Delectable Dandelion Honey (Using Only 5 Ingredients)
Dandelion honey is just what you need after a long winter of snow and ice. Here in Michigan, we usually have dreary skies combined with the confusion that is our weather. It’s not uncommon to go from snowing one day, 76 degrees the next, to raining and flooding the next (even sometimes all in the same day)!
Needless to say, we are overjoyed when the weather decides to stay consistent, and spring starts to look promising. It is the time of year when, at least in Michigan, nearly everyone is waiting anxiously for the warmer weather to finally arrive and stay! With the rain and warmer weather that comes in April and May, we soon get blessed with dandelions!
If you love the taste of honey as much as I do but have not yet decided to take the plunge into keeping bees, you will still be able to have delicious “honey” with some effort and dandelion harvesting. Dandelion honey is a bit time-consuming to make but it does not require a ton of hands-on time and only requires a few simple tools and ingredients.
If you are new to foraging or are interested in learning more about dandelions, check out our post: The Unpopular Dandelion (With 10+ Surprising Ways To Use It).
Equipment & Tools
Kitchen Scissors: These are optional but they will speed up the process of removing the petals from the dandelion head. If you have a significant amount of flowers to do, I highly recommend kitchen scissors to speed up the process and save your fingertips some discomfort after a while.
Medium Saucepan: We will first make a dandelion tea then heat the tea and add sugar to make the dandelion honey. Make sure the pot is big enough to accommodate all of the ingredients, at least a 3-quart pot works best.
Cheesecloth (or Fine Mesh Bag): After we make the tea, we will need to strain out the petals. Using a few layers of cheesecloth or a fine mesh bag will help strain out all of the particles from the tea which will yield a clear honey.
Storage Container(s): You must decide what type of containers you would like to store the dandelion honey in. I prefer to use glass jars with an air-tight lid. It is important you are using airtight container(s) as just like with honey, if it gets exposed to air the sugar will start to crystalize.
Ingredients Needed
Dandelion Petals: We will be using only the petals in this recipe, you may save the rest of the plant for other recipes or discard the leftover bits.
Water: Clean, filtered water is recommended to use for this recipe.
Lemon Slices: This will give your honey a little bit of a citrus flavor. Fresh, dehydrated, or freeze-dried lemon slices will all work wonderfully in this recipe.
Vanilla Bean: This is optional, if you do not have a vanilla bean you may also use vanilla extract after cooking. You do not want to add the extract before as it’ll get cooked out. If you use vanilla bean then you will want to cut it length-wise and scrape out the caviar. Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla extract!
Sugar: Granulated sugar is used in this recipe to create a thick syrup-like texture just like honey!
How to make Dandelion Honey
Gather: Finding dandelions to harvest is relatively easy given that they grow in many places all over the world. Due to dandelion being considered a weed, it is important that you harvest in an area that hasn’t been treated with any chemicals. We have an extensive guide with tips and tricks on foraging for dandelions if you’re new to it.
Remove Petals: Using your fingers or kitchen scissors, remove the petals and discard the rest.
Vanilla: If you choose to use a vanilla bean, split the bean in half and scrape the caviar.
Boil & Steep: Place all of the ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes then remove pan from heat, cover, and let steep for 6 hours.
Strain & Second Boil: Strain the dandelion tea through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Return the tea to the pan and bring to a low boil.
Add Sugar: Gradually add in the sugar, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered until it reaches the desired syrupy thickness. Depending on your stove and heat setting, this could take up to an hour or a bit longer. The honey should be done when you can bring up the stirring utensil and as the honey cools it will form a little icicle, you will want it to be slow to form as syrup would do. Keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools. If you are using vanilla extract, add it after it cools some.
Storage: Keep the dandelion honey in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it should keep for about six months. You may also freeze for longer storage.
Variations
Herb-Infused: Try adding a little bit of fresh herbs such as bay leaves, sage, and/or thyme to the dandelion tea. Periodically taste the tea and as soon as you’re happy with the level of herbal flavor, remove them. You do not want to let the herbs steep too long as they may overpower the delicate floral notes of the dandelion.
Orange-Infused: Instead of using lemon slices, try using orange slices instead for a different citrus flavor.
FAQ’s
Delectable Dandelion Honey
*Note: Calories and cost is estimated, if provided.
Equipment & Tools
- Kitchen Scissors (optional, helps speed up the process of removing petals)
- Medium Saucepan (3 quart or larger)
- Cheesecloth (or fine mesh bag)
- Storage Container(s) (airtight to reduce crystalization)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Dandelion petals (see notes)
- 4 cups Water
- 3 Lemon slices , cut ¼ in thick
- ½ Vanilla bean , split and scraped (optional, could use extract instead after cooking)
- 2½ cups Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Gather dandelions and clean them with your chosen method if you are worried about bugs or insects that may still be on or inside the flower.
- Remove just the petals from the flower head either by plucking or using sharp kitchen scissors. If you use scissors then there will be little bits of green which is okay (see notes).
Boil & Steep
- Place 4 cups Dandelion petals, 4 cups Water, 3 Lemon slices, and ½ Vanilla bean in a medium-sized saucepan. If using the vanilla bean, place both the pod and caviar in.
- Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat, cover and let steep for 6 hours.
Strain & 2nd Boil
- Strain the dandelion tea through a cheesecloth and discard the solids.
- Return the tea to the saucepan and bring to a low boil.
- Gradually add 2½ cups Granulated sugar to the boiling liquid, stirring until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered until it reaches desired syrupy thickness. Depending on your stove and heat setting, this could take up to an hour or a little longer.
- The honey should be done when you can bring up the stirring utensil and as the honey cools it will form a little icicle, you'll want it to be slow to form like a syrup would do. Keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools.
- If using vanilla extract, add it to the honey after it has cooled some and stir in to incorporate.
Storage
- Store dandelion honey in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it should keep for about six months. You may also freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Some choose to leave the flower heads intact, but this can add a bitter note to the honey. To avoid potentially ruining all your hard work, it is recommended to use only the petals and eliminate as much of the green parts.
VARIATIONS
- Herb-Infused: Try adding a little bit of fresh herbs such as bay leaves, sage, and/or thyme to the dandelion tea. Periodically taste the tea and as soon as you’re happy with the level of herbal flavor, remove them. You don’t want to let the herbs steep too long as they may overpower the delicate floral notes of the dandelion.
- Orange-Infused: Try using orange slices in place of the lemon slices for a different citrus flavor.
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