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Dandelion Wine

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Dandelion WineMiana Jun

Dandelions are the bane of many a homeowner's existence, but they can be transformed into the most delicious sunshine-filled liqueur (colloquially called wine) by making a dandelion tea and then letting it ferment with sugar and citrus. You will find yourself creeping into neighbors' yards to pick more blossoms, it's just that good.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes about 1 gallon

Ingredients

4

cups dandelion flowers

6

cups boiling water

2

1/2 cups sugar

1

Meyer lemon, thinly sliced

1

orange, thinly sliced

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    1. Place dandelion flowers in a large heatproof container. Pour boiling water over top. Cover and let steep for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
    When making dandelion wine, cleanliness is key. Make sure your kitchen counters, hands, and all utensils are sterile.

    Step 2

    2. Pour the resulting tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot or saucepan, pressing the petals to extract as much flavor as possible. Discard blossoms and bring tea to a boil.

    Step 3

    3. Place sugar in a heatproof 1-gallon jar. Pour boiling dandelion tea into jar and stir to dissolve. Add lemon and orange slices. Cover jar and let liquid stand for 2 weeks at room temperature, shaking every couple days.

    Step 4

    4. Pour dandelion wine through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter into a clean container. Serve or cover and store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Reprinted with permission from Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers by Miche Bacher; photography by Miana Jun. Copyright © 2013 by Miche Bacher; photographs © 2013 by Quirk Productions, Inc. Published by Quirk Books.
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