Ingredients

  • 3 Cups dandelion tea
  • 4 1/2 Cups sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 box powdered pectin

Instructions

Final Product

Harvesting the Dandelions

NOTE: You should steer clear of using any dandelions that have possibly been sprayed with pesticides or fertilizers. For this reason, we only use dandelions from our fenced in backyard to be extra sure.

Gather about 4 cups of dandelion flowers (sans extra bulk from stems or leaves).

I gather them in a bucket and then do a quick rinse by filling the bucket with water and then draining it out. I then lay out the dandelions on paper towels to dry (they will be easier to handle once they are drier).

Drying Dandelions

As the dandelions dry, you will be able to see any bugs that came along for a ride crawling on the white paper towels (the odd ant or two and a good amount of tiny aphids). I typically let the dandelions dry and monitor for bugs for about a half hour.

Next, I separate the yellow bits from the rest of the dandelion bud. The dandelion greens can be bitter when steeped as a tea. I take a heat safe container (usually a medium to large sauce pan) and drop the yellow bits directly in as I separate.

You don’t have to be too meticulous about getting rid of all the greens, but the fewer the better. While you can use scissors or kitchen shears to cut off the bulk of the green, I prefer to use my fingers.

Because of the way the dandelions spread their seeds, there is a sort of natural perforation where each petal is attached to the rest of the flower. I take each bud and split it open in half (by ripping). Then I take each half and pinch just above and below the perforation and bend to break the perforation, then simply slide my thumb along to pull all the petals loose and drop them into my saucepan. There will be a few left behind that are easy to pluck off, and some buds will have petals that more readily loosen than others.

This is the most time consuming part of the whole recipe! But totally worth it. And you may have a ‘green’ thumb by the end. Don’t worry - it’s just pollen and sap. It will go away in a day or so.

Separated

Making the Dandelion Tea

Pour boiling water over the petals until just covered. Cover the container and let sit until it reaches room temperature. I usually move it to the fridge at that point and let it sit overnight.

Strain the dandelion tea through a fine mesh collander or cheese cloth to remove all petals. I prefer cheese cloth because it’s easy to pick up and squeeze all the liquid out to minimize waste of good dandelion tea!

If you have less than 3 cups of tea, you can add additional water if needed to measure the correct amount of liquid. If you have more, just measure out 3 cups and save the rest for later! I freeze mine until the next time I harvest dandelions.

Separated

Making the Jam

Sterilize jars and lids and set aside. This recipe usually yields 5-6 half pint jars.

(A quick note about canning - if you plan to keep it refrigerated and consume it relatively quickly… say, within 6 weeks, you do not have to do the full canning process. I prefer to have a good shelf stable product to keep for a while and to give away, so I process mine in a water bath. If you have never canned before, I recommend reading up on the process to ensure you do everything safely!)

Add dandelion tea, lemon juice, and 1 box of pectin into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Add sugar and bring back to a boil. Continue boiling 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and fill jars.

Pour hot jelly into hot canning or jelly jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Process for:

  • 10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.
  • 15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.

Sources

Original Recipe: Simply Canning

Canning Basics: Serious Eats: Beginner Guide to Canning