Sure, it won't be drinkable for months, but I'm excited! And since dandelions are blooming everywhere right about now, it's the perfect time to do some wild foraging and harvest your own bottle of wine.
You will need: (yields 1 quart) ~ 4 cups dandelion petals ~ 4 cups water ~ 1 orange (organic!) ~ 1 lemon (organic!) ~ 1 pound of sugar ~ piece of stale bread ~ pinch of dry bread yeast | | (yields 1 gallon) ~ 16 cups dandelion petals ~ 1 gallon water ~ 4 oranges (organic!) ~ 4 lemons (organic!) ~ 4 pounds of sugar ~ piece of stale bread ~ pinch of dry bread yeast |
Okay folks, get excited! Because this first step is going to take some enthusiasm.
First, harvest your dandelion flowers. Choose a day when you have a large block of time free in the morning and afternoon - you want to do this all in one go, so the flowers don't wilt (refrigerate them if you must take breaks, but finish within the day). Harvest the flowers in the mid-morning, when they've just opened. You want to go for young dandelion blooms that are just starting to open, but when in doubt go for quantity.
Second, remove the green bits (sepal & calyx, to be precise). You don't have to do this, as it is an incredibly tedious task, but your wine will be more bitter if you leave the greenery on. Some winemakers do say the greens lend dandelion wine a certain 'je ne sais quoi'... do as you like.
If you decide to use only petals, use a knife to slice off the base of the calyx (the big, tubular part that holds the petals) and peel the rest off, letting the petals fall into your bowl. If you use your nails, they will stain brown - fair warning.
Cover loosely, to keep dust & bugs out, and let this dandelion tea steep for 24-48 hours.
** Optional (maybe): Heat the mixture on low, stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. I didn't do this, as my source recipe didn't mention it, but I've seen similar recipes that say to heat. Dissolving the sugar this way may make fermentation easier - after several days my non-heated brew seems to be bubbling a bit, but I'd be interested to try it both ways.
When this happens, it's time to bottle! You'll need sterilized bottles, a funnel, and a strainer. Oh, and fermented dandelion tea - you'll need that too!
Securely cap the bottles and then put 'em away for a few months - at least three, so your dandelion wine can age to delicious perfection! And I mean it when I say securely cap - one loose cork explosively popped off, just a few hours after bottling!
I'll update this post in the fall, when my wine is ready to drink - 'til then, get out and get those dandelions!
I found this recipe via Nancy Klehm's post on Root Simple - many thanks to her & her expertise!
Have you ever tried dandelion wine? Have you ever made it before? Do you have a different recipe to share?
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