How to make dandelion greens less bitter

[taxlady]

I had really good replies when I asked what to do with too much Boston lettuce, so I figured it was worth asking about the dandelion greens.

First off, I am quite sensitive to the taste of bitter and dislike it. I have foraged dandelion greens in the past. I vaguely remember parboiling them to get rid of the nasty, bitter flavour. Well, they were horrible cooked and they were horrible in salad.

Now, I have some cultivated dandelion greens. At least, I think they are dandelion greens. I had ordered young rainbow chard and got some greens that are definitely not rainbow chard. They also don't look quite like the wild ones. Are the cultivated dandelion greens less bitter than wild ones? What can I do to make them not bitter and nasty? What are some good ways to use them?

 

[Rocklobster]

Lemon helps...you can pair them with things that can overpower them like meat and cheese..stir fry them with garlic and olive oil, put in sandwiches..

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Doesn't Arugula look alot like Dandelion Greens?

 

[taxlady]

Doesn't Arugula look alot like Dandelion Greens?

I think the wild dandelion looks sort of like arugula.

This is what the stuff I got looks like. This is the page for dandelion greens on the Lufa Farms site, where I got them from: https://montreal.lufa.com/en/marketplace/product/dandelion-greens-7044

 

[pepperhead212]

They definitely don't look like the wild ones I pulled today!

I was never crazy about dandelion greens (I never got them, but I used to know a lady who did), as much as I like greens, and I don't mind bitter (I am now trying to grow 3 types of bitter melons!). Not sure what it was, but they were sort of ok in some cooked dishes, in which they were not the main ingredient. Definitely did not want them in salads!

 

[larry_stewart]

I'm in the same boat. Ive tried them several times, as I figured its a nice , easy , free way to get some greens. Not only did I not like the bitterness, but I cant even understand how someone does ( but then again, I hate coffee and most people like it, and coffee is one of those things I dont understand how people like either).

Anyway, I figured maybe it was just cause I got them wild, and I should buy them in the store to see if there was a difference. According to my taste buds, there was no difference , so I gave up.

It reminds me of a story when I was in grade school. On our bus ride home, we would pass the house of one of the kids on the bus. There sat her old Greek grandmother on a lawn chair in the middle of the front yard harvesting dandelions with a knife and colander in hand. Their front lawn literally had no grass, just dandelions. Unfortunately , the other kids on the bus weren't so kind after seeing his ( kids can be cruel).

 

[msmofet]

I LOVE dandelion greens, arugula, broccoli rabe, escarole and all bitter greens. I like most of them in salads on their own but also mixed with mild greens with a vinaigrette.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

I was in my local Green Grocer this morning, I guess
what I found there?
Both the Green as well as Red Dandelion Greens!
I've never seen this before, well, not that I've ever
noticed anyways ... so I pinched off a leaf and tasted it ...
a little on the bitter side, but I think mixed with other
Greens for a Salad would be very nice.
Ooh, with a homemade "Fresh Berry" type of Vinaigrette.

Like MsM said, I enjoy the same greens that she does,
although, I've never tried Escarole before.
My husband's parents loved the bitter Greens, it
seems to me that Italians like that sort.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I don't like pulling dandelions as they are among the first flowers available to honeybees.

If you don't like the taste, the milky sap is latex, and can be processed into rubber. Don't think I have a big enough yard to get sufficient sap for that.

I understand that the blossoms can be made into wine as well.

Dandelions were introduced from Europe as an early flowers for bees. They were not native to the Americas.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[dragnlaw]

Think I mentioned this before somewhere, most bitter I like are spinach and Romaine lettuce.

My mom loved dandelion greens. blech.

The French name for dandelions is "pissenlits" - literally 'piss in bed' I wonder if that was because they thought that eating them would make you do that...

 

[GotGarlic]

You could blanch them to remove some of the bitterness and then use them in a stir-fry or soup - something with a strong flavor, like Roch suggested.

I don't like bitter greens, either. Personally, I'd ask for a refund or extra of something else in the next basket.

 

[taxlady]

You could blanch them to remove some of the bitterness and then use them in a stir-fry or soup - something with a strong flavor, like Roch suggested.

I don't like bitter greens, either. Personally, I'd ask for a refund or extra of something else in the next basket.

I got a full credit. But, I have the danged dandelion greens, so I don't want to just throw them out. And, maybe I will find a way to eat them that tastes good or at least acceptable and learn something.

 

[taxlady]

Think I mentioned this before somewhere, most bitter I like are spinach and Romaine lettuce.

My mom loved dandelion greens. blech.

The French name for dandelions is "pissenlits" - literally 'piss in bed' I wonder if that was because they thought that eating them would make you do that...

Dandelion roots are diuretic, so that might make some people pee the bed. There is a similar English word, "pissabed" for dandelion.