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Dandelion jam (dandelion honey) homemade: easy and quick
Instructions
Before starting to cook the jam, collect and prepare the dandelion flowers carefully. Choose only fully open blooms in their prime, since closed buds and faded heads will not contribute the right flavour or colour. Trim the heads cleanly with scissors. If the flowers close while you are bringing them home, do not be alarmed, since this is perfectly normal behaviour for dandelions.
Rinse the dandelion flowers thoroughly under cool running water to wash off all traces of dirt, dust and any small insects that may have hidden between the petals. Spread the rinsed flowers on a clean kitchen towel to drain briefly before continuing to the next preparation step in the recipe.
Now remove the lower green parts of each flower head so the finished jam does not taste bitter. Use either a small sharp knife or a pair of kitchen scissors for this step, working flower by flower. The greens contain bitter compounds that would otherwise spoil the delicate sweet flavour of the finished preserve in the jar.
Transfer the prepared dandelion petals to a heavy-bottomed cooking pot. Pour in the 200 millilitres of water, add the half lemon (cut into thick slices to release the maximum flavour) and place the pot on the stove. Set the heat to maximum to bring the contents up to a rolling boil as quickly as possible.
Once the water reaches a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for fifteen minutes. The dandelions will release their essential oils and golden colour into the water during this brief simmering step, which forms the foundation of the finished jam in the next step of the recipe.
Strain the resulting golden broth through a clean piece of cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve into a clean cooking pot. The spent dandelion flowers and lemon slices have given up all their flavour and colour at this point, so they can go straight onto the compost heap or into the bin.
Add the 200 grams of sugar to the strained broth in the pot and stir to dissolve. Place on the heat at maximum until boiling, then reduce the heat to slightly below medium. Cook the dandelion jam for thirty to forty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. For a thicker consistency, simply increase the cooking time slightly.
After thirty to forty minutes, the jam will have changed colour to a deeper richer gold and reached the right consistency. To test for doneness, drop a small spoonful of the jam onto a chilled saucer. If the drop holds its shape rather than spreading thinly across the saucer, the dandelion jam is ready to jar. Fans of thicker preserves can cook a little longer.
Pour the finished hot jam into a clean sterilised glass jar using a wide-mouthed funnel for tidiness. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools to room temperature in the jar, so do not worry if it looks slightly thin straight off the heat. Delight your loved ones with this beautiful homemade dandelion honey. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Always collect dandelions from clean unsprayed sources well away from busy roads, treated lawns and any areas where dogs or other animals regularly walk. Dandelions absorb pesticides, herbicides and pollution very readily through their delicate petals, so the cleaner the source, the safer and tastier your finished jam will be in the end. Country fields, untreated meadows and your own pesticide-free garden are all genuinely excellent collection spots.
- 2
The bright fresh flavour of dandelion jam pairs wonderfully with strong flavoured tea such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey or Russian Caravan. For another beautiful homemade preserve to add to your jam collection, try our easy cherry with gelatin for winter, which uses a similarly simple technique with whole pitted fruit and produces another stunning glass jar full of summer flavours.
- 3
Trim the bitter green base of each flower carefully and patiently rather than rushing this preparation step, since any leftover green parts will make the finished jam taste unpleasantly bitter rather than purely floral and sweet. The work goes faster if you sit down at the kitchen table with a small bowl, a pair of scissors and an audiobook playing in the background while you process the entire batch of flowers.
- 4
Test the jam consistency on a chilled saucer rather than relying on cooking time alone, since stovetop temperatures vary widely between different households and the right setting time depends partly on the variables involved. For another quick and indulgent homemade dessert that pairs beautifully with this golden preserve at breakfast, try our richly tender cookie fish cake with sour cream and bananas as a special weekend treat.
FAQ
When is the best time to collect dandelions for jam? +
Dandelions are at their absolute best for jam-making in late spring or very early summer, when the flowers are fully open and packed with the most fragrant pollen. Collect on a sunny morning after any dew has dried but before the heat of the afternoon, since the flowers tend to close partially in cool damp conditions. Aim to use the harvested flowers within a few hours of collection for the freshest possible flavour in the finished jam.
How long does dandelion jam keep? +
Properly sealed in a sterilised jar, dandelion jam keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to six months, or in a cool dark cupboard for up to twelve months without any noticeable loss of quality or flavour. Once opened, transfer to the refrigerator and use within four weeks for the very best taste and texture. The colour may darken slightly during storage, but this is purely cosmetic and never affects the flavour at all.
Can I use dried dandelion flowers instead of fresh? +
Dried dandelions can technically be used in place of fresh, but the flavour and colour of the finished jam will be noticeably less vibrant than the fresh-flower version. Use about half the weight of dried compared to the weight of fresh flowers called for in the recipe, and consider increasing the steeping time slightly to compensate for the more muted flavour of the dried product. Fresh remains genuinely far superior whenever possible.
Is dandelion jam suitable for diabetics? +
The standard dandelion jam recipe contains a high proportion of sugar by weight and is therefore not suitable for anyone managing diabetes or following a low-sugar diet. A reduced-sugar version can be made using a sugar substitute such as erythritol or stevia, though the texture and shelf life will both differ slightly from the standard recipe. Always consult a doctor before introducing any new sweetened preserve into a controlled medical diet plan.
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