. This is an excellent remedy for biliousness and dropsical affections."
Note - The gill or teacup is a unit of measurement for volume equal to a quarter of a pint. It is no longer in common use, except in regard to the volume of alcoholic spirits measures. 1 gill is approximately 4 fluid ounces.
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1/2 ounce Dandelion Extract
1 ounce of compound Karagon
3 ounces Compound Syrup Sarsaparilla
Take a teaspoon after each meal and at bedtime
This recipe was printed in local papers for several years, around 1907 & 1908. "This mixture is said to remove all blood disorders and cure the Rheumatism by forcing the Kidney to filter and strain from the bloom and system all uric acid and foul decomposed waste matter, which cause the afflictions." - Lewisburg Journal , 1908,
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In 1930, there were "Cultivated Dandelions"
This has left me to wonder - are the dandelions in my yard the original wild variety, or the cultivated variety gone wild? Or did cultivated merely mean that wild dandelions were now dug up and planted in home gardens?
"and the cultivated dandelion, with its pungent succulence."
"Cultivated dandelions are prepared much like the old wild varieties". (Recipe included)
Lewisburg Journal, September 1930
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A 1943 Recipe in the Lewisburg Journal For "Dutch Dressing"
Serve over greens - such as dandelion greens.
Serve over greens - such as dandelion greens.
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As early as 1890, it was considered a weed.
Article on how to eradicate the Dandelion, appearing in the Miltonian
June 1910
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Dandelion Jelly Salad
Although not a local paper, I couldn't ignore this.. unique, recipe.
Dandelion Jelly
Recipe:
In about 1980 my grandmother mentioned there was a partial bottle of dandelion wine in the cellar and I got to taste it. Nothing great, but totally fine to drink. Do you think it was leftover from the Prohibition era? If so, it was 47 years old when I tried it.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily - dandelion wine is something still somewhat commonly made today. :-)
DeleteThank you. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteLast year, I made dandelion jelly and voilet jelly. Picking the dandelions, made me think of my father-in-law, who made delicious dandelion wine. My husband has tried to make it, but the wine just is not the same. This year, I found cookie recipes using dandelions. I haven't tried any at this point. I enjoy ready your blogs.
ReplyDelete