Dandelions and Honey

While working with the bees this summer, I suddenly remembered  I was given a Golden Dandelion Jelly recipe years ago. I had good intentions at the time to make it, but like a lot of things...it never happened. This was going to be the year I finally make it.  I decided I would make it with some of our very own honey instead of sugar.
I could hardly wait to go home and pick the last of the dandelions and try a batch. I dug out my recipe box and after some time finally found the tattered old card. It required a quart of dandelion flowers. After picking them I sat down and researched if I could substitute honey for sugar in canning. From everything I read I could but it was recommended that I could replace about half the sugar with honey. So that's what I did.
Although a lot of work, it was well worth it. It has a beautiful golden color and the taste...well its quite incredible. When you first put it in your mouth, you can definitely taste the honey, then you can taste citrus and right at the end, a nice grassy note.
Below is the recipe.

Golden Dandelion Honey Jelly

Snip off the stems and green collars of the flowers. Rinse one quart of blossoms in cold water. Put one quart of water and the rinsed blossoms in a pot and boil for 3 minutes. Let cool. When cool, strain and press pedals with fingers to extract 3 cups of juice.

Add 2 tablespoon of lemon juice, and a box of pectin (1 3/4 oz).  Bring to boil in a jelly kettle. Add   2 3/4 cups of sugar and 2 3/4 cups of honey. Stir well and let boil for 3 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Although the bees that made the honey for this recipe are now gone, we can now enjoy the fruits of their labor all winter..