Tis the time of year when dandelion flowers are everywhere! I was doing a little weeding and couldn’t believe how many bright yellow flowers were on our lawn. That’s Spring for you! Three things can happen with them: they either end up being mowed down, they can grow into beautiful delicate seed head that the wind will blow everywhere, or we can harvest some of them to make something yummy like dandelion flower fritters! Or if you are in the mood for something sweet, dandelion golden syrup. It looks and tastes like a thinner version of honey.
How to pick dandelion flowers
We have some lawn in the front and side of our house and never use chemicals, so there are always some this time of year. If you don’t have a garden, you can look around in public parks (stay away from paths, and roads as they are often sprayed with chemicals like herbicides), meadows, and pastures. It is best to harvest blossoms when the flower heads are a full, bright yellow, which is usually right after they have opened. Generally speaking, young flowers are sweet but they can get bitter as they mature.
This flowers are quite mature and work best for fritters. For this recipe their size doesn’t matter as much because you will be adding sugar so it will be plenty sweet!
In addition to being bright and mark the arrival of Spring, Dandelion flowers have powerful antioxidant properties. The can be used as salad topping, or in herbal tea (delicate, sweet taste). They can also be used to make a sweet flower scented syrup. Anticipating hot summer days, I can’t wait adding a few teaspoons in a cold glass of water, a virgin mojito, or drizzle some on pancakes or even cold cereals.
Variations
If you don’t have enough dandelion flowers to make 2-3 cups, you can substitute with fresh mint leaves, chamomile or lavender flowers. All are a lovely addition or variation to the recipe. I
So if you are looking for an alternative to maple or agave syrup, you will enjoy making this dandelion syrup.
Happy harvesting!
Dandelion Golden Syrup
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups dandelion flowers loosely packed
- 3 slices lemon
- 2 slices orange or grapefruit
- 2 cups cane sugar
Instructions
Prepare the dandelion flowers
- Collect the flowers. Remove the green part (called bract) by pinching the petals or use a scissors.
- You should have 2-3 cups loosely packed. Put into a pan, cover with 4 cups of filtered water.
- Add the lemon and orange slices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes covered. Stirring from time to time.
- Remove the solids and filter the hot infused liquid into a bowl.
- Place the liquid into a clean pot and add the 2 cups of cane sugar.
- Stir and simmer for 40 minutes covered. The syrup will start to lightly thicken. Remove from the heat and pour into a clean jar.
- Let it cool down before sealing with a cap. It will thicken more when it has cooled down. Refrigerate for a week or more.
