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Dandelion Jelly

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Dandelion jelly is like sunshine in a jar, and it’s the perfect way to brighten your morning toast.

Homemade dandelion jelly

Homemade flower jellies are easy to make, and just about everyone has access to plenty of dandelions.

I make dozens of varieties of homemade jelly every year, but my resident 5-year-old jelly judge tells me that dandelion jelly is her new favorite.  That’s really saying something because she’s pretty partial to homemade strawberry jelly.

What Does Dandelion Jelly Taste Like? 

Light floral honey, brightened with a few rays of sunshine and then turned into a simple homemade jelly.

If you’d like to try it yourself before you go through the effort of making it, there are a number of small boutique sellers on Etsy that make it each spring.  It’s truly a labor of love, so I’m incredibly happy that they’re willing to spread that love with the world in their shops.

Ethically Harvesting Dandelions

Every time I whip out dandelion recipes I inevitably get a few people that cry, “Save the dandelions for the bees!!!”

Believe it or not, harvesting actually stimulates MORE flowering in dandelions (and many other flowers).  For every dandelion you take, that same plant will send up several more in the following days.  More for the bees, and more for humans too.

Most people consider dandelions to be an invasive weed, and they declare war on them every spring.  Try making a jar of dandelion jelly for a dandelion-hating neighbor or relative and see if you can change their mind.

In the spring of 2020, people found themselves stuck at home and with a lot of free time on their hands.  Dandelion jelly recipes went viral and thousands of people learned overnight that a once hated weed is actually a tasty edible. 

Some people, in areas where the war on dandelions was so effective that they became rare, even decided to plant dandelion seeds!  

Planting Dandelions

Imagine that, tell people something’s edible, and instead of trying to eradicate it, they’ll plant it!

It’s a small step, but maybe a few jars of tasty dandelion jelly will convince a few more people to let their lawns go to the flowers.  Or at least skip mowing them until the bees (and the jelly makers) have had their fill.

Of course, it’s true that many of the same places that are food deserts for humans also happen to be food deserts for bees.  Places covered in concrete as far as the eye can see.  But places like that aren’t exactly “pristine foraging grounds” and I wouldn’t recommend harvesting there anyway.  

Choose a clean, unsprayed location that has dandelions growing as far as the eye can see.  Once you’ve tasted homemade dandelion jelly, hopefully your own backyard will become that dandelion-filled location as you let the bright yellow flowers take over each spring. 

Don’t harvest all the dandelions, but that’s true anytime you’re out foraging.  Ethical foraging applies to all wild foods, even the common dandelion.

Ethically foraging dandelions for jelly

How to Make Dandelion Jelly

Making dandelion jelly isn’t all that different than any homemade jelly.  A few simple ingredients, a few minutes of cooking, and then a bit of patience as the jelly cools and sets to a smooth spread.

The basic steps are simple:

  1. Harvest dandelion flowers (or purchase them dried)
  2. Separate yellow dandelion petals from green parts
  3. Brew dandelion petal tea
  4. Boil dandelion tea with pectin and lemon juice
  5. Add Sugar
  6. Pour into jelly jars and seal 

Dandelion Jelly

Harvesting Dandelions for Jelly

Believe it or not, harvesting enough dandelions for jelly is pretty quick.  It took me no more than 10 minutes to harvest all the flowers I’d need, with just a tiny bit of help from children.

If you just don’t have access to dandelions, believe it or not, you can actually purchase them dried for this project.  You’ll still have to clean them though, so it doesn’t save much time.

The time-consuming part is separating the petals from the green parts.  I do it by tearing each flower in half and then pulling out the yellow petals while leaving the green sepals behind.

It took me about an hour to separate the petals. Settle down at a picnic table in the shade (or plop yourself in front of a movie in the evening), and you’ll be done before you know it.

It takes about 8 cups of whole dandelion flowers to make 4 cups of petals (fluffy) or 2 cups packed for this dandelion jelly recipe.  By weight, the whole flowers I harvested were roughly 1/2 pound (200 – 250 grams) before processing.

Harvesting flowers for dandelion jelly

Making Dandelion Tea

Once you have clean dandelion petals, the next step is making dandelion petal tea.  Pour 4 cups boiling water over 4 cups of dandelion petals (not packed) or 2 cups packed petals.

I find that a quart mason jar works perfectly because it holds ever so slightly more than a quart.  That means it’s the perfect size to measure and then hold both the fluffy dandelion petals and the boiling water.

