SC - Dandelion Wine

[Uduido at aol.com]

In a message dated 97-05-12 13:28:11 EDT, you write:

<< Just to bring up a kind of gross point, every time I've looked closely at 
 dandelions, they've been inhabited by little bugs (I think red ones), I 
 assume some kind of mites.   >>

They are a type of thrip. They are harmless to the wine and to people. Since
you have to remove the green part of the dandelion flower and good kitchen
technique would include a rinsing of the petals after they were picked and
cleaned, the vast majority of these thrips are eliminated. I also throw my
petals into a wire strainer while removing the green parts from them which
allows the thrips and other sources of potentially valuable protein  8-) to
slip through the holes.

Lord Ras