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    You Are Here Home » Jam and Preserves Recipes

    Published: May 17, 2022 Updated: May 17, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 4 Comments

    Wild Dandelion Jelly

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    dandelion jelly pin

    Dandelion Jelly is often compared to the taste of honey. It's sweet, mild, lemony, and has wonderful floral notes. This Dandelion Jelly Recipe is so delicious and the gorgeous golden jelly makes a wonderful gift. However, don't give all the jars away! Save a few jars for yourself to enjoy on buttered sourdough toast anytime you yearn for a little taste of spring!

    cropped-dandelion-jelly-in-jars-10.jpg

    Ahhhh, it finally feels like spring in Montana, also known as foraging time! The birds are fighting over the birdhouses dotting our property, the male turkeys are strutting around trying to impress the ladies, and everywhere you look, bright yellow dandelions are popping up.

    This year, I decided to pick some of the dandelions to make Wild Dandelion Jelly. Now, before anyone suggests that I should save the dandelions for the bees, please understand that there is an abundance of dandelions here in Montana.

    For every dandelion blossom I pick, there are thousands left behind. Not to mention, the dandelion buds waiting under the dandelion blossoms, eagerly waiting for their turn to bloom! 🌼🌼🌼

    Jump to:
    • 🧐Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe
    • 🔖Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
    • 🔪Tools Required For This Recipe
    • 🌼How to Make Wild Dandelion Jelly
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
    • 💡Recipe Pro Tips
    • 🍇Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐Why This Recipe Works

    Unlike some other complicated recipes, Dandelion Jelly is easy and fun to make! If you have little ones, have them help you pick the dandelion blossoms. They'll have a ball, as you teach them how to forage for wild edibles!

    The simple ingredients list means you probably already have the ingredients in your cupboard and your backyard. Once you taste this delicious Dandelion Jelly, you'll want to make it a yearly spring tradition!

    🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

    ingredients of dandelion jelly recipe

    🔖Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

    • Dandelion Flowers: You will need 2 cups of dandelion petals or approximately 4 cups of dandelion flowers. Choose the largest dandelions, which have more petals. More petals mean you'll need fewer flowers. Make sure the flowers are fresh and have not been sprayed with pesticides.
    • Citrus: You'll need the juice and zest of one small lemon (approximately 3-4 tablespoons of juice), and a fresh orange slice.
    • Pectin: I used 4½ tablespoons RealFruit Classic Pectin powder in this recipe. That's the same amount in 1 packet of pectin (1.75 ounces). If you use liquid pectin or a different brand of pectin, the amount might need to be adjusted.

    🔪Tools Required For This Recipe

    • Saucepan
    • Canning equipment
    • 6 half-pint jelly jars
    • 1-quart canning jar

    🌼How to Make Wild Dandelion Jelly

    Step 1: Prepare a water bath canner or fill a large pot with water and add six half-pint jars. Bring to a boil and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the stove and keep the jars in the hot water until needed. Once you remove the jars, you can add the bands and lids for a few minutes until needed.

    Step 2: Using kitchen scissors, snip off the stem and green petals of the blossoms at the base. You only want to use the yellow petals. Give the petals a quick rinse, you don't want to wash away the flavor, or their beautiful color.

    STEP 3: Pour 3-½ cups of cold water into a large pot and add petals, orange slice, and lemon zest. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Once the tea is room temperature, pour it into a 1-quart mason jar or another container. Screw the lid on and steep the tea for a few hours or preferably overnight. You don't have to place the jar in the refrigerator.

    dandelion tea being steeped in a jar for dandelion jelly recipe

    STEP 4: Strain the steeped tea using a fine-mesh sieve, coffee filter, or my personal favorite, a soup bag. Squeeze all the liquid and flavor out of the petals and citrus, and get every last drop! Discard the flower petals and citrus peels.

    STEP 5: Measure the liquid and make sure you have 3½ cups of liquid. If not, add some water to bring it up to 3½. Pour the tea back into a large saucepan and add lemon juice, pectin, and sugar, as you whisk. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove from heat.

    dandelion jelly recipe boiling

    Pro Tip: Make sure to immediately whisk the pectin into the tea to keep it from clumping.

    STEP 6: Skim foam, if necessary, then ladle the dandelion jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼" headspace. Run a small knife along the edges of the jars to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth or a wet paper towel and hand-tighten the lids. Avoid over-tightening.

    STEP 7: Add filled canning jars to the canner. Make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the dandelion jelly jars in boiling water, for a minimum of 10 minutes. Add 5 additional minutes for every 1000'-3000' elevation above sea level.

    jelly jars stacked ontop of each other with flowers in the background

    🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

    Does dandelion jelly taste good?

    Dandelion Jelly is divine! It is sweet like honey, with a hint of lemon flavor, and a touch of floral tones.

    toast and dandelion jelly recipe

    What is dandelion jelly made of?

    Dandelion Jelly is made by adding dandelion blossom petals in hot water to prepare a dandelion tea. The tea is then steeped, strained, and boiled with sugar, lemon juice, and pectin to make a delicious Dandelion Jelly recipe.

