Sunshine in a Jar---making Dandelion Jelly!

Good morning!

Sorry I have been MIA lately, but with the rush of Spring/Summer around here, I have been desperately trying to get so many things done that we had to wait on with the late cold weather!

Today, however, I am going to share with you one of my favorite things to make this time of year.......

Dandelion jelly.

As I have shared before, being able to make something from *almost* nothing that tastes amazing and feeds my family, is one of those favorite rushes a person can get, when living a simple life.

And having kids who love to pick flowers, they feel like they were an intimate part of making something that they love.
So, win win situation, right?

Dandelion jelly tastes exactly like clover honey. Rich, sweet, and with a tiny hint of something almost citrus, this stuff is addictive. So if you are somewhere right now where there are loads of those sunny yellow blooms covering a yard or a field, get to work, send out the troops, and collect and ice cream pail full of them.

Just make sure the folks who own the yard or field don't spray pesticides, or you will have some seriously toxic jelly. And who wants that?

Here are the steps, in simple, easy to follow pictures. :)

Dandelion Jelly

Ice cream pail of blossoms (just the flower heads)

Be sure to wash these well to get rid of any surprises or creepies. Lay on a towel or use a salad spinner to get the extra water off to make them easy to handle.

Pinch blossom in between fingers, and trim off each end part,
 using scissors.

Save only the yellow petals (I was not picky and kept whatever little parts of green fell in there too)

and put them all into a glass measuring cup or bowl
until you have 4 cups worth.

I had a pail full of blossoms and ended up with enough petals to make two batches of jelly.

Just in case you were wondering how many cups of petals
 that ice cream pail makes. (*wink*)

In that same bowl, pour boiling water to cover. My glass bowl holds 8 cups, and petals and water rose to that mark.
 Cover with a plate, and let sit overnight.

In the morning, strain the petal tea with coffee filters or cheesecloth, squeezing the petals to get all the good stuff out of them..

 I then strained it twice.

In pan add the following:

4 cups petal tea

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 box pectin

1 tsp lemon juice

 Stir to dissolve. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for two minutes while stirring vigorously. Remove from heat. Pour into hot, sterilized jars.

Process ten minutes in a hot water bath.

Set aside to cool, and admire the gorgeous colors.

If you don't like it quite as dark, you can always add food coloring.

I chose not to. :)

I also canned up all of this yesterday---60 jars that included sauerkraut and jelly. If you want to know how I made homemade sauerkraut, click right here to go to that post.

Blessings to you and yours,
Heather 

Just in case you were wondering, here are some of the products that I used, that I have purchased from Amazon, to do my canning. :) Thanks for supporting my family by going through my affiliate links.
 Bless you all!

Linked up at: Homestead Barn Hop