Eristic, burdock??

[GrannieAnnie]

Trying a new thread since the other one where ERistic mentioned growing burdock is deteriorating into politics. We're getting enough on tv right now!
Eristic, I'd always thought of burdock as a weed so googled it. It still sounds like a weed and the burrs it produces, at least some of the plants, I cannot imagine purposefully growing it.
What attracted you to it?
One historically interesting fact in Wikipedia said
"Burdock and Velcro
After taking his dog for a walk one day in the early 1940s, George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, became curious about the seeds of the burdock plant that had attached themselves to his clothes and to the dog's fur. Under a microscope, he looked closely at the hook-and-loop system that the seeds use to hitchhike on passing animals aiding seed dispersal, and he realised that the same approach could be used to join other things together. The result was Velcro.

[GrannieAnnie]

[asbean]

Thank you for that bit of info, GA  :) :) :) :) :) :)

Something along the lines of the invention of the post-it note. 

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

perhaps he's making his own dandelion and burdock

[GrannieAnnie]

perhaps he's making his own dandelion and burdock

I'd never heard of that combo before either! Is it tasty?
(The only way we eat dandelion is wilted with a sweet-sour sauce, bacon and hard-boiled egg. Yum.)

[thifasmom]

Dandelion and burdock is a traditional British soft drink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion_and_burdock

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

dandelion and burdock is a fizzy drink, and now of course contains neither dandelion nor burdock. I think it's similar to your sarsparilla, though that's an American thing I have no knowledge of apart from the word. (like sassafras, pollywog, chickadee etc). I do know what these American words mean actually. Oliver Hardy got called an Overstuffed Pollywog; also a pollywog is a sailor who hasn't crossed the equator, my little chickadee is one of WC Fields expressions, and Sassafras were a 70's English Rock Band.  :D

[GrannieAnnie]

dandelion and burdock is a fizzy drink, and now of course contains neither dandelion nor burdock. I think it's similar to your sarsparilla, though that's an American thing I have no knowledge of apart from the word. (like sassafras, pollywog, chickadee etc). I do know what these American words mean actually. Oliver Hardy got called an Overstuffed Pollywog; also a pollywog is a sailor who hasn't crossed the equator, my little chickadee is one of WC Fields expressions, and Sassafras were a 70's English Rock Band.  :D

Hmm, sarsparilla similar to dandelion and burdock? The first was used as a treatment for VD way back. To me it tasted a little like rootbeer when we had it out West once. But  I would have taken "pollywog" to be of British origin.

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

now that is interesting! I first came across sarsaparilla in an"encyclopaedia" my Dad had from the 1930's, which was really a sneaky way of getting across so-called good health ideas for the lower orders. Said good things about eugenics too. It had a bit titled "the envigorating effect of sarsaparilla" :D

[GrannieAnnie]

now that is interesting! I first came across sarsaparilla in an"encyclopaedia" my Dad had from the 1930's, which was really a sneaky way of getting across so-called good health ideas for the lower orders. Said good things about eugenics too. It had a bit titled "the envigorating effect of sarsaparilla" :D

those early medical guides are a hoot!  My sis sent me one called "What to do til the doctor arrives" and, oh my, so much misinformation and verbosity. One chapter was on baldness which claimed women never get bald because they have no worries.  :D

[calendula]

I'm growing burdock, just in a smallish patch to make dandelion and burdock juice, thought I'd make use of the dandelions somehow  ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm growing burdock, just in a smallish patch to make dandelion and burdock juice, thought I'd make use of the dandelions somehow  ;D

Now if you can just figure out some way to make it artificially,
you'll have REAL dandelion and burdock juice! ;)

[calendula]

 ;D

sadly most of the commercial cordial now is made artificially, i.e. not a trace of either plant, yuk, what i would prefer though is to find a non fermented recipe but Hugh FW's is good and easy enough, will be trying it next year

[Eristic]

perhaps he's making his own dandelion and burdock

Always on my mind.


Burdock is known as a weed but few people realise that it has a large and nutricious root and can be cooked in a similar way to yams. That's the theory, maybe next year I'll get them past the seedling stage without slugs eating them