Spring is coming! It’s just around the corner and the snow is half gone now! Soon the dandelions will be blooming all over our fields.
We have fields and fields of them and they are pesticide free! I sort of cultivate the dandelions–or I don’t actively try to get rid of them. I like them. They really do no harm, they are useful, and they don’t get tall enough to be a nuisance.
Last year I made dandelion wine, which I just bottled this morning.
This year I am going to make more dandelion wine. I have collected only the petals in years past for wine making but I have been told that the entire flower can be used for making syrup without bitterness. I don’t know about that but it will certainly make the collecting of enough material go a lot faster.
I also plan to collect the tiny leaves for eating and freezing like spinach for soups and stews and sauces.
And dandelion syrup! It taste slightly nutty with a hint of vanilla all by itself! Eat over waffles or ice cream or make a drink with it. Glaze meat with it. You can even heat it up and serve hot over desserts!
How to make Dandelion Syrup:
Collect as many chemical free dandelions as possible. Put just the washed heads into a pot and barely cover with water. Boil for some time, about 20-30 minutes. Remove those heads with a sieve and add another pot full of flower heads to the water and boil these for 20-30 minutes. The more dandelions you boil in the water, the stronger the flavour will be.
When you have boiled all the flowers you plan to boil, remove flowers with a sieve and strain liquid. Add sugar–1 part sugar to 1 part water. Let boil until thick and syrupy.
Bring it on, Spring! I’m ready!!
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Dandelion Syrup.
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Sheryl – Runningtrails blogs at Providence Acres Farm.
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CindyP says:
So you can just cut the top off, using the green parts, too? You don’t have to rip those little yellow petals off?
I made some jelly last year and that was the looooonnnngggest and most boring part — taking the petals off.
On April 5, 2011 at 7:33 am
Sheryl - Runningtrails says:
I found that part slightly tedius too. As you can see in the picture above, I had a bucket full of just the petals. It took all morning but it was a warm, dry, sunny spring day and I enjoyed it!
On April 5, 2011 at 7:40 am
lisabetholson says:
Sheryl, you may get me started with some of these kinds of things and I don’t think DH will eat them. He is such a store boy!
On April 5, 2011 at 8:15 am
wickedgoodshari says:
I will be saving this recipe for when my chemical free lawn is sprouting those sunny yellow flowers. I can’t wait!
On April 5, 2011 at 9:58 am
Mrs.Turkey says:
I wouldn’t mind having a good mess of dandelion greens with potatoes and salt pork cooked together. Yum yum…good eats when I was able to go pick them.
Mrs. Turkey
On April 5, 2011 at 10:29 am
AnnieB says:
Nothing says Easter like wild dandelion greens salad. With hot bacon dressing. YUM!!!!
I’ve never heard of dandelion syrup. It sounds really interesting!
On April 5, 2011 at 11:29 am
NorthCountryGirl says:
I agree with the dandelion and hot bacon dressing. That was a family dish every spring. Mom would go out and gather the dandelions and Dad would make the hot bacon dressing. We’d have it over boiled potatoes! I wasn’t real keen on it then, but I sure am now!
On April 5, 2011 at 12:36 pm
Deborah R says:
I’ve never tried dandelion greens (or dandelion anything, for that matter) – but I might just go pick some out of the lawn (we haven’t ever used chemicals on it and we’ve been here almost four years).
My friend picked me a handful of ramps yesterday and has promised me a bunch late in the month, with bulbs for planting at home. 😀
On April 5, 2011 at 6:43 pm
Alanna says:
I love dandelion salad. My Mom used to make the salad every spring for us. I’m going to try to make it myself since she has passed. It probably won’t taste as good as her’s!Good memories!
On April 6, 2011 at 6:53 am
Blue Ridge Baker says:
I made the syrup over the weekend and it’s delightful. Gave some to my mom today because of dandelions’ purported liver detox benefits and she made a salad of the greens and flowers, then topped it with vinaigrette made from my syrup – said it was delish!
On April 14, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Sheryl - Runningtrails says:
Glad to know it turned out well! We don’t have dandelions blooming here yet. We even have a very few spots of snow in the shady areas. I can’t wait for them to start blooming!!
On April 15, 2011 at 12:50 pm