How To Make Dandelion Honey Easy Recipe
Do you have a lawn full of dandelions that you don’t know what to do with? Here in Wisconsin, dandelions are prevalent in the early spring. Dandelions are one of my favorite flowers to use in recipes. From amazing herbal salve, to soap, tea, to honey, and even desserts! Dandelions are a very diverse spring ingredient, and hold many skin and nutritional benefits as well! Today I’m going to walk you through how to make dandelion honey.
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What is Dandelion Honey?
Dandelion honey doesn’t contain actual honey. It is a dandelion simple syrup, cooked down to a deep golden color and honey-like consistency. While it isn’t actually made with honey, it does look and taste very similar!
How Do You Use Dandelion Honey?
You can use dandelion honey in place of syrup, sugar, or honey in recipes. On pancakes, biscuits, scones, toast, tea, lemonade, yogurt, etc!
How to Store Dandelion Honey:
Storage: This recipe can be canned or frozen. Dandelion honey can be kept good for up to a year after water bath processing (canning) or up to a year in the freezer. I prefer to can to save freezer space, and so it’s available whenever we’d like to use it. It lasts up to 6 weeks in the fridge after processing or freezing.
If not canned or frozen, this recipe can last up to 6 weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. Be sure to smell, and check or mold before using.
Before we get started, let’s talk about some dandelion health benefits…
DANDELION, (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE):
Dandelion flowers are one of the most common lawn plants in the US. Their bright yellow petals that transform into whimsical puffballs of seeds are easy for anyone to recognize. While many consider this plant a pest, they are one of my favorite medicinal herbs!
The entire dandelion plant can be eaten petals, stem, leaves and roots. A note: Be cautious when eating any plant and make sure you know 100% what the plant is before consuming. Each part of the dandelion has different health benefits. In a 2015 study it was noted that the petals and leaves had the more effect when applied as extract to skin than the roots did. I love using dandelion leaves and roots for digestive bitter tinctures, and the flowers for dandelion honey and salve recipes.
The dandelion plant contains potassium, and antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, can help reduce cholesterol and regulate blood sugar, promote liver health, aid in digestion, are anti-fungal, and in a 2015 study it was suggested that dandelions could effectively help protect skin from sun damage.
What a powerful little plant! The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and UV protective properties of dandelion make it an excellent choice to add to any skincare recipe!
Dandelion Foraging Tips:
Since dandelions are one of the first spring flowers to pop up, be sure you have them in abundance before picking to ensure local bees and other insects have enough of their vital nutrition before picking. Also be sure you are picking the flowers from an un-treated lawn to avoid chemicals and pesticides in your blooms. It is a good practice to pick 16ft away from any roads to avoid runoff.
Tools You Will Need:
Measuring cups
Whisk
Heave saucepan or Pot
Spatula
Mesh Strainer
Cheesecloth
(If you’re wanting to water bath can to store)
Jars, lids, rings ( I used 8-1/2 pint jars)
Ingredients:
Dandelion Blossoms
Sugar
Water
Lemon
Additional Lemon Juice or Citric Acid (If canning)
How To Make Dandelion Honey:
Pick dandelion flowers from an untreated lawn. (We only need petals for this recipe)
Separate the dandelion petals from the green flower head to avoid any bitterness in the dandelion honey.
Soak 8 cups of dandelion petals in cold water for 5 minutes to remove any insects or dirt, then drain.
Place drained petals in a heavy saucepan along with 8 cups water, and 6 lemon slices cut into 1/4-inch slices
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium/low and simmer for 30 minutes
Remove from heat and steep dandelion tea for 6 to 8 hours
Strain dandelion tea through a cheesecloth or flour sack towel to remove petals and lemons.
At this point you should have 6 cups of dandelion tea. The boiling evaporating and petals absorbing liquid reduces the original amount.
Place dandelion tea back into the saucepan and bring to a boil
Gradually add 5 cups of sugar while stirring until sugar is dissolved. (Add an additional 2 tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp citric acid if canning)
On high heat, boil hard until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches thread stage on a candy thermometer, which is 230 F to 235 F (or 110 to 113 C). This should take about 15 to 20 minutes for this big of a recipe. This may take more time depending on your stove.
Once the dandelion honey reaches the proper temperature, remove it from the heat and pour into jars for cooling or use mixture right away for canning.
Canning Directions:
If canning, wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water or warm oven. Brings lids to simmer; turn off the heat; let stand in hot water.
Wash bands, set aside in hot water. Fill washed jars to 1/4: headspace. Wipe rims clean with paper towel or washcloth dipped in white vinegar. Screw on the 2 piece lids. Lower filled jars into simmering water in water bath canner and add the lid to the canner there should be 1 inch of water above lids. Bring to a full rolling boil and process for 10 minutes. ( add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft above sea level). After 10 minutes remove lid and let sit 5 more minutes. Remove jars from water on to a clean towel. Let jars cool. Check seals, and wash jars before labeling and storing. Lids should be fully sealed.
How To Make Dandelion Honey Easy Recipe
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- 8 cup glass measure
- Measuring Cups
- Whisk
- Pot
- Spatula
- Mesh Strainer
- Jars, lids, rings ( I used 8-1/2 pint jars)(If you’re wanting to water bath can to store)
- Canning Accessories
- Water bath Canner
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- 8 cups Dandelion Blossoms
- 8 cups Water
- 5 cups Sugar
- 1 Lemon
- 2 tbsp Additional Lemon Juice or 1/2 tsp Citric Acid If canning
Instructions
- Pick dandelion flowers from an untreated lawn. (We only need petals for this recipe)
- Separate the dandelion petals from the green flower head to avoid any bitterness in the dandelion honey.
- Soak 8 cups of dandelion petals in cold water for 5 minutes to remove any insects or dirt, then drain.
- Place drained petals in a heavy saucepan along with 8 cups water, and 6 lemon slices cut into 1/4-inch slices
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium/low and simmer for 30 minutes
- Remove from heat and steep dandelion tea for 6 to 8 hours
- Strain dandelion tea through a cheesecloth or flour sack towel to remove petals and lemons.
- At this point you should have 6 cups of dandelion tea. The boiling evaporating and petals absorbing liquid reduces the original amount.
- Place dandelion tea back into the saucepan and bring to a boil
- Gradually add 5 cups of sugar while stirring until sugar is dissolved. (Add an additional 2 tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp citric acid if canning)
- On high heat, boil hard until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches thread stage on a candy thermometer, which is 230 F to 235 F (or 110 to 113 C).
- This should take about 15 to 20 minutes for this big of a recipe. This may take more time depending on your stove.
- Once the dandelion honey reaches the proper temperature, remove it from the heat and pour into jars for cooling or use mixture right away for canning.
- If canning, wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water or warm oven. Brings lids to simmer; turn off the heat; let stand in hot water.
- Wash bands, set aside in hot water. Fill washed jars to 1/4: headspace. Wipe rims clean with paper towel or washcloth dipped in white vinegar. Screw on the 2 piece lids. Lower filled jars into simmering water in water bath canner and add the lid to the canner there should be 1 inch of water above lids. Bring to a full rolling boil and process for 10 minutes. ( add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft above sea level). After 10 minutes remove lid and let sit 5 more minutes. Remove jars from water on to a clean towel. Let jars cool. Check seals, and wash jars before labeling and storing. Lids should be fully sealed.
Notes
Did you Try This Dandelion Honey Recipe?
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This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read my full disclosure policy here.
