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dandelionDandelions are perhaps one of the easiest wild edibles to obtain. Even if you live in a concrete jungle, I bet you can find dandelions. With the Latin name Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion is completely edible. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked down as greens. The blossoms can be used to make wine and this jelly. The ground root can be used as a coffee substitute. Medicinal uses include use as a laxative and as mosquito repellent. And since they are so recognizable to so many people, there is very little chance you will pick the wrong thing…

To make the tea, go out to your back yard and pick 10 cups of blossoms. They add up fast so don’t despair. I bet if you don’t have enough in your yard, I bet your neighbors will share.

When you have them all collected, you have to remove the green parts from the yellow petals. There are two ways to do this. Pull them apart with your fingers. Use scissors to cut the yellow off the green. I prefer the scissors method.

When you have collected 4 cups of yellow petals, pour 4 cups of boiling water over the petals. Allow to sit until room temperature or overnight (the later is better). When you are ready to make your jelly, strain the tea through a coffee filter to remove the petals and any other solids(hopefully no bugs). This is your tea. You can refrigerate it a bit longer if you are not ready to make the jelly quite yet.

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Dandelion Jelly

  • 3 cups dandelion tea (see above)
  • 4 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 box powdered pectin

Add dandelion tea, lemon juice, 1 box of pectin and sugar into large saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Top with your sterilized lids and rings. Tighten and allow to cool. If they do not seal, place them in the fridge. They can keep up to 2 months. The final product tastes a bit like honey…

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