Harvesting Sunshine

Yesterday we had snow on the ground in the morning. Today it was warm and sunny. Ok then.

Here’s the view of our garden area, which soon will be tilled. (I hope.) That’s the barn in the background.

Today, the kids and I gathered (more) dandelions to make syrup. This was the result of our picking:

Based on what I’ve read from various recipes, all you have to do to make dandelion syrup is pick a gazillion dandelions, rip the petals off, and cover them in water. Boil from anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on what recipe you read. Then allow to steep overnight. That’s what’s going on right now.

In the morning, I will strain the liquid and measure it. Then I will boil it with equal parts sugar until it is completely dissolved and, hopefully, thickened. That’s about it! Some recipes tell you to add lemon juice or spices, but that doesn’t seem to be required. This needs to be kept in the fridge for sure. I’ll tell you how it turns out–if it’s half as good as the dandelion jelly I still need to tell you about, it will be a success. The jelly is like eating sunshine.

Next up is our mint/mullein scalp tea for my daughter. Last week, I made mullein tea for my daughter’s itchy scalp, and IT HELPED. I can’t tell you how many remedies we’ve tried for her itchy head, but the mullein tea worked. I just poured it on after washing her hair. Anyway, mint is also good for scalp ailments, and she asked if she could try mint tea instead since we have an abundance of mint growing near our house. I said, why not use both?

Here are her herbs waiting for the tea pot to boil.

And here’s mullein growing wild, just for reference. Please note that I am NOT an herbalist or expert and I’m just learning all of this. So don’t take my word for it. Do some of your own research or ask a real expert before being sure you have identified a plant.

Last, but definitely not least, we have a mystery plant growing in our garden! I was hoping it was parsnip. Nope, not parsnip. Rutabaga? Nope. (Thank goodness. Then I would feel compelled to actually prepare it.) So, what is it? My next guess is an overgrown radish. What do you think this is?