Homemade Fresh Dandelion Jelly That Enlivens Your Spring Meals
Homemade Fresh Dandelion Jelly is a fragrant and lightly sweet jelly made from bright yellow dandelion petals, perfect for enhancing your spring meals.
Equipment
- Heavy saucepan
- fine-mesh strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Sterilized jars
Ingredients
For the Jelly
- 2 to 4 cups bright yellow dandelion petals Carefully picked so no green parts slip in.
- 4 cups water For steeping the petals until they surrender their color.
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice For balance and brightness.
- 1 packet powdered pectin To help the jelly set.
- 3 to 4 cups granulated sugar Adjusted to taste and the tartness of the infusion.
Instructions
Preparation
- Separate the petals from the greens by pinching the base of each flower and pulling; discard any green for bitterness.
- Pour the water over the petals in a heavy saucepan and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Let it sit off the heat for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally and watching the color deepen.
- Strain the liquid through a fine mesh or cheesecloth, pressing gently to extract flavor but not grit.
- Add lemon juice to the dandelion tea and sprinkle in the powdered pectin while whisking to dissolve it fully.
Cooking
- Return the mixture to the stove, add 3 cups of sugar to start, and bring it to a rapid boil that cannot be stirred down.
- Boil for about a minute to activate the pectin, then test the taste. Adjust sweetness with more sugar if needed and boil briefly again.
Preserving
- Ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving a small headspace. Wipe rims clean, seal, and process in a boiling-water bath for 5-10 minutes.
Notes
The jelly can be used smearing on toast, folding into yogurt, or as a glaze for roasted carrots. Variations include lemon-thyme dandelion jelly or spiced jelly with cinnamon and cardamom.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 66gPotassium: 10mgSugar: 66g
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