Homemade Fresh Dandelion Jelly (Printable)
Delicate floral jelly that captures spring in a jar, brightening toast, yogurt, and desserts with golden sweetness.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Flowers
01 - 4 cups fresh dandelion flowers, unsprayed, yellow heads only
→ Liquids
02 - 4 cups water
03 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
→ Sweetener
04 - 1.5 to 2 cups granulated sugar, to taste
→ Setting Agent
05 - 1 package (1.75 oz) fruit pectin
# Directions:
01 - Rinse the dandelion flowers thoroughly under cool running water. Remove all green parts from the flower heads, retaining only the yellow petals.
02 - Combine the yellow petals and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
03 - Remove the saucepan from heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes to extract maximum floral flavor.
04 - Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing firmly to extract all liquid. Discard the spent petals.
05 - Measure the reserved liquid, which should yield approximately 3 cups. Pour into a clean pot.
06 - Stir in the lemon juice and fruit pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
07 - Add the sugar all at once. Return to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
08 - Remove the pot from heat and skim off any foam that has formed on the surface of the jelly.
09 - Immediately pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Seal with lids.
10 - Process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes for long-term storage, or allow to cool and refrigerate for immediate use.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- It turns a weed everyone ignores into something genuinely special and delicious
- The floral sweetness is unlike anything you can buy at a store
02 -
- Any green left on the flower heads will make the jelly taste noticeably bitter
- A soft set just means you used less sugar and it still tastes wonderful on toast
03 -
- Press the petals hard when straining because that liquid holds the most flavor
- Skim the foam carefully since leaving it in makes cloudy jelly