Award Winning Dandelion Jelly

Posted May 2, 2018 by Prairie Wife - 6 comments

Dandelion jelly is one of my favorite childhood memories

Wait let me correct that…EATING dandelion jelly is one of my favorite childhood memories. Picking all the dandelion heads so Ma could make the jelly is one of my LEAST favorite memories.

Cowboy C tasted some of this batch of Dandelion Jelly (the first he’s ever had) and declared “It tastes like love and Summer.” 

I have to agree.

If pressed for a more realistic description I’d say that this unique jelly tastes a lot like honey. My favorite way to describe the flavor is “honey and sunshine.”

This jelly is labor-intensive and it is imperative that you make sure the Dandelions you pick have not been sprayed with any chemicals. The last time I made this recipe was over a decade ago when we came across a mountain meadow covered in flowers. I’m always on the hunt for more but have failed miserably. I always encourage the Cowkids to make as many wishes as they can on the dandelions out here (in the hopes of cultivating enough to make jelly). Despite this, I have had no luck…

So, I was shocked when I noticed yesterday that a huge amount of our prairie was covered with beautiful blooming Dandelions! As soon as we arrived home from school I sent all the Cowkids out with plastic bags to fill with Dandelion heads. I then spent the rest of the evening and a bit of time this morning making the jelly.

There are tons of different recipes out there, but this simple one below yields results just like Ma used to make.

You can follow this link to learn more about canning, or you can simply jar your jelly and keep it in the fridge.

dandelion jelly prep

Dandelion Jelly
Prep and Cook Time: 8 billion hours…OK actually 4-5 hours Serves: 13 cups OR 13 1/2 Pint Jars

Ingredients

10 cups Dandelion Heads
6 cups water
2 boxes of Powdered Pectin (3/4 cup)
4 Tbs Lemon Juice
9 cups of sugar

Canning jars (I use a mixture of 4oz and 8oz so I can have bigger jars to keep and smaller ones to give away)
Strainer with fine holes

  1. Pick approx. 10 cups of dandelion heads.
  2. Using sharp scissors cut the yellow petals off (avoiding as much of the green as you can) into a heat-safe covered container.
  3. Boil 6 cups of water.
  4. Pour boiling water over yellow petals, cover, and let seep overnight to form “dandelion tea”
  5. Strain “dandelion tea” into a large pot. If the liquid doesn’t equal 6 cups, add water. I quickly pour the strained “dandelion tea” into a large glass measuring cup to check!
  6. Add Lemon Juice and Pectin to strained “dandelion tea” and stir occasionally until it boils.
  7. Add sugar and bring to a boil for an additional 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
  8. Pour mixture into jars and can according to your preferred method.

Why is this my “Award Winning Dandelion Jelly”? Because a few years ago a reader used this recipe and her daughter won the BLUE RIBBON at the local fair! Isn’t that awesome?

@prairiewife I made #dandelionjelly today 💛 It tastes like #honeyandsummer 🥰 Find the #fullrecipe at PrairieWifeInHeels.com #prairiewife #dirtroadlife #homemadejelly #canning #weekendwork #recipes #prairielife #theoldways ♬ International Harvester – Craig Morgan

You can also head over to our Instagram to see pics of each step of the process, I find seeing visuals helps me to feel more confident when trying a new recipe!

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6 thoughts on "Award Winning Dandelion Jelly"

  1. Bennie says:

    I can honestly say I have never heard of dandelion jelly before. I wouldn’t even think of trying to make around here since I’m sure my condo complex the landscaping company who knows what’s in our grass. The only thing I remember was dandelions growing up was a book I think called dandelion wine. And I think I remember that the one in this book was not healthy or maybe poisonous? I could be wrong it’s been along time since I read that book, maybe it was a metaphor or something. Well good for you making something for me childhood and finding 10 cups worth of dandelions that we’re not chemically treated.

    Thanks for always introducing me to new ideas.

    1. Prairie Wife says:

      Finding Dandelions that are safe is always the trick! And I read Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury as well but all I can remember is the main character talking about how his new sneakers made him feel like he could run so much faster lol…that’s the part that resonated with me apparently. The Cowkids are begging me to make more lol they are afraid this crop of Dandelions was a fluke 😉

  2. Dawn says:

    I adore vintage recipes, and somehow in all of my collecting, have never heard of Dandelion Jelly. Beautiful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    1. Prairie Wife says:

      It is such a wonderful recipe and it tastes so divine! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  3. Lynette Grandpre says:

    Thanks, now I know how to make Dandelion Tea also

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