Victorian America’s Dandelions
Victorian America’s Dandelions
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It’s Dandelion Season!
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Who knew our Victorian ancestors used dandelions in so many ways?
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Dandelion Season, and all its various uses. The Saint Paul Globe of Saint Paul, Minnesota. June 5, 1898.
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“Dandelion Pickers in the Park” showing men, women, and children intentionally digging dandelions. Nope! Not gardeners! The Chicago Chronicle of Chicago, Illinois on April 12, 1896.
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Victorian Americans found good value in dandelions. Not only were the plant’s leaves lumped into the “greens” category (a vegetable to be cooked), but the leafy edibles were tossed into salads for the 19th century dinner table.
Further, Victorians held dandelion as one of the most powerful medicines, excellent for treating a wild range of maladies. And the weed made good beer, wine, or tea. Plus, the blossoms were prized for their floral beauty and fragrance. The humble dandelion found its place among fancier blooms in “flirting with flowers.”
In a pinch, the roots made a passable coffee substitute–but the stuff was also used to adulterate “pure” coffee.
Many Victorians held fast to the idea that nature (in myriad ways) forecast the weather. Yep, dandelions included. Englishmen, particularly early risers, have long told time by the yellow blossoms.
Farmers grew dandelions as a crop. Intentionally.
For all these valuable purposes, people intentionally sought the tender roots, shoots and spiky leaves.
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Field of Dandelions with puffy, ripe seed heads. Image courtesy of Pinterest.
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Yes, Dandelions are Weeds
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Victorians admitted this fact yet put the plant to use from blossom to root tip.
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Said one of the park gardeners: “It’s a pleasant and harmless occupation, this dandelion picking. It helps the poor folks to turn an honest penny and fill their bellies with nourishing food and gives us some aid in keeping the turf clean of weeds…
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“The dandelion flowers in May, but it gets little chance to show itself in this city, since the industrious pickers have nearly the whole of the local plants out of the ground and boiled during the fickle month of April.”
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~ The Chicago Chronicle of Chicago, Illinois. April 12, 1896.
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Springtime Vegetable: Dandelion Greens
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The use of the dandelion as a vegetable dates back, as the historians say, from remotest antiquity. It grows in nearly all parts of the world and needs no special climate for its health and vigor… the virtues of the dandelion as an edible and antiscorbutic [sic] were known in England…
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…it held a high place in household medicine, and was freely partaken of in the springtime, either boiled as a dinner vegetable, bleached for salads or made into decoctions [sic] that served as a stomach bitters.”
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~ The Chicago Chronicle, April 12, 1896
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Recipe for Greens (beet tops, turnip tops, spinach, cabbage sprouts, dandelions, cowslips…) From Miss Beecher’s Domestic Receipt Book Supplement to her Treatise on Domestic Economy, 1846.
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From The American Matron on Practical and Scientific Cooking by a Housekeeper, 1851: Greens. Recipe and instructions.
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The Improved Housewife or Book of Receipts with Engravings by Mrs. A. L. Webster, 1852, 15th edition.
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How to prepare Dandelions, a very healthful food, from Jennie June’s American Cookery Book, 1866.
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Greens Recipe published in Presbyterian Cook Book of Dayton, Ohio, 1873.
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Cooked Dandelion recipe. (Note the cooking time!) From Miss Parloa’s Appledore Cook Book, 1881.
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Miss Parloa instructed two hours+ boiling time for her dandelions. Others ordered hours of boiling time for a variety of green vegetables. Here’s another example:
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Cooking Instructions (Rules) and times (boiling, baking). “Dandelions: two to three hours.” The Successful Housekeeper, 1882.
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The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1896.
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Salads Made of Dandelion Greens
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The following Dandelion Salad recipes include dressings, of which vinegar plays a role.
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Salad (with dressing) of Dandelion from The National Cook Book by Hannah M. Bouvier (editions published 1850-1866).
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From Boston Evening Transcript of Boston, Massachusetts on June 24, 1874.
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Recipe for Dandelion Salad. Published in The Daily Republican of Monongahela, Pennsylvania on April 24, 1885.
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Dandelion Salad recipe published in The Oshkosh Northwestern of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Dated May 1, 1885.
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Salad of Dandelions. The Indiana State Sentinel of Indianapolis, Indiana. May 13, 1891.
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Victorian Medicinal Value of Dandelions
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Patent medicines were a big deal in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. Advertisements filled newspaper pages, touting cures and treatments for a wide range of maladies. Today’s science makes these claims seem absurd. Yet at the time, the “at-home-doctoring” methods included home-made dandelion tonics and brews as well.
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W. H. Pearce and Co. offers “Fresh Drugs, &c.,” including Dandelion Root. Advertised in The Natchez Daily Courier of Natchez, Mississippi on March 19, 1838.
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Botanic medicines offered for sale including Dandelion Root. The Weekly Natchez Courier of Natchez, Mississippi on May 13, 1841.
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Beginning of a lengthy ad extolling the virtues of Dandelion and Tomato Panacea. Published in Whig Standard of Washington, District of Columbia on July 23, 1844.
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“A preventative for Chills, Fever and Ague, and a sure cure for Dyspepsia, Live Complaint, &c. For sale only at Lei’s drug store.” The Lawrence Standard of Lawrence, Kansas. January 1, 1880.
