	DANDELION WINE AND COFFE SUBSTITUTE

Picked up from the Net early 1996

Doc and bj wrote:  What area are you in...? Do you mean Maryland?? Yes. 
Biologist with 25 years doing the self-sufficiency food/energy thing?? Yes,
again. Have even made soap from pig fat--what a trip, as they used to say
in my swingin' 20s.  Lousy soap, too much lye, but GREAT experience!

Seriously, the chicory is better than dandelion, but both are great for
using the whole plant--no waste.  AND the dandelion flowers make very
good country wine--make that, too.  Doesn't take much skill, just a bit o'
knowledge and a source of unsprayed (chemical) flowers. Sugar helps.
Thanks for the interest...I enjoy this group....Geri Guidetti, Ark Institute

Yes, Paul, you can use dandelions or Magdeburgh chicory roots.  The latter
is actually a better coffee substitute than the former.  I have used both,
but neither is likely to thrill you UNLESS you have no coffee.  In either
case, roast the cleaned, dry roots until dark brown throughout & then grind.

Easy if you have a blender, food processor or coffee grinder but in
"challenging times" you will need to do the old mortar and pestle thing. 

The similarity to coffee taste comes from the roasting.  No caffeine of
course, so no kick.  The chicory is easy to grow, harvest in fall.  Can eat
leaves after a good frost and their inherent bitterness is softened.  More
if you like...Geri Guidetti, Ark Institute

Walter writes: "Even better than a mortar and pestle would be a Corona
grain mill..." for grinding roasted dandelion and chicory roots for coffee
substitute.  Absolutely right Walter.  I have passed them first thru a
metal-bladed mill and then thru the Corona stone mill. Works great.

What I was envisioning--as I often do these days--was lotsof people with 
little knowledge of this intermediate technology, stuck with nothing if all
goes to hell in a hand-basket in a hurry.  What would they have at their
disposal? Rocks for simple grinding tasks.

Einstein's quote..."I don't know what weapons will be used to fight WWIII,
but I do know what will be used to fight WWIV ---sticks and stones"....

Left an indelible image in my brain years ago.  I LOVE the food processor.
I LOVE the Corona grain mill next.  I have learned to love the elegant
simplicity of the mortar and pestle as well--just in case. 

Thanks for bringing the great Corona to everyone's attn. Oh, and 
don't get it with the electric motor. You're not very self-sufficient 
when the power's gone!  Geri Guidetti, Ark Institute


Subject: Dandelion Wine Request

Date: 11 Jan 1996 12:51:07 GMT

Chris asked for posting of a dandelion wine recipe: 

Pick 2 quarts (1 lb.) of unsprayed, fully- opened dandelion flowers without
stems.  They are open in morning to afternoon. Put in polyethylene bucket
and pour 1 gallon boiling water over them.  Cover, let sit for 48 hrs., no
longer.  Return water and flowers to a large, stainless steel (not aluminum)
pot.  Add peels only of 4 oranges.  Bring to boil and boil 15 minutes. 

Cover and let cool. Strain into large container through collander
lined with muslin or thick cheescloth. If not well strained, repeat.  Add
2 and 1/2 lbs. of sugar to strained juice, stirring with clean spoon to
dissolve.  When room temp., add packet of wine yeast and yeast nutrient
according to package directions.  If you don't have a local supply of
these, I use E.C.Kraus in Independence, Missouri.  (816) 254-7448.  

Get catalog.These are cheap commodities and come postage paid.
There are other mail order suppliers, but I haven't tried and can't 
vouch for them.

Pour into two, 1 gallon bottles  fitted with airlocks or, better, a single, 
2 gallon or greater fermentation container with airlock.  MUST have an
airlock as fermentation produces enough CO2 to explode bottles! Cost 
about $.75, I think. Keep at room temp. in closet or other area. 

Siphon off into clean bottles when wine is clear -- a few  weeks,
depending on temp. Store vertically in cool basement, cellar.  Don't
cap tightly unless you refrigerate!  Can start up fermentation and gas
again. Make in May, drink at Christmas.  Aging makes even better.  
Cheers!  Geri Guidetti ..Ark Institute 

