If you're looking for ideas for how to deal with all of the dandelions in your yard, you’ve come to the right place! You can actually turn them into something delicious that you might have never thought about before. Instead of being bothered by these weeds taking over your yard, you’re going to be thankful for the abundance of dandelions in your yard.
One of my favorite memories as a child was picking bouquets of dandelions and taking them over to the neighbors farm. She would treat them like they were the most beautiful flowers ever. It wasn't until I was a few years older that I realized that I was giving her weeds.That feeling has been always something I remembered and I think about it every time I see littles picking dandelions.
If your yard is full of dandelions this spring, you can actually use them to make something delicious, dandelion jelly! It's a low sugar jam and tastes like honey. This delicious jelly can be made in the early spring when there are plenty of dandelions around. This canning recipe is easy to follow even if it's your first time.
Gathering and Preparing Dandelions
Before making dandelion jelly, ensure you pick dandelions from an area that is clean and has not been sprayed. Once you've gathered the flowers you will follow the following steps:
- Wash the Flowers – Add them to a large bowl with ¼ cup 5% distilled white vinegar and 10 cups of water. This is the same way that I wash produce to keep it fresh for weeks! Learn more in The Zero Waste Produce Guide.
- Remove the Greens – Pluck the yellow blossoms from the green base to avoid bitterness. This is a great job for little helpers. The green parts can be discarded
- Steep the Petals – Place about 3 cups of the yellow petals in a quart sized glass jar, pour hot water over them, and let them steep to create a dandelion tea. This should be left overnight for the best flavor.
- Strain the Tea – Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove the petals, leaving a golden liquid. This will be used to make the jelly!
Low Sugar Dandelion Jelly
What I really enjoyed about this recipe is that it is low sugar. As a diabetic, I cannot consume a large amount of added sugar. Using Pomona’s Pectin when making jelly allows you to use significantly less sugar. I also have a low sugar strawberry jam recipe if you are interested in that. These jams still taste delicious and are better for the entire family!
I also use organic honey that I buy in bulk as a natural sweetener. It lasts for a long time and is so much cheaper when you purchase it this way.
Canning Tips
Dandelion jelly should be water bath canned in order to make it shelf stable. Make sure that you always follow safe canning practices when water bath canning. If you want other easy canning recipes, check out this blog post: https://thecrosslegacy.com/home-canning/
Creating an Edible Garden
One way to ensure that you have these on hand, as well as other herbs and spices is to create an editable garden. When I was a child, my great aunt would also have us cousins go out and pick the greens to have for salads. This was a skill she learned during the depression and something many of us could benefit from now. How wonderful would it be to be able to just go outside to a garden of edible flowers and get what you need for dinner from your garden instead of having to to pick up something at the grocery store?
Many of the editable seed blends include dandelions. This is because they are great for pollinators and will attract them to your yard. Here are some options if you want to create a wildflower garden at your home. If you want dandelion seeds on their own, you can get those here.
Would you try dandelion jelly? Share in the comments!
Dandelion Jelly
Equipment
- 4 8oz. Jelly Jars
- Quart Sized Glass Jar
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cup dandelion tea
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4 teaspoon calcium water
- 1 ½ cup honey
- 4 teaspoon Pomona's Pectin
Instructions
- Gather dandelion flowers and separate the petals from the green parts of the plant
- Place the yellow flowers in a glass jar until you have about 3 cups worth
- Cover with 4 cups of boiling water
- Allow to sit overnight
- Strain mixture with a cheesecloth or mesh strainer into a clean jar
- Heat up jelly jars and prepare canning supplies
- Pour dandelion tea into a large pot of medium heat
- Add lemon juice and calcium water, stirring well
- Bring mixture to a boil
- While the mixture is heating, mix honey with pectin powder until fully dissolved
- Slowly add honey mixture to the tea mixture, whisking quickly. Bring it to a boil and keep it at a rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly
- After 1 minute, remove it from the heat and immediately place it into the jelly jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace
- Clean the outside of the jars and add the lids and rings
- Place the jars in the water bath canner and process for 5 minutes
- Turn off the heat and let them cool for 10 minutes before removing them
- Allow them to cool on the counter and check for a proper seal once they are fully cooled
Recipe is adapted from https://www.thefromscratchfarmhouse.com/dandelion-jelly-recipe-honey-sweetened/
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