Dandelions for Rabbits

Dandelions for Rabbits

In practice

This lovely yellow flower that blooms in spring is among the unloved ones in the garden. A weed according to some, this weed has a hard life: pulled up, mowed down… Yet it doesn’t seem to hold it against us and comes back each year even more enthusiastic.

Edible from beginning to end (flowers, stems, leaves and roots), rabbits generally like it a lot. Rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and calcium, it is a diuretic and purgative food to be reserved for rabbits that do not suffer from kidney issues or accelerated digestive system. Because of these properties, and although it can be given daily, it will be necessary to systematically mix it with other plants that will form the basis of your rabbit’s diet.

Origin of the Dandelion 

As a weed, the origins of this plant are somewhat unclear.

Around the year 1000, we found writings by Arab physicians that attest to its medicinal use. A British herbalist mentioned  it in the XIIIth century, and colonists discovered in the XVIth century that Amerindian tribes have been using this plant for a long time to cure various ailments. It is also used in the Chinese pharmacopeia.

Spreading with the winds thanks to its pretty, pappus seeds, it seems to have colonized all temperate regions of the globe very early on, and most populations were using it as a medicinal herb. Its different names (taraxacum for its scientific name, dandelion…) always refer to its virtues for our health: in Greek (where it gets its scientific name), taraxis refers to eye disorders and akeomai means to cure.

Gardening/where to get some

You will sometimes find them on the stalls, as market gardeners grow them. However, it will mostly be the leaves.

If you want to offer the roots or flowers of dandelions to your little companion, it is best to pick it yourself. However, be careful to choose places far from roads and traditionally cultivated fields, otherwise your dandelion may be contaminated!

If you have a garden, you should have no trouble getting some. And if you live in an apartment, don’t hesitate to ask your friends/family if you can weed their garden: you’ll harvest dandelions, and you can always ask them for a small favor later 😇

Worried about doing the wrong thing, or taking an inedible plant? Know that there are nearly 300 species of dandelion, and they are all edible. So the risk of picking another plant is minimal 😉

Preserving Dandelions

The flowers are best eaten within a day or so. However, you can make a small bouquet of them by also picking the stems, which you can keep for a few days at room temperature in a glass of water.

The leaves can be stored like arugula or lamb’s lettuce: in the refrigerator, in an airtight bag with a slightly damp paper towel to limit the loss of water and thus slow down the wilting. Be careful not to over-moisten the paper towel, otherwise your beautiful leaves will rot!

Finally, the roots can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator, in the crisper of your fridge.

Recipe for Humans 

You’re probably familiar with dandelions in salads, and may know that its roots are used to make coffee (and yes, I assure you there is such a thing, the same way chicory roots are used to make hot beverages), but how about making dandelion honey?…. Hmm, now you’re interested right? 🤗

First of all, let’s note that this is a misnomer: it’s actually a flower jelly and not a honey strictly speaking; but it’s sweet, yellow, tasty… Why would you deprive yourself? 🙂

For about 250g, you will need:

• 350g of dandelion flowers (be careful to use only the yellow part and to remove the stems and the green part (calyx) at the bottom of the flower)
• 20 cl of water
• 500g sugar (ideally a pectin-based specialty used to make jam)
• The juice of a lemon

Bring the water to a boil and add the dandelion flowers. Let it boil on low heat for 30 min.

Strain the water then pour it over the sugar and lemon juice. Let it cook for another 30 minutes.

At the end of this time, your preparation should have a nice golden color and have a sirupy/jellified consistency. Then all you have to do is transfer it to a jar and enjoy it once it has cooled down 😋

Possible mistakes:

• Is your preparation black, bitter, unappealing? : you did not remove the green part of the flowers
• Is your preparation runny and nothing like a sirup or jelly? Extend the time of the second cooking (knowing all the same that the preparation will solidify as it cools down). If you are afraid to end up with a juice rather than a spreadable preparation, you can add a little agar-agar to it, especially if you used a sugar without pectin.

Translated from French by Margaux