Spring is just starting to pop up in Northern Colorado! Each morning I wake up to a bird family who has been visiting our birdhouse I the backyard for over 4 years. I live in a moderate climate (zone 3/4), which means that spring starts slowly. That’s okay, I treasure each new plant, like my crocus, watching it unfurl day by day!
As a lover of simples, my herbal vinegars tend to be made with a single plant. Dandelion vinegar, nettle vinegar, burdock vinegar, thyme vinegar, the list goes on.
Why vinegar?
Vinegar excels at extracting minerals from plants. Minerals, like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous, are important for building strong bones, teeth, and hair, but they can be hard to extract. Alcohol doesn’t extract them and water can, but you need to simmer the herbs or infuse them at high heat for an extended period.
For this recipe, I’m using organic apple cider vinegar. Infused herbal vinegar can be taken daily by the teaspoonful as a mineral tonic, or used in salad dressings, adding to soups or cooking greens.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
This is one of my favorite times of year! The greens are just appearing but soon those golden orbs fill the lawn with their cheery color and the bees are happily collecting their pollen. Dandelion leaves and roots are high in minerals like potassium and calcium. They also both contain inulin, an important prebiotic that can support healthy gut flora.
Digging dandelions out of the lawn isn’t the easiest task. Luckily I have several growing in my raised garden beds and I’d like to remove them to make room for my vegetable starts. To do this, we’ll use my hori hori knife to dig into the soil and loosen it enough to pop out the entire root. If I leave even a bit of root behind, the dandelion will continue to grow – which is fine for me. They are easy to harvest and have so many benefits!
For this herbal vinegar, I will use the whole flowering plant except the dandelion flower stem, which is filled with a bitter sap.
Tips for Prepping Your Herbs
Before I head inside, I’ll lay the plants on a table outside for a few minutes to let the creatures walk away and find a new home. I’ll give the dandelion flowers a gentle but persistent shake as there are little bugs that like to crawl deep into the flower head. I’ll wash the dandelion root as they have some dirt on them.
Once everything is prepped, I’ll roughly cut everything as smallish as possible. This both increases the surface area of the plant, which makes it easier to extract, and allows for me to fit a lot in a jar.
What you’ll need…
- Several handfuls of fresh dandelions including dandelion leaves and roots.
- Jar
- Approximately 3 cups apple cider vinegar or any of your favorite edible vinegar.
1. Gather your greens, gently remove any bugs to relocate them to a new home, and then wash the greens, if necessary, to dislodge any dirt or debris.
2. Chop the herbs and place them in a quart or liter-sized glass jar. You want them to snugly fill the jar without being too loose, like a fairy bed.
3. Then, pour apple cider vinegar over the herbs until the jar is filled. Cover with a glass or plastic lid. If you don’t have these, then use parchment paper as a barrier between the vinegar and a metal lid (vinegar will corrode metal and ruin your batch).
4. Shake well. Keep this on your counter for 2 to 4 weeks, shaking daily. When you’re ready, strain off and reserve the vinegar. Compost the plants.
5. This is best stored in the fridge for a longer shelf life, but it can also be kept on the counter. Shelf life is anywhere from 6 months to a year.
Wishing you happiness and health,
Chrystal Cocek
Colorado Herbalist
Integrated Earth Medicine