Dandelion syrup
Dandelion syrup is often called "dandelion honey" and for good reason — reduced down it tastes warm, floral and faintly herbal. The key is pulling off only the yellow petals: the green parts of the head bring a bitterness that can ruin a whole batch.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Picking and plucking 60 min
- Steeping for a day 1440 min
- Cooking the syrup 60 min
- Bottling 15 min
Step by step
0 / 6 donePick the flowers on a sunny day
Pick dandelions at midday in the sun, when the heads are fully open, away from roads and dog walks. Do not wash the flowers — you would rinse away the pollen that carries the flavour. Just shake off the insects.
Ingredients: 400 g dandelion flowers · 1500 ml water · 2 pcs lemons
TipSpread the picked flowers on newspaper for 20 minutes — the insects leave the heads on their own.
Pull off the yellow petals
Hold the head by its green base and pull out the yellow petals, leaving the green behind. This is the most laborious stage — with 400 heads it takes about an hour, quicker with two pairs of hands — but it is what keeps the finished syrup free of bitterness.
Ingredients: 400 g dandelion flowers · 1500 ml water · 2 pcs lemons
Yellow only — every green fragment is bitterness in the jar.Cover and steep for a day
Cover the petals with water, add the lemon slices, bring to the boil and cook 5 minutes. Take off the heat, cover and leave for 24 hours somewhere cool. The petals give up their aroma and colour.
Ingredients: 400 g dandelion flowers · 1500 ml water · 2 pcs lemons
After a day the liquid is pale yellow and clearly floral.Strain thoroughly
Strain the infusion through a fine sieve lined with muslin and squeeze the petals hard. You should have about 1.2 litres of liquid. Discard the spent petals.
Ingredients: 400 g dandelion flowers · 1500 ml water · 2 pcs lemons
Reduce with sugar
Add the sugar and citric acid, bring to the boil and cook uncovered over medium heat for 60 minutes until the syrup thickens. Test it: a drop on a cold saucer should run slowly, not spread.
Ingredients: 1000 g sugar · 1 tsp citric acid
TipDo not let it reach dark caramel colour — the syrup turns bitter and loses its floral aroma.
Thickening shows in bubbles growing large and lazy.Bottle while hot
Pour the boiling syrup into scalded jars or wide-necked bottles and seal. Stand them upside down for 10 minutes. Sealed this way it keeps for a year in a dark, cool larder; once opened, keep it in the fridge.
Ingredients: 1000 g sugar · 1 tsp citric acid
Before you start
How to use it
In tea instead of honey, on pancakes, poured over yoghurt or as the base of a spring lemonade with sparkling water.
Syrup too thin
Bring it back to the boil and reduce another 15 minutes. Syrup thickens noticeably only once fully cold, so do not judge it hot.
How many flowers is that
400 g is about 400 heads, two large bowls. Picking takes roughly 40 minutes in a meadow.