Edible Mountain – How To Make Dandelion Jelly

Don’t weed those dandelions out of your yard, make them into a tasty treat instead!

Melissa Rebholz from Public Market in Wheeling shows us how to make dandelion jelly, and shares her recipe with us.

Dandelion jelly only uses the blooms, but every part of the dandelion is edible and a rich source of vitamins A, C and K. It also contains high levels of iron, calcium and potassium.

Dandelions are also an important part of the food chain for bees and other pollinators. It’s another great reason to let them grow instead of mowing them down or treating your lawn.

The flavor of the dandelion starts slightly bitter, but the sweetness in jelly balances it out wonderfully. Try making a batch and soon you’ll spreading it on your toast thick in no time!

Edible Mountain is a bite-sized, digital series from WVPB that showcases some of Appalachia’s overlooked and underappreciated products of the forest while highlighting their mostly forgotten uses.

Dandelion Jelly Recipe From Melissa Rebholz

3 cups dandelion blooms (yellow petals only)
4 cups water
1 Box Pomona’s Low Sugar Pectin
2 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 or 1/4 pint canning jars

• Bring 4 cups water to a gentle boil.  Pour the water over the dandelion blooms in a heat resistant container (a half gallon Ball jar works great). Steep the blooms as you would a tea for 24 hours at room temperature or 48 hours in the fridge.
• Drain the tea removing the blossoms into a small stock pot. 
• Follow the directions in the Pomona’s pouch to make calcium water and set aside.
• Combine sugar and 4 tablespoons of pectin in a small bowl and whisk to combine well. Set aside.
• Add the juice of 1 lemon and 4 tablespoons of calcium water to the dandelion tea.  Bring to gentle boil over heat.  Slowly whisk in the pectin/sugar while the tea is boiling.  Boil the tea with sugar/pectin for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla. 
• <li “=””>Immediately pour into a pitcher to begin filling jars while liquid is very hot.  As you fill each jar to about ¼ inch from the top, put the lid on and invert the jar.   When all the jars are full and inverted, wait 5 minutes and turn them right side up.
• Let the jars cool and remain in the same place for 12 hours to properly seal.  If a jar doesn’t seal it can be stored in the fridge and used within 30 days.

Disclaimer: Folks, we hope that you take caution when entering the forest. Please always be aware of your surroundings, while treading lightly, so as to not disturb the natural joy and wonder that our wilderness provides.

Although most of the flora or fauna described in Edible Mountain has been identified by experts in the field, it is critical to your health and safety that you properly identify any item in the forest before eating or touching it. If you are uncertain about anything, please leave it alone and ask for an expert’s advice. Many dangerous plants and fungi share similar properties, which make them easily confused with their nonlethal relatives.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting (WVPB) wants you to discover, protect and enjoy your natural surroundings. We do not want to see you harmed. Please harvest sustainably so that the bounty can be enjoyed by future generations.

The information contained within Edible Mountain is for general information purposes only. WVPB assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents on this service. WVPB make no guarantees as to the accuracy of the information presented, and any action you take upon the information in this program is strictly at your own risk.

In no event shall WVPB or contributors be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the service or the contents of the service. WVPB reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modification to the contents on the service at any time without prior notice.