Why You Should Be Throwing Dandelions In Your Air Fryer

There's a seemingly endless amount of foods you can make using your air fryer: hard-boiled eggs, chicken wings, fried pickles, tortilla chips, egg rolls ... the list goes on. But did you know that you can also use the versatile kitchen appliance to dehydrate dandelions for a delicious tea?

If you enjoyed foraging for dandelions as a kid, it's time to pick the habit back up. Dandelions are a good source of magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron and can allegedly help combat inflammation and high blood pressure. The common weed can be made into a tea and enjoyed with a bit of honey or maple syrup for sweetness. And thanks to your air fryer, it's never been easier for you to whip up this whimsical beverage. Simply toss some chopped and washed dandelion roots into the air-fryer and let them sit for 12 hours on the lowest temperature setting. You'll then have dehydrated dandelion roots you can use for tea.

Prepping dandelions for tea can also be done with a dehydrator, but not everyone has the more specialized appliance. Dehydrators tend to be larger than air fryers and they only have one purpose, as the name suggests. They're often used to make jerky and dried fruit. An air fryer, on the other hand, has several uses and takes up less space on your countertop.

Your air fryer will work just as well for dehydrating dandelions as a bonafide dehydrator, even though the two gadgets work a little differently. Dehydrators pull the moisture out of food using dry heat at a low temperature while air fryers cook food at a high temperature. While you can use either appliance to get the same result with your dandelions, the air fryer will take a bit longer. A dehydrator can get the job done in two to four hours while an air fryer needs about 12.

No matter your method, your work isn't done once the dandelion roots are dehydrated. You still need to grind them up using a blender or coffee grinder before you can place them in a coffee filter or tea bag and pour hot water over them to make tea.

While dandelions have ample health benefits, there are some things you need to know before ingesting them. Some people are allergic to dandelions, often those who have a latex allergy. There is latex present in dandelion sap, so skip this herbal tea if you're allergic. 

Since dandelions are a weed, there's also a risk that they've been sprayed with weed killer or other pesticides. To avoid eating harmful chemicals, it's safest to only eat dandelions that you know haven't been treated with pesticides. That means ones from your own property, or from the property of someone you can ask about their weed spraying habits. 

You should also be mindful of any animals that live on or near the property, as you don't want to eat dandelions from an area where pets use the bathroom. No matter where you get your dandelions, always be sure to wash them before putting them in the air fryer. For best results, soak them in warm water and salt for 10 minutes to wash away dirt and any other undesirable remnants of soil.