Foraged Food Friday: Dandelion leaves

Dandelion greens seem to be a staple of wild food, perhaps because the plant is fairly well known. Personally, I've always found the leaves too bitter to enjoy, but I've heard that if they're blanched they're much milder, so that has to be worth a try. Blanched in this context means grown without light, so the leaves end up pale and anaemic-looking.

If you're going to the trouble of depriving a plant of light for a while, this seems to me to be getting away from wild food. Even if the plant self-seeded (and they do, more than somewhat), this does seem to be an element of cultivation. On the other hand, if you move a bag of stuff that's been sitting in a corner for several months and happen to find a blanched dandelion or two underneath, well that's a different matter entirely.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), looking rather sorry for itself.
The brighter green leaves just behind are ground elder.

Having chanced upon this specimen of blanched dandelion, I picked a leaf and nibbled cautiously. Nope. Still way too bitter. You might like it - lots of people do, apparently - but it's not for me, and I'm not especially sensitive to bitter tastes.

When I said I'd eat a different food each week, I didn't say how much I'd eat, did I?

I'll try to find something tastier next week. Any suggestions?

Also harvesting this week:
Hairy bittercress, for soup
Also drinking/eating this week:
Blackberry wine
Sloe wine
Rhubarb squash
Blackcurrant fruit leather

Foraged food challenge summary page here.