How to make dandelion oil (it's super easy!)

Dandelions are everywhere right now! I'm sure you've seen them, you might have even had to pull some of these pesky 'weeds' already. Did you know that dandelions are quite useful? 

Not only are dandelions the first food for bees and butterflies each spring, but every part of the plant can also be used by us. I use dandelion flowers for dandelion oil and the dandelion root for tea. The leaves are also edible, but we'll get back to those other uses another time. Today I want to share how I make dandelion oil.

Dandelion flowers | make infused oil

The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a member of the daisy family. Dandelions are perennial which may come as a surprise, because many people believe they are annuals and just have a really good seed distribution method. 

Dandelion flowers are known to act as a mild analgesic, so an oil made with the flowers soothes sore muscles and helps with arthritis pain. I make dandelion oil to use alone as a muscle rub and in my salve recipes. It's very easy to make and can be used so many ways.

How to make dandelion infused oil


First you're going to need to pick dandelion flowers. You only need the head, so go ahead and leave the stems behind. I like to collect the dandelion flowers on a warm dry day. Make sure you collect them from an area that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides.

Picking dandelions

Prepare the dandelions


Next you're going to dry the dandelion flowers. This time I air dried them, though my free solar method works well too. Lay the flowers on a baking sheet lined with a towel. I let them sit out until completely dry. It took 2 days this time, but it was a pretty arid time in summer. 

disclosure

You can also pop them in the dehydrator overnight if you have one. (I use this one) Once dry they'll be kind of fluffy looking inside with yellow tips. It's very important that the flowers be dry before adding the oil as extra moisture could cause mold to form on your oil. You could also use a dehydrator to dry the dandelions.

Infusing the flowers in oil


Pack the dry flowers loosely into a canning jar and cover them with the oil that you want to infuse. I chose to use coconut oil this time because I wanted an oil that absorbs into the skin quickly. I also like sweet almond oil, but I have several infused oils from that already. 

It was summer when I made this batch so the coconut oil was liquid. If it was solid, I would have had to melt it first before pouring it over the dandelion flowers. Of course this isn't an issue with oils that are liquid at room temperature.

make dandelion oil from flowers

Use a knife to stir the flowers which will help bring the air bubbles to the top. Make sure there's enough oil to completely cover the flowers. Cap the jar tightly.

Since I'm normally making dandelion oil in summer I let the oil sit in a warm sunny windowsill for 2 weeks. If I can't use the sun method I will place it in a double boiler on low for an hour or so.

Shake the jar daily to mix the oil and flowers. 

When the oil is ready, line a funnel with cheesecloth and place the funnel in a clean jar. Pour the oil and flowers into the cheesecloth and allow the oil to drain out.

Cap the jar tightly and don't forget to label it with name and date. (you might think you'll remember but trust me, they all start to look alike after a while!) Dandelion oil should keep about a year when stored in a cool, dark place.

Your dandelion oil is now ready to be used alone or in recipes. I use it mostly for skin rubs or salves, but I'm looking forward to making lip balms with it this season. What will you make with it?

If this recipe looks familiar it's because I use almost the same one to make my 2 ingredient bug bite balm!

~L

Want gardening and healthy living information sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published!

I am not a doctor or other health care professional nor do I claim to be. I am not trained in any medical field. I am simply passing on information that has worked for me. This information is for entertainment purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any medical condition. see a Dr if you are ill. Click for my full disclaimer.

(This post contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase something through the link, I will get a small payment from Amazon. It will not affect your purchase price. Click for full disclosure.)

19 comments:

  1. I am so glad to see this!!! I use dandelions and I tried to follow someone's instructions on using the heads... only the heads, removing ALL green, etc... painstaking w/ little return and of course, I never did it again! This one is so much more do-able and I am as practical as I can be. I already make salves and tinctures, use herbs, etc and this will be a great addition! Thank you. I will be saving this... and sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow...that would be a lot of work! No need for all that, just throw the flower heads in whole. As long as they dry out before you use them, this is a 'no fail' recipe.

      Lisa

      Delete
  2. I'm thrilled to find another use for dandelions!! And I love the idea of using it in lip balm! It just sounds soothing. So far, we've made dandelion jelly, tea, and fed a bunch to our rabbit. He loves them!!! Bookmarking this. Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I want to do dandelion jelly next! It sounds so good! Thanks for stopping by!

      Lisa

      Delete
  3. Hi Lisa,
    I know Dandelion is so healthy to eat and I have heard of dandelion wine, but I have never heard of the oil. I find this process very interesting. Thanks for sharing this. Visiting from #WasteLessWednesday blog hop. Shared on google, twitter, & pinned. Have a healthy, happy & blessed week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Never heard of this before but if it helps pain then might try it. Natural help is always better than prescription meds. Thank you for attending the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty. I shared your post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree so much! I'd rather use something natural any day!
      Thanks for sharing!

      L

      Delete
  5. It seems so easy to make! I'll have to hunt up some dandelion patches. Thanks for sharing on the #wastelesswednesday blog hop!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is so neat! I read the Redwall series as a kid and always loved all of the herbal recipes in there - dandelions always featured. I'm going to have to make this to indulge my inner child :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never heard of that series, but I just looked it up and I would have loved that as a child! I'll be looking for some of the books for my son! You should definitely make the oil, you'll love it!

      Lisa

      Delete
  7. Congrats Lisa! Your post is Featured at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty. See here: http://grammysgrid.com/wednesday-aim-link-party-16/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awesome, thanks! I'll head over to check it out now!

      Lisa

      Delete
  8. Great product to make! I make dandelion jam but now I know something I can make when the flowers go over and anything to help with arthritic pain naturally gets a thumbs up in my book! Thank you so much for adding this to my #GoingGreenLinky and I hope you can join in with the next one which opens on June 5th

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have dried mine for several days. I am assuming they are dry enough. Should I toss them in to the dehydrator?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They should be fine, but just to be sure tug the flowers open and feel the inside. If they feel a little damp still, pop them in the dehydrator for a short while. If not then you're ready to make dandelion infused oil!

      Lisa

      Delete
  10. Ok, so how are you supposed to get those little bugs off of the dandelions? Their not going away. And mine seem to be shriveling up and don’t look fluffy any more and it’s only been 6 hours since I picked them

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I shake the dandelions a few time when picking them and bugs tend to fall off. Or just let them sit outside and as they dry the bugs tend to leave because that's not a favorable environment for them. They will shrivel as they dry, it usually takes a day or tow. Or you could put them in the dehydrator to speed things along.

      Lisa

      Delete
  11. Once the heads are in the oil how long do I leave them for before straining them x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I usually leave them soak in the oil for about 2 weeks before straining it.

      Lisa

      Delete