Finally, spring is here in the form of numerous blossoms, a fragrant splendour of flowers and buzzing and humming bees enjoying it. Of course, it would be lovely to get out the picnic blanket and lie in the sun all day listening to the birds singing. But, unfortunately, that doesn't always work as we don't always have spare time, so why not bring spring indoors and enjoy it whenever you like? One option, for example, is homemade vegan dandelion honey, a delicious springtime experience - also known as dandelion syrup, since humans make it, not bees. Not only can you enjoy it in spring, but it will also keep until winter - if you don't eat it before. I'll show you how to make your own dandelion honey in this blog post.
Ingredients:
♡ 250g dandelion blossoms
♡ 1 organic orange
♡ 1 organic lemon
♡ 800ml drinking water
♡ 1kg coconut blossom sugar
What else you need:
♡ an airy basket to collect the flowers
♡ a sieve to wash the flowers
♡ a cooking pot and a cooking spoon
♡ a knife and a chopping board
♡ a lemon squeezer
♡ a nut milk bag or a muslin cloth for straining
♡ about 6 screw-top jars with a filling volume of 212ml for the finished honey
♡ a ladle and a funnel
Step 1 - Picking dandelions
From April to June, the meadows shine in the lush yellow of the dandelions. April is the dandelions' peak flowering season, and it pays off to pick the pretty blossoms then. Dandelions are not only beautiful to look at, but they are also particularly rich in nutrients such as fibre, antioxidants, vitamins A, C and K, and more, so they are good for our health, which is one more reason to collect them. They are also easy to recognise, so even children can pick the flowers safely.
You only need the blossoms, but I recommend picking them with the stalks because you can freshen them later and prevent the flowers from turning brown.
If you go dandelion picking, I would strongly advise you to leave enough flowers because the bees - including endangered wild bee species - also like dandelions. Besides, we don't want to harm the plants. It is best to take what you need only and keep moving while picking, to avoid taking too much from one place.
To keep the flowers fresh for longer, you can put them in an airy basket.
Step 2 - Separating the blossoms from the greenery
When you have collected enough flowers (250g is about a basketful), you should process them directly as long as they are fresh. First, separate the yellow part of the dandelion blossoms from the greenery - otherwise, your dandelion honey might taste bitter. It is best to do this before you wash the flowers because they stick together and are harder to separate when they are wet. Since separating takes a relatively long time, you can put some of the dandelions into water bowls to refresh them beforehand and put them in the fridge so that they don't turn brown - this also works overnight.
The easiest way to separate them is to cut off the flower just above the base. Then, you can either collect the yellow blossoms in the pot or put them in smaller bowls and keep them fresh in the fridge later while you separate the other ones.
After separating the petals, you can weigh them and wash them in a sieve. Then put them all in a cooking pot. Add the water and one sliced organic orange (alternatively, you can use the juice of the squeezed orange only). Then boil everything for ten minutes, but do not turn the stove too hot. Cover the brew and leave it for about 24 hours.
Step 3 - Straining the brew
Strain the entire brew from the pot through a muslin cloth and squeeze out thoroughly. The liquid can be collected in a bowl and poured back into the pot. You can put the dandelion- and orange remains on the compost or the organic waste.
Step 4 - Cooking the honey
Add lemon juice and coconut blossom sugar and simmer over low heat until the quantity has approximately halved. This process can take between 2½ and 4 hours. You can check the consistency by pouring a little honey onto a cold plate. It is ready when it starts to pull strings like regular bee honey.
The coconut blossom sugar will darken the honey, which is normal. So it will look like the dark forest honey.
Why do I use coconut blossom sugar?
Coconut blossom sugar contains numerous minerals, vitamins and amino acids. In addition, coconut blossom sugar contains inulin, which has no negative effect on the blood sugar level but promotes the absorption of magnesium and calcium in the body.
Regular household sugar has a much higher glycaemic index (this means that there is a negative effect on the blood sugar level) and does not have the favourable properties of coconut blossom sugar.
Incidentally, coconut blossom sugar cannot be grown in monocultures because the palm tree needs to interact with other plants, which is good for the environment.
Step 5 - Filling the honey into sterilised jars
To sterilise the screw-top jars, bake the clean jars in the oven at 140°C for 10 minutes. Remove the jars when you are ready to fill them, don't touch the inside.
Place the lids in a pot of boiling water, simmer for 10 minutes, and carefully remove them and dry them on a clean kitchen towel.
Pour the hot syrup immediately into the sterilised screw-top jars and seal them. The easiest way to do this is with a funnel and a ladle.
Now the dandelion honey has to cool down, and then it is ready. It should keep for about a year.
The screw-top jars can be labelled and decorated as desired. I made little dandelions out of wool, but you can also use a ribbon.
The dandelion honey can be used like regular honey: To sweeten food, as a salad dressing, or for cooking. I personally love it as a salad dressing. It is also a cute gift. Just give it a try, and you will enjoy delicious dandelion honey soon.
In the springtime, hope blooms in even the loneliest forgotten meadow. – Angie Weiland-Crosby
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