I’ve always loved Dandelions..  I love how they pop their little yellow heads up as if they were Mother Nature’s messengers, sent to remind us summer is on it’s way, how they fight to stay alive, the way they duck the mower, and dodge the weed puller. I love how they survive, growing between concrete and pavement on a busy street and I especially love the many uses our little Dandelion has…
You can dry the roots to make Dandelion Coffee, you can pick the leaves for a salad, or you can make jelly with the petals. You can do a whole lot more with dandelions but I decided on jelly only because i had never made it before… and I wanted to know what to tasted like..
So here is my adventure in dandelion jelly:
The recipe:
2 cups of dandelion petals
2 cups of boiling water
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
4 cups of sugar
1 package of liquid pectin
I started by sitting in a big field on a beautiful sunny spring day with a bucket and a pair of scissors while the girls ran off to hunt the great ‘Dandy Lion’ in the field.
My trick is to pull the green bits back around the stem while snipping off the yellow petals where they turn white. I try to snip as little of the green as possible, especially avoiding those milky stems to keep the bitter out.
When the girls were ready, and my bucket full, we headed to the kitchen, where I transferred my petals to a large glass measuring cup, measuring out two cups of petals and covering it with boiling water, then a plate (to cover the cup so the steam stays in.)Â Then I left my Infusion to brew for a few hours. (Or until after we feasted on our dinner.. because Hunting Dandy Lions makes little tummies rumble)
With the water fully Infused for a few hours, I strained the mixture through a jelly cloth into another measuring cup until I had two cups of liquid.
Nannie Annie’s tip – don’t squeeze the petals… it will make your jelly cloudy. Its best if you let gravity do its thing.
When I was ready.. full belly, jars sterilizing, ingredients measured, lids in hot water, cloth for wiping rims and spot cleared for when the time comes to put the jelly into the jars. (Once you start cooking, the process goes very fast, so I find jelly making more enjoyable the more prepared I am.)
I poured the liquid into a large stainless steel pot. Then added the sugar and lemon juice, bringing it to a rolling boil before adding the liquid pectin. I let it boil hard for one minute, stirring to keep it from burning or overflowing, while wondering if I should have used a bigger pot.
I removed the pot from the heat, skimmed foam off, poured into sterilized jars 1/8th inch from the top, wipe rims, and put screw lids on (finger tight, but not super tight). To seal the jars I placed them in a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
Sealed jars will last up to one year in a cool place. Unsealed jars last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
How does dandelion jelly taste? My four year old loved it. She said it was yummy, and it tasted like honey.
As four year olds can be particularly picky, Im counting this jelly as a win. It really does taste like honey… Very Yummy!