If you are interested in making a dandelion honey recipe, then you will need some flowers and sugar. Aside from being easy to make, dandelion honey is also great for vegans. This is because dandelion honey contains no animal products. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals.
To begin, pick a few dandelion flowers. Make sure that the flowers are clean and that they are free from pesticides. Ideally, you should harvest them on a sunny day. Keep them away from roads and busy places so as to protect pollinators.
Once you have collected the flowers, rinse them off with cold water. Rinsing the dandelion flowers helps to get rid of the pollen. You can then separate the yellow part from the green stalk. Depending on your taste, you may want to discard the green stalk.
Then, place the dandelion flowers in a large pot or pan. Alternatively, you can put the flowers into a bowl. Depending on how you choose to cook, it will take a few minutes or several hours. Add enough water to cover the flower heads. Lastly, you can add a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Lemon is a great ingredient for dandelion honey because of its preservative effects.
Next, remove the calyxes, if any, from the dandelion flowers. You can also cut the stems off of the dandelion petals. Leaving the green stem on the dandelion petals makes the dandelion syrup bitter. Besides, the dandelion honey will not taste like dandelion.
Once you have removed the green calyxes, you can add the dandelion flowers to the pan and simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes. After that, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. As the dandelion mixture cools, it will thicken slightly.
Afterwards, you can pour the dandelion honey into small jam jars. Seal the jars and store them in a cool, dry place. Ideally, you should store the jars in a cupboard. They will keep for up to a year. However, you should test the dandelion honey periodically to avoid over-reducing. Adding a drop of the dandelion honey to a cold plate will help you to see whether it sets properly or not.
Once you have cooled the dandelion honey, you can filter it through a gauze cloth or cheesecloth. Leaving the dandelion flowers in the honey makes them very sticky and will prevent insects from consuming them. Depending on the recipe, you can add additional sugar or lemon to the dandelion honey.
If you do not have a blender or a food processor, you can use a pot to make dandelion honey. Alternatively, you can boil the flowers with sugar. Depending on the method, it will take about 20 to 30 minutes to cook the dandelion honey. When the honey is ready, you can strain the dandelion flowers through a cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve.
When storing dandelion honey, you should always place it in airtight, sterilized jars. You can also store the dandelion honey in the refrigerator or in a freezer. Unlike normal honey, dandelion honey is less likely to crystallize, and it will last for at least six months to a year.