MAKING DANDELION JELLY


Turn those sunny dandelions into a beautiful homemade jelly with a delicate honey-like flavor. This old-fashioned recipe is a simple way to bring a little bit of spring to your table.

INGREDIENTS
  • 3 ¼ cups water, or more as needed
  • 4 cups lightly packed dandelion petals, divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)

DIRECTIONS
    • You will need 4 cups of just the yellow petals Harvest roughly 8 cups of dandelion flower heads. Carefully remove just the yellow petals, discarding the green portions. You should have roughly 4 cups petals (not packed) or 2 cups petals (packed).
    • Make a dandelion petal tea by pouring 4 cups boiling water over the cleaned flower petals. Allow the tea to steep for at least an hour, but as long as 24 hours.
    • After steeping, strain the petals, ringing them out to get every last bit of liquid. Measure the liquid, you should have 3 3/4 to 4 cups of dandelion tea.
    • Pour the dandelion tea into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add lemon juice and pectin, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. (Note: Do not add sugar yet.)
    • Once the mixture is rapidly boiling, add the sugar and stir to combine.
    • Allow the mixture to return to a hard boil, and boil 1-2 minutes before removing from heat.
    • Pour the jelly into prepared jars, seal and allow the jelly to cool and set for at least 12 hours. (Sometimes jelly takes as long as 48 hours to fully set, be patient.) Store in the refrigerator.
    • Canning Dandelion Jelly 
  • Prepare the jelly, and then pour into canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes before removing to a towel on the counter to cool completely.
  • Check seals after 24 hours and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.
Print Recipe

Dandelion Jelly

Dandelion jelly in canning jars

Ingredients

  • 3¼ cups water, or more as needed
  • 4 cups lightly packed dandelion petals, divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)

Directions

  1. Harvest roughly 8 cups of dandelion flower heads. Carefully remove just the yellow petals, discarding the green portions. You should have roughly 4 cups petals (not packed) or 2 cups petals (packed).
  2. Make a dandelion petal tea by pouring 4 cups boiling water over the cleaned petals. Allow the tea to steep for at least an hour, but as long as 24 hours.
  3. After steeping, strain the petals, wringing them out to get every last bit of liquid. Measure the liquid — you should have 3¾ to 4 cups of dandelion tea.
  4. Pour the dandelion tea into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the lemon juice and pectin, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. (Do not add the sugar yet.)
  5. Once the mixture is at a rapid boil, add the sugar and stir to combine.
  6. Return the mixture to a hard boil and boil for 1–2 minutes before removing from heat.
  7. Pour the jelly into prepared jars, seal, and allow it to cool and set for at least 12 hours (it can sometimes take up to 48 hours to fully set — be patient). Store in the refrigerator.

Canning Dandelion Jelly

  • Prepare the jelly, then pour into canning jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes before removing to a towel on the counter to cool completely.
  • Check seals after 24 hours and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.