    Can you eat wild dandelions?

    Wild dandelions can indeed be eaten as long as they are not sprayed with pesticides. The flowers, stems, leaves, buds, and roots are not only edible but highly nutritious.

    The green parts of the plant are sometimes compared to mustard greens and have a slightly bitter taste. The only part of the plant that you can't eat is the seeds!

    dandelion going to seed

    What can you make with dandelions?

    The entire dandelion plant is edible. The flowers and leaves can be stir-fried or added to a salad. The roots are medicinal and used to make dandelion salves and bitters for cocktails.

    The flowers are milder in flavor and great for making dandelion wine, mead, jelly, syrup, and dandelion tea. The flowers can even be battered and fried. The unopened buds can also be pickled to make poor man's capers.

    💡Recipe Pro Tips

    • Pick the dandelions midday when they are open and choose the largest ones which have more petals, which means you'll need fewer dandelions.
    • The dandelions should be picked from somewhere that has not been sprayed with pesticides or that pets have access to.
    • Lightly rinse the petals after you pluck them from the blossoms. Do not wash the blossoms beforehand. If the blossoms are wet, it will be hard to separate the outer green part from the petals.
    • Some dandelion jelly recipes suggest adding a drop or two of yellow food coloring to make the jelly's color more vibrant. Personally, I don't feel it's necessary.
    • If you garden, add the strained petals and citrus slice to your compost bin.
    • Store open dandelion jelly in the fridge for up to a few months or until consumed.
    • Sealed and processed dandelion jelly can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.
    dandelion jelly recipe in jars
    Dandelion Jelly labeled and ready to be gifted

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      Welcome Fall Crabapple Jam (no pectin)
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    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    jars of dandelion jelly stacked on eachother

    Wild Dandelion Jelly

    Wild Dandelion Jelly is easy to make and absolutely delicious!
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Condiments, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    steep time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 ½ pint jars
    Calories: 30kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups dandelion petals
    • 3½ cups water
    • 1 small lemon (juiced and zested)
    • 1 slice fresh orange
    • 4½ tablespoon RealFruit Classic Pectin (or 1 package)
    • 3½ cups granulated sugar

    Instructions

    • Prepare a water bath canner or fill a large pot with water and add six half-pint jars. Bring to a boil and set a timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the stove and keep the jars in the hot water until needed. Once you remove the jars, you can add the bands and lids for a few minutes until needed.
    • Using kitchen scissors, snip off the stem and green petals of the blossoms at the base. You only want to use the yellow petals. Give the petals a quick rinse, you don't want to wash away the flavor, or their beautiful color. 
    • Pour cold water into a large pot and add petals, orange slice, and lemon zest. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Once the tea is room temperature, pour it into a 1-quart mason jar or another container. Screw the lid on and steep the tea for a few hours or preferably overnight. It does not need to be kept in the refrigerator.
    • Strain the steeped tea using a fine-mesh sieve, coffee filter, or my personal favorite, a soup bag. Squeeze all the liquid and flavor out of the petals and citrus, and get every last drop! Discard the flower petals and citrus peels.
    • Measure the liquid and make sure you have 3½ cups of liquid. If not, add some water to bring it up to 3½. Pour the tea back into a large saucepan and add lemon juice, pectin, and sugar, as you whisk. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, remove from heat.
    • Skim foam, if necessary, then ladle the dandelion jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼" headspace. Run a small knife along the edges of the jars to release any trapped air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth or a wet paper towel and hand-tighten the lids. Avoid over-tightening.
    • Add filled canning jars to the canner. Make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the filled jars in boiling water, for a minimum of 10 minutes. Add 5 additional minutes for every 1000'-3000' elevation above sea level.

    Notes

    • Pick the dandelions midday when they are open and choose the largest ones which have more petals, which means you'll need fewer dandelions.
    • The dandelions should be picked from somewhere that has not been sprayed with pesticides or that pets have access to.
    • Lightly rinse the petals after you pluck them from the blossoms. Do not wash the blossoms beforehand. If the blossoms are wet, it will be hard to separate the outer green part from the petals.
    • Some dandelion jelly recipes suggest adding a drop or two of yellow food coloring to make the jelly's color more vibrant. Personally, I don't feel it's necessary.
    • If you garden, add the strained petals and citrus slice to your compost bin.
    • Store open dandelion jelly in the fridge for up to a few months or until consumed.
    • Sealed and processed jars can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 96Tablespoons | Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 3mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 8g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Diane says

      December 19, 2022 at 6:19 am

      Have you ever made a low sugar version? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        December 19, 2022 at 6:49 am

        Hi Diane,
        I have not tried making a lower-sugar version. Mainly because in my experience low sugar jellies have a tendency not to set. Thanks for your comment!

        Reply
    2. Kelly Methey says

      May 21, 2022 at 7:44 am

      5 stars
      This is such a delicate and tasty recipe. It is perfect for gift giving as it is so pretty in the jar. Your little tags are a sweet touch. Another great and interesting recipe out of the yard!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        May 21, 2022 at 2:54 pm

        Thank you Kelly for your sweet comment.🌼

        Reply

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