Author Topic: Dandelion Jelly (Read 384 times)

jen51 · « **on:** April 10, 2020, 09:07:21 PM »

I made a batch of it last week, and we are excited to eat it on our rolls for Easter!

Has anyone else tried dandelion jelly? It's my favorite. Some say it tastes like honey, but I think it tastes like a dandelion smells. Every year I look forward to these precious early flowers to bloom so I can make some jelly for us, and gift it to others.

It is so simple to make.

Pick a packed quart of dandelions flowers. Make sure not to get the bitter stems! The green on the bottom of the flower is alright.

Bring them in, rinse them well, and let them sit for a moment to let any bugs crawl out that might be in there. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Cover and let them steep for 12-24 hours. Strain through a tea towel. Make sure to get at least 3.5 cups of liquid from it.

In a saucepan, mix your 3.5 cups of dandelion tea, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, and one box of powdered pectin. Bring it to a full boil, then add 4 cups of sugar. Bring it back to a full boil and then stir it constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Pour it in 1/2 pint jars, and water bath for 7 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Dandelion is my favorite, but I've also done this with redbud flowers and violets. All are wonderful, and so beautiful!

If you try it, do let me know how you like it!

Alan · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2020, 11:24:49 PM »

Quote from: jen51 on April 10, 2020, 09:07:21 PM

I made a batch of it last week, and we are excited to eat it on our rolls for Easter!

Has anyone else tried dandelion jelly? It's my favorite. Some say it tastes like honey, but I think it tastes like a dandelion smells. Every year I look forward to these precious early flowers to bloom so I can make some jelly for us, and gift it to others.

It is so simple to make.

Pick a packed quart of dandelions flowers. Make sure not to get the bitter stems! The green on the bottom of the flower is alright.

Bring them in, rinse them well, and let them sit for a moment to let any bugs crawl out that might be in there. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Cover and let them steep for 12-24 hours. Strain through a tea towel. Make sure to get at least 3.5 cups of liquid from it.

In a saucepan, mix your 3.5 cups of dandelion tea, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, and one box of powdered pectin. Bring it to a full boil, then add 4 cups of sugar. Bring it back to a full boil and then stir it constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Pour it in 1/2 pint jars, and water bath for 7 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Dandelion is my favorite, but I've also done this with redbud flowers and violets. All are wonderful, and so beautiful!

If you try it, do let me know how you like it!

How does it taste like??
Is it delicious??

songbird · « **Reply #2 on:** April 10, 2020, 11:28:36 PM »

I make Cactus Prickly Pear jelly every year. It is deep dark maroon color. Almost like a grape jelly.

And this year I made tangelo jam, wow!!

Nadir · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2020, 02:18:28 AM »

Jen said: one box of powdered pectin.

Here's a tip. I collect my own pectin. Just save all your citrus and apple seeds and boil them in one cup of water that will replace one of your cups in the recipe.

Don't know how it would go with flowers but it works with fruit.

A delicious and very cheap jam is made from finely chopped or minced citrus skins. When you juice just pop the skins in the fridge or freezer till you have sufficient.

I'll hopefully be back with recipe.

jen51 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2020, 07:22:43 AM »

Quote from: Nadir on April 11, 2020, 02:18:28 AM

Jen said: one box of powdered pectin.

Here's a tip. I collect my own pectin. Just save all your citrus and apple seeds and boil them in one cup of water that will replace one of your cups in the recipe.

I would really like to try this. How much citrus/apple seed would you say is needed?
My husband was wanting me to try this with plum pits a few years ago I remember. We have a lot of wild plums around here, so hopefully I can try it this year if this late hard freeze doesn't get them.

jen51 · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2020, 07:26:35 AM »

Quote from: songbird on April 10, 2020, 11:28:36 PM

I make Cactus Prickly Pear jelly every year. It is deep dark maroon color. Almost like a grape jelly.

And this year I made tangelo jam, wow!!

My husband and I always marvel at the beautiful natural colors of jams and jellies. It's such a delight!
I bet tangelo jam is very flavorful! I can almost taste it, haha. All this talk of citrus jam has got me seriously contemplating making a batch!

songbird · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2020, 08:49:59 PM »

Jen51: To make the tangelo jam, I looked at the recipe for orange marmalade on the sure-gel recipe sheet. I was very disappointed . it called for 2 tab. rind and 2 and a half cups of water and 5 -5 and half cup sugar. Well, I did it my way, because I want flavor! I used 10 tab. rind, about 2 cup of tangelo juice. Added 1/2 cup water to = 2 1/2 cup fluid as the recipe called for. Then the 5-5 1/2 cup that is called for by the orange marmalade sure-gel recipe. Then the pectin and 3 tab. lemon juice.

I was not sure how many jars. It came out to 4 pints? Oh, the color and oh the taste! It was the first time I made that and oh, I would sure like to try that again. I made 4 batches. Yum!

