Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups dandelion petals, or 2 cups packed petals
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, or 1/2 tsp citric acid
- 1 box Powdered Pectin, 1.75 ounces (such as Sure Jel)
- Boiling water
Instructions
- Harvest roughly 8 cups of dandelion flower heads. Carefully remove just the yellow petals, discarding the green portions. You should have roughly 4 cups petals (not packed) or 2 cups petals (packed).
- Make a dandelion petal tea by pouring 4 cups boiling water over the cleaned flower petals. Allow the tea to steep for at least an hour, but as long as 24 hours.
- After steeping, strain the petals, wringing them out to get every last bit of liquid. Measure the liquid, you should have 3 3/4 to 4 cups of dandelion tea.
- Pour the dandelion tea into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add lemon juice and pectin, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. (Do not add sugar yet.)
- Once the mixture is rapidly boiling, add the sugar and stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to return to a hard boil, and boil 1-2 minutes before removing from heat.
- Pour the jelly into prepared jars, seal and allow the jelly to cool and set for at least 12 hours. (Sometimes jelly takes as long as 48 hours to fully set.) Store in the refrigerator.
- Canning (Optional): Prepare a water bath canner before cooking the jelly. Pour hot jelly into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Cool completely, check seals after 24 hours, and store sealed jars in the pantry for 12-18 months. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.
Notes
- Lemon juice or citric acid is required for safe canning.
- You can substitute other pectin types; follow package instructions for timing.
- For low sugar version (Pomona’s Universal Pectin): Use 1/2 to 3 cups sugar, 4 tsp pectin powder, and 4 tsp calcium water.
- For Certo Liquid Pectin: Use 7 cups sugar and 2 pouches liquid pectin for proper gel.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Preserves
- Method: Water Bath Canning
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian