Dandelion and burdock

[PonderosaQ]

When I was a kid my dad made a drink from dandelions and burdock. He's gone now and I don't know how he made it. For the first time in my life I have plenty of both. Anyone know how to make this beverage?

Thanks,
PQ

[uncle Will in In.]

They make wine out of dandlines, but I never heard of using burdock.

[fin29]

Here you go:

Dandelion and Burdock 'Beer'

2 large Burdock roots and
1 large dandelion root scrubbed clean and chopped small.
1 lb sugar
1 lemon
2 tablespoons molasses.
1 gallon water
yeast

Boil the roots for about 20 min. in 2 or 3 pints of water,
then add the sugar and molasses and stir until dissolved.
Add the juice of the lemon.
Strain into white plastic or stainless steel bucket
and make up to a gallon.
Add 1 tsp yeast and ferment in the bucket (well covered) for 4 days.
Bottle in plastic soft drinks bottles and leave for a week.
Release the pressure in the bottles if the pressure becomes too high, but don't do this too near to when you want to drink it or it will be flat, and the fizz matters!!
You can allow the fermentation to continue, but *do* keep checking the bottles every couple of days.

[PonderosaQ]

Fin 29..Thank you so very much for you recipe. I have to try that. Just need to collect some bottles. Don't have a recipe for old fashioned ginger beer too do you?

PQ

[fin29]

Well, since we know you have dendelions, and you can probably get some nettles and rhubarb, try this nice really old-fashioned one:

WELSH GINGER BEER
Take a 10-pint (2 1/2 qt--meduim sized) saucepan half-filled with dandelions and nettles in equal proportions, together with two sticks of rhubarb, and four sticks of ginger, which have previously been pounded.

Fill up with cold water. Boil all together for about 15 minutes, together with a handful of currant, blackberry, or raspberry leaves. Then strain and add 1 lb. of white sugar to the liquid. Stir, and add eight pints of cold water. When lukewarm, mix one ounce of yeast in a cup of the liquid and add it to the remainder. Leave overnight. In the morning skim off the yeast and bottle the liquid, but do not cork tightly at first

I'm sure bread yeast would work for either of these recipes, but you'll probably have better luck consistently if you use beer-maker's yeast. You can get that in the refrigerated section (usually near the fresh/cake yeast) of the health food store or some grocery stores, or online.