Today I’m going to share with you a super simple recipe for dandelion jelly that has become an early spring favorite in my family. In fact, I like to put up a few jars to open in the winter months as a little reminder that spring isn’t really that far away.
When I first started to study herbalism and wild edible plants, one of the first plants I explored was the dandelion. I learned all about this amazing herb including how to make dandelion root tincture for overall health support and liver cleansing, a dandelion salve for hard-working hands, and dandelion jelly for its pure deliciousness. Â
Gathering Dandelion Flowers
The first thing you need to consider when heading out to gather dandelions is the environment you’re gathering from. Make sure they’re not growing anywhere that might be contaminated with chemicals or sprays. It’s always best to avoid roadsides, as these areas are often heavily sprayed.
I’m lucky enough to always have enough growing in my own yard this time of year to not have to worry about going anywhere else. If you live in a more urban area and don’t have your own yard to forage from, just make sure you know whether or not your foraging area is contaminant-free. You can always reach out to your local extension service for help if you need to. They’re a wealth of information for your community.
Once a dandelion patch has been located, simply pluck off the dandelion flower heads. You will need about two cups of petals for this recipe, so gather extra since all the green parts will be removed and discarded.Â
Note: I always try to leave plenty for our pollinator friends to enjoy.Â
Preparing the Dandelion Flowers
After the dandelion flowers have been collected, the green sepals & calyx at the base of the flower head will need to be removed. I have found that the easiest way to do this is to cut it off with a sharp pair of scissors.Â
Making a Dandelion Tea
The next step is to make a strong infusion with the prepared flower petals. To do this, place two cups of dandelion flowers (as much green removed as possible) in a quart-sized mason jar and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them.
Put the lid on the jar and leave it to cool and the flowers to infuse for 24 hours.Â
Straining the Tea
After the dandelion tea has infused for 24 hours, it’s time to strain the flowers out. Use a fine-mesh strainer held over a large pot to pour the liquid out through.
If you don’t have a strainer, cheesecloth can be used. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid out as you can. We don’t want to waste of drop of what will become our dandelion jelly!
You should have close to four cups of liquid.
Making the Dandelion Jelly
To the liquid in the pot add 2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice and 1 package of powdered pectin.Â
Mix thoroughly together and bring to a boil. Add 4 cups of sugar and return to a boil and continue stirring. Boil for another 1 -2 minutes.
Pouring Into Jelly Jars
Pour your boiled mixture into clean and sterilized jars. Wipe the jar rims to remove any liquid that might have gotten on them and screw clean lids and rings on tightly.
Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.Â
Using a Water Bath Canner
To can using the water bath canning method, here are the basic steps:
- Fill a boiling-water canner (or large, deep Dutch oven fitted with a round, metal cooling rack) about half full with water.Â
- Bring to a full simmer.Â
- Lower the filled jars into the simmering water one at a time with a jar lifter or use a canning rack to lower all the jars into the water at once. Put the lid on the pot and set a timer for recipe directions.
- After time is up, lift the rack up out of the water.Â
Note: If your jars sealed properly, you should start to hear little popping sounds when the jars are lifted out of the boiling water. Wait a few minutes then test by pressing down on the center of the jar lids. If they can’t be pressed down, then they have likely sealed properly.Â
Dandelion Jelly
Equipment
- Quart-sized mason jar
- Mesuring cups
- Tablespoon
- Small Jelly Jars
Ingredients
- 2 cups Dandelion flowers sepals & calyx removed
- 4 cups Boiled Water
- 1 Package powdered pectin
- 2 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
- 4 cups Sugar
Instructions
- Pluck dandelion flower heads. You will need about two cups of petals for this recipe, so gather extra since all the green parts will be removed and discarded.
- Cut off the sepals and calyx (the green parts at the base) of each flower head with a sharp pair of scissors.
- Place two cups of dandelion flowers (as much green removed as possible) in a quart-sized mason jar and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them.
- Put the lid on the jar and leave it to cool and the flowers to infuse for 24 hours.
- After 24 hours strain the flowers out. Use a fine-mesh strainer (or cheesecloth) held over a large pot to pour the liquid through. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can.
- You should have close to four cups of liquid.
- Add 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and one package of powdered pectin to your liquid and bring to a boil.
- Add 4 cups of sugar and return to a boil and continue stirring. Boil for another 1 -2 minutes.
- Pour your boiled mixture into clean and sterilized jars. Wipe the jar rims to remove any liquid that might have gotten on them and screw clean lids and rings on tightly.
- Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
To can using the water bath canning method, here are the basic steps:
- Fill a boiling-water canner (or large, deep Dutch oven fitted with a round, metal cooling rack) about half full with water.
- Bring to a full simmer.
- Lower the filled jars into the simmering water one at a time with a jar lifter or use a canning rack to lower all the jars into the water at once. Put the lid on the pot and set a timer for recipe directions.
- After the time is up, lift the rack up out of the water. Cool completely.
Made this last night with low expectations and it turned out okay! I only had low-sugar pectin, and ended up using 4.5 TBSP of pectin and 1.5 C sugar. I could have gotten away with less pectin. Ended up with 4 half pint jars.