April sees lots of delicious fruits and vegetable come into season; we love this time of year for being outdoors, getting the garden ready for summer, planting the necessary seeds and making the most of the available food on the land.

In this weeks Pickable Edibles we’re talking about another member of the commonly hated garden weeds, Dandelions, which can sometimes add an unwanted burst of colour to your lawn. They’re not all bad news though. Dandelions are probably the easiest of the pickable edibles to source, as they more than likely are on your doorstep, and have a whole load of uses aside from the commonly known tea.

Dandelion petals make for the perfect garnish to your garden salad. Dandelion would be considered to be quite a bitter flavour – and in contrast, can be quite sweet when picked young – so it will add an extra kick to your every day salad as well as being a colourful addition.

Pickled Dandelion buds

The great things about dandelions is that you can make use of them before they blossom meaning your weekend weed picking will reap rewards with delicious foods. Pickled dandelion buds are similar to capers making them an excellent sandwich addition, or even tossed through a salad. The straightforward way to pickle is to mix two parts water with one part salt. Pour over the dandelions and leave for a few days to ferment. You can experiment by adding extra herbs should you wish too!

The list is endless of things to do with dandelions, and we’re only starting out. From honey to ice cream and vinegars to wine, we’re looking forward to experimenting as much as possible with this gorgeous yellow bloom.

Make sure to leave some Dandelions behind so the much loved tradition of picking the seeding heads, making a wish and blowing it away continues … but be prepared for extra dandelions in the garden next year as a result!