Dandelion coffee

Let us be clear about one thing, dandelion root coffee will not give you the same kick as regular coffee, but it makes a pleasant, homemade substitute for decaf. It is also easy to make, and it transforms a weed into a pleasant beverage.

Method:

Dandelion roots

•  Dig up as much of the dandelion root as possible and as many as you can
• Wash the roots as well as possible and chop into 3cm pieces
• Chop them finely (food processor works well)
• Spread them out onto a baking tray
• Bake in a 100 degree C oven for till some of the pieces start to go dark brown (caramelly). (To be super efficient, bake and dry the dandelion and granola at the same time, to score extra green points, pop these into the oven after baking something else)
• Reduce the heat and allow the roots to dry in the oven without burning much more
• Once dry, cool the root pieces and store in an airtight container and use as you would coffee (I like to use it in the caffetier. Unlike coffee, the same "grounds" can be used 2 or 3 times,without it loosing too much flavour

You will never look at a dandelion in the same way again!

Cleaned, roots

Chopped up roots waiting to get into the oven