Dandelion and Burdock Cordial Recipe

Dandelion and Burdock Cordial Recipe

There is nothing I make on a regular basis that disgusts me more than  and  . Mostly, I only make things I love. I have a visceral reaction to dandelions. The stinky yellow flowers that bleed a nasty white sap. I associate the smell with pesticide. Burdock? I don’t even know what that is. But this stuff? I love it. This Dandelion and Burdock Recipe is delicious.

I’m not alone in thinking that ingesting those stinky yellow milkweeds is repulsive. Dandelion and Burdock. Weeds. Dandelion is ubiquitous and ubiquitously hated. Burdock is completely unknown. So who puts this stuff into a drink? And why?

An idea this bad could only come from divine inspiration. The flavor is exquisite. Refreshing. Unique. The flavor might remind you of cream soda. A mild ale. With a hint of nuttiness. Made well, this drink could change the way you think about soda. And it makes amazing cocktails.

Dandelion & Burdock Drink – The Origin Story

About that divine inspiration: St. Thomas Aquinas gets credit for the earliest recipe. The lore is that in 1265 AD he was looking for a bit of refreshment after a long night in prayer. He concocted a beverage from the first two plants he found. It’s not surprising that one of them was a dandelion.

People in the British Isles have been loving the stuff ever since. In the middle ages, people made it as a light mead. If you are into home-brewing you should try making it this dandelion and burdock beer. It would make a fantastic light and refreshing fermented beverage.

Like most early beverages it people used it as a medicine. According to some people, dandelion and burdock good for the liver. I don’t know. I’m neither a doctor or a scientist. These days grocers in the UK still sell it as a packaged soda. Fentiman’s Dandelion and Burdock Soda and Ben Shaw’s are found on grocery store shelves around the world. They are tasty. I think we can make it better.

How to make Dandelion & Burdock Cordial

Ingredients

We are going to make a Dandelion and Burdock Cordial. From that, you can go a lot of directions. The most obvious next step is to turn that into a soda. Easy. If you want to get fancy you can use the cordial to make a sorbet. If you want to get more creative you can try it in a mousse or a macaron.

The ingredients are simple. Dandelion root. Dried burdock root. Some ginger. A little star anise. Some sugar and water. If you are a forager go out and dig up some roots. A more convenient source is your local natural foods store. If you don’t have a local store that sells the roots you can order it online.

Dandelion and burdock cordial is the basis for everything you are going to make. A cordial is simply a . The dandelion and burdock syrup can then be used to make a granita or sorbet. You can use it as a syrup in a like an Old Fashioned or a Collins.

Recipe

Dandelion & Burdock Cordial Recipe

  • 500 ml water
  • 1 tsp burdock root
  • 1 tsp dandelion
  • 2 cm ginger root
  • 1 crushed star anise pod
  • 250 ml sugar
  1. Put the dandelion, burdock, ginger and star anise in a pot with the water. Gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the solid ingredients with a cheesecloth lined mesh strainer. Mi the sugar into the hot water and stir until it is dissolved. Allow syrup to cool. Keep refrigerated.
  2. If you want to make a soda with the syrup you can add four parts soda water to one part syrup.
  3. To make a sorbet add still water in a four to one ratio. Add one ounce of vodka and an egg yolk. Freeze mixture overnight. Remove from freezer, quickly pulse in blender for about 30 seconds. Return to freezer for another 12 hours. Serve.

This cordial recipe is an easy start to making a delicious soda. You could use the syrup in a sorbet or as a cocktail ingredient.

http://www.drinkfentimans.com/mixing-with-dandelion–burdock

http://www.agbarr.co.uk/our-brands/dnb/

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