What gripes me the most, is, whoever made the jars for 4 oz are no longer 4 oz. They are 3 and 3/4 oz. That is maddening trying to figure out. I keep the small 2 oz jars around and if need be, any leftover goes in a coffee cup and I had to the next batch or the leftover is mine.

songbird · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2020, 08:56:10 PM »

There are 250 varieties of prickly pears! I tried one that came from a 20 ft. paddle cactus. The fruit was ready in Sept. (ready when the birds eat it). So, I thought I'll try it. I was able to use the pulp. (the variety I use is only good for juice-must be strained after sneezed)

Anyway, that was so very good! And the color was orange. Very orange. So, when done in Sept. it is ready for October!

I could not make the jam any more. The cactus put out few, enough for a qt or 2. The cactus was dangerous. It would shoot out dust needles. So, I had to get rid of the cactus. So, sad! The fruit, when ripe, has light stripped pink, like an apple. But the inside, when the jam is done, Orange!

songbird · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2020, 09:05:15 PM »

Ha! squeezed, not sneezed. The variety is was pertaining to was the deep maroon cactus pear jelly. Boy, when you work with it and the juice flies, the color is like blood. I work with mine, ready in late Sept. early Oct. The birds love it and I get chortled at when I pick. I have my own bush in my front yard.

We are from Indiana, and dandelions, I heard, were fried in a pan, like sponge mushrooms that we picked in April -May.

I knew nothing about the SouthWest. When we moved to AZ, my husband, who worked on the jets at Luke Base, brought to me a very large bag of needly prickly pears.
Well, I only knew my cherries, apples and strawberries. The fruit came from cacti bushes that surrounded a building on base. Wow! who would do such a thing.! But Lucky for me it just happened to be the fruit for jelly. My first year, I made sauce. I needed to strain through a kitchen cloth or cheese cloth. The things came out good.

I have seen prickly pear jelly at tourist traps. They are very small jars, 1-2 oz. About 5-$6. And you can see through the jelly! No way! I use straight juice, no water. I can't understand why, water in recipes when you have juice and you want flavor!

Nadir · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2020, 10:45:14 PM »

Quote from: jen51 on April 11, 2020, 07:22:43 AM

I would really like to try this. How much citrus/apple seed would you say is needed?
My husband was wanting me to try this with plum pits a few years ago I remember. We have a lot of wild plums around here, so hopefully I can try it this year if this late hard freeze doesn't get them.

Whatever you can collect including plum pits or apple skins (although it might make it cloudy.) I believe all fruit has pectin. As I said use one cup of water; that means one of the cups allowed for in your recipe. Fruit which is too ripe will contain less pectin. Pectin will speed your time of cooking as it will gell sooner.

Here is the recipe for marmalade which uses up your peels.
2 cups chopped or minced peel
2 1/2 cups water
Juice 2 lge lemons
1 kg sugar

Soak the peel overnight. In the a.m. add lemon juice and simmer with lid on until peel is soft. Add sugarand boil rapidly (lid off) till setting point is reached. Bottle and seal.

Don't overwater your jam . It will take longer to gell.
You can also use less sugar.
You can use orange, lemon, grapefruit or mandarin peels. mandarin is easy and contains less pith.
Always stand a wooden spoon in your boiling jam so it doesn't boil over but do not stir.

Believe it or not, you can make delicious pineapple jam with the skin. Just wash the skin well, boil it up, then drain, add your sugar and boil rapidly as above. Pineapple has a lot of pectin and sets well.

Viva Cristo Rey · « **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2020, 11:12:43 AM »

Quote from: jen51 on April 10, 2020, 09:07:21 PM

I made a batch of it last week, and we are excited to eat it on our rolls for Easter!

Has anyone else tried dandelion jelly? It's my favorite. Some say it tastes like honey, but I think it tastes like a dandelion smells. Every year I look forward to these precious early flowers to bloom so I can make some jelly for us, and gift it to others.

It is so simple to make.

Pick a packed quart of dandelions flowers. Make sure not to get the bitter stems! The green on the bottom of the flower is alright.

Bring them in, rinse them well, and let them sit for a moment to let any bugs crawl out that might be in there. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Cover and let them steep for 12-24 hours. Strain through a tea towel. Make sure to get at least 3.5 cups of liquid from it.

In a saucepan, mix your 3.5 cups of dandelion tea, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, and one box of powdered pectin. Bring it to a full boil, then add 4 cups of sugar. Bring it back to a full boil and then stir it constantly for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Pour it in 1/2 pint jars, and water bath for 7 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let it sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Dandelion is my favorite, but I've also done this with redbud flowers and violets. All are wonderful, and so beautiful!

If you try it, do let me know how you like it!

Thanks, Jen and Nadir. Can’t wait to try these recipes.

Author Topic: Dandelion Jelly (Read 384 times)

jen51

Dandelion Jelly

Alan

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songbird

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Nadir

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jen51

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jen51

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songbird

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songbird

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songbird

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Nadir

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Viva Cristo Rey

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