Dandelion Syrup-Dandelion “Honey”
What is dandelion syrup good for? Although the syrup is most often used in the case of cough and throat problems, it is worth learning about its other benefits. Overall, dandelions offer incredible medicinal benefits as well as culinary delights. Every part of the dandelion is edible. They contain fiber, vitamins A, B, C, K and E and minerals such as iron, zinc, boron, and calcium.
It is worth having dandelion syrup in your home medicine cabinet, because it has the following properties:
antibacterial and antiviral
anti-inflammatory
detoxifying (cleanses the body)
strengthening the immune system
supporting the respiratory system (during infection),
improving digestion
The dandelion syrup can be used as a substitute for maple syrup on pancakes, and waffles, on your breakfast cereal, to sweeten tea/coffee, lemonade or add to carbonated water, and even to bake with it. It is excellent for salty dishes or to marinate chicken breast (mix of dandelion syrup, soya sauce, sesame seeds, and garlic). Dandelion syrup is also known as dandelion honey since the color, taste, and uses are very similar to honey.
Dandelion syrup soothes the throat, eases the symptoms of a dry cough and helps reduce cough irritation. Oh, I forgot to say that it smells and tastes wonderful and is hard to keep children away from. This was my cough medicine when I was a child and still is even when I’m older.
Dandelion Syrup-Dandelion “Honey”
By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: May 26, 2023
Yields: 6 liters of syrup
Equipment: 10 Liter Stock pot and 250ml or 500ml Mason Jars with lids and bands
Ingredients:
5 Liters freshly picked dandelion flower heads
10 lemons
5 liters Filtered water
5 kg granulated sugar or birch sugar called xylitol if you can’t have sugar
1 vanilla bean
Instructions:
Pick fully mature dandelion flowers while in bloom. It took me about an hour to pick 5 liters worth of flowers. You should not collect flowers growing directly by the road due to the risk of pollution by exhaust gases and pesticides. It is best to look for a meadow that is as far away as possible from roads.
The dandelion blooms from the end of April to the end of May, so it is best to harvest it during this period - then its flowers are the most ripe and their taste is free of bitterness. The time of day is also very important - plants should be harvested before noon, when the flowers are most open and full, and their petals are characterized by the best flavor and aroma.
Before you start making the syrup, remove all insects from the collected flowers. The task can be made much easier by laying out the plants on white paper - dark insects will then be best visible. This may take couple of hours. During this time, unwanted guests should leave their aromatic hiding places of their own free will.
Let the picked flower heads sit in a bucket until the flowers 'close'. Take scissors and cut the petals off at the base. Discard the green plant, but save the bright yellow petals. You will most likely get a little green in with it (the part that closes over the petals) but I have found this doesn't contribute much bitterness to the final product.
Boil water and pour over yellow petals. Let it steep for 24-48 hours, make sure the stock pot is well covered and preferably kept away from direct light.
After 24- 48 hours. strain the liquid into another pot. You can strain over a cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, squeezing out as much liquid as you can.
Return the strained liquid to the pot and discard the flowers. Add the sugar, lemon juice and 1 vanilla bean to the dandelion mixture. Bring it to boil, reduce temperature to simmer for two hours. At the beginning, check the liquid level on the side of the pot. You want to reduce the liquid by half to thicken the syrup and intensify it's flavor.
Once you notice the syrup having reduced by about half, test the dandelion syrups consistency, by spooning out a little of the syrup into a dish and cooling it in the fridge. The longer you let it simmer the thicker syrup it will become.
Remove the vanilla bean and cut is into small pieces.
Pour the dandelion syrup to sterilized jars, use a heat proof funnel. Leave 1.2 cm of headspace in the jar. Add vanilla bean small piece to each glass jar with syrup.
Wipe the rims clean and cover with lids and outer band.
Place in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct light.
This lovely syrup keeps well for 12 months or more.
Enjoy it!