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From The Tuscon Citizen of Tuscon, Arizona on January 2, 1880.
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“Dr. Brady’s Mandrake Bitters! Composed of Mandrake, Dandelion, Gentian, Chamomile, Prickly Ash, &c. the Greatest Blood Purifier Known.” Carbondale Advance of Carbondale, Pennsylvania on January 3, 1880. Claims to treat (cure?) a lengthy list of complaints, conditions, diseases, and symptoms.
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Wine of Dandelion and Iron advertised as cure from 13+ conditions and diseases. Reading Times of Reading, Pennsylvania on January 3, 1880.
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“Hop Bitters. (A Medicine, not a Drink,) Contains Hops, Buchu, Mandrake, Dandelion, and the purest and best medicinal qualities of all other bitters.” The Daily Memphis Avalanche. Memphis, Tennessee. January 4, 1880.
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Blood Purifier containing a variety of components with purported uses. “Sold by all Druggists and Dealers in Medicines.” The Austin Weekly Statesman of Austin, Texas on January 8, 1880. This ad claims dandelion is good for the kidneys and bladder.
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Illustrated advertisement for Lei’s Dandelion Tonic. Published in The Lyons Republican of Lyons, Kansas. August 25, 1881.
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Brown’s Sarsaparilla and Dandelion, with Iodide of Potassium. Removes all Impurities of the Blood. Advertisement in The Winchester Argus of Winchester, Kansas. January 8, 1885.
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Two Dandelion Tonic recipes for at-home preparation. Published in The West Bend Cook Book, 1908.
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Dandelion Tea
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Instructions for making Dandelion Tea published in Jacksonville Republican of Jacksonville, Alabama. September 16, 1882.
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Dandelion tea, it seems, could be brewed from any part of the plant. Above, a tea made from dandelion root. Below, a tea made of dandelion leaves.
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Tea made of dandelion leaves. Published in the Boston Evening Transcript of Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1885.
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Elderly woman credits her long life to dandelion tea. Published in The Kingston Daily Freeman of Kingston, New York on February 15, 1889.
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Dandelion tea made of dandelion root and tincture of horseradish. Published in The Boston Globe of Boston, Massachusetts on September 2, 1899.
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Dandelion Beer
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Instructions for Dandelion Beer. New England Farmer of Boston, Massachusetts, June 14, 1837. Home brewing recipe calls for “a tea-cup full of yeast.”
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Dandelion Table Beer. The Pittsfield Sun of Pittsfield, Massachusetts on May 18, 1837.
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Dandelion Wine
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Dandelion Wine is medicinal, “compounded from the best and rarest of medicinal agents.” Reading Times of Reading, Pennsylvania on September 3, 1881.
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Wine of Dandelions more popular than Dandelion Beer. Recipes included. The Sunday Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on April 24, 1887.
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Dandelion Wine instructions with dose: one wineglassful [sic] twice a day. Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York on April 4, 1897.
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Recipe: Dandelion Wine published in The Salt Lake Herald of Salt Lake City, Utah on June 27, 1896.
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Victorians Prize Dandelion Blossoms
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Codes existed throughout history–codes to convey affection, flirtation, and the like. Ladies employed fans to transmit in code. Flowers have long meant something, too. Here’s a “Flowers for Flirting” list of 40 botanical specimens, together with conveyed meanings.
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Flowers for Flirting: “Dandelion, coquette–You are a merry, little, smiling flirt.” Petaluma Weekly Argus of Petaluma, California on January 3, 1885.
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Dandelions in Coffee: Substitute or Adulteration?
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The Buffalo Courier of Buffalo, New York on May 11, 1844.
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Substitutes for Coffee: Dandelions (among others). Mrs. Porter’s New Southern Cookery Book, 1871.
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Nature Foretells Weather: Dandelions’ Role
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Nature’s forecast of weather includes dandelions’ contribution. New England Farmer of Boston, Massachusetts on June 27, 1838.
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Telling Time by Dandelion
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…The dandelion was put to other uses in the earlier days. Its bright yellow flowers open regularly in the morning between 5 and 6 o’clock and close in the evening about 8. Its reliability in this respect made the dandelion a clock for early risers and told of the approach of curfew in those good old days of sundials and hour glasses. This habit of the plant attracted the attention of Linaeus, who used it in the formation of his famous floral clock. Its virtues as a time-keeper are well known in rural England, where children guess the hour by the number of tufts left on the receptacle after a vigorous attempt to blow them off.”
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~ The Chicago Chronicle of Chicago, Illinois. April 12, 1896.
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Victorian-era Farmers Grew Dandelions Intentionally
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Large Dandelions.– The editor of the Bunker Hill Aurora, has been presented with two handsome dandelions, each of which is nearly as large as a peck measure, and enough for the meal of any ordinary family. This wild plant is much improved by cultivation, in size and flavor. Being a wholesome vegetable, anti-billious, anti-seorbuetic, and anti every thing bad excepting anti–bank, it is worthy of the gardener’s attention.
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Public Ledger of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 5, 1837
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LeRoy Reporter of LeRoy, Kansas on January 3, 1885.
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Related Articles
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Patent (Victorian) medicines for headaches, including Dandelion Tonic.
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Copyright © 2022 Kristin Holt LC
Victorian America’s Dandelions Victorian America’s Dandelions