Simply fill the jar with your cleaned dandelion petals, and then pour boiling water over the top until it’s full.

Allow the tea to steep for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours, before straining.

Making dandelion tea in a quart mason jar, a good way to measure 4 cups of petals and dandelion tea for making dandelion jelly

Pectin for Dandelion Jelly

Once you have dandelion tea, the next steps depend on your choice of pectin.

Generally, I’m in favor of making jam without added boxed pectin, but sometimes that’s just not possible.  Pectin is a part of a fruit’s structure, but it’s just not part of a dandelion flower’s structure. 

In the past, I’ve used other techniques to get the jam to gel, including citrus seed pectin and green apple pectin.  Both are extracted from fruits at home and then used to gel jams and jellies.  The problem is, while they can help low pectin fruits gel, they’re not really designed to gel flower jellies that have absolutely no pectin of their own.

When making dandelion jelly, you’re going to have to add boxed pectin of some sort.  There are a lot of choices out there, and each of them will set to a different finished jelly texture (and will require different amounts of sugar).

  • Sure-Jell ~ The most common type of pectin available, it requires a good bit of sugar to set jam.  You’ll need a minimum of 4 cups of sugar to properly set 4 cups of dandelion tea, resulting in 6 cups of finished dandelion jelly.
  • Liquid Pectin ~ Little pouches of already liquified pectin are preferred by some for convenience.  I avoid them because they contain preservatives (sodium benzoate) and liquid pectin requires substantially more sugar to gel.  Use 2 pouches of liquid pectin (1 full box) along with a full 7 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of dandelion tea.
  • Pomona’s Universal Pectin ~ Designed for low and no sugar recipes, this pectin doesn’t require sugar to gel.  The box comes with 2 ingredients, the pectin powder, and calcium that’s used to activate the pectin (instead of sugar).  Follow the directions on the box for steps, but use 4 tsp. pectin and 4 tsp. calcium water.  Add as much or as little sugar as you’d like.  
Pectin choices for Dandelion Jelly

Pectin choices for Dandelion Jelly

Making Dandelion Jelly

You’ve harvested the petals, spend the better part of an afternoon cleaning them, and decided on your pectin source.  Great, time to make the jelly!

Pour the strained dandelion tea into a jam pot.  You should have 3 1/2 to 4 cups of tea.  Be sure to wring out the petals to get every last bit of moisture (and flavor) out of them.

Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (or 1/2 teaspoons of citric acid) along with a full box of Sure-Jell pectin.  Don’t add the sugar yet! 

(If you’ve chosen a different pectin source, follow the directions on the box.  Pomona’s pectin, for example, is added later in the process along with the sugar.)

Bring the mixture to a hard boil on the stove over high heat.

Once the mixture is rapidly boiling, add in 4 cups of sugar and stir to dissolve.  Bring the mixture back to a hard boil and cook, boiling rapidly for 1-2 minutes before pouring into prepared jars.

Seal the jars and allow the jelly to cool and set up overnight.  Be patient, jelly can take 12-48 hours to completely set.

Homemade Dandelion Jelly

Dandelion Jelly Recipe Variations

I really wanted the honey flavor of the dandelion petals to shine through, so I went with straight dandelion jelly.  

You can, of course, combine flavors and choose other fruits or flowers that compliment the subtle flavor of dandelion.  

This recipe includes lavender flowers, which I bet taste really lovely along with dandelion’s honey flavor notes.

Wild violet flowers bloom at the same time as dandelions, so I considered adding them as well.  They’d impart a beautiful purple color, and believe it or not, they taste like fresh ripe berries! 

I learned that when I made violet jelly this spring.  The flavor is absolutely delightful, but it’ll overpower the flavor of your dandelion jelly so I’d suggest making that separately.

The same goes for other spring floral jellies, like lilac jelly.

The most compelling combination, in my opinion, might be strawberries, but we’re a strawberry jelly-loving family.  The All-New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving includes a recipe for roasted strawberry chamomile jelly, and I think dandelion petals would be a stunning substitution in place of the chamomile.

Canning Dandelion Jelly Safely

Canning is completely optional, and it’s perfectly fine to make this as a refrigerator jelly for immediate use.  The jelly will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, or the freezer for up to 6 months.

I’m always short on fridge space, so I usually opt to can my homemade jam and jelly.  That way, I can keep it on the pantry shelf for year-round use (just refrigerate after opening).

You’ll notice that this recipe for dandelion jelly includes a bit of lemon juice (or citric acid).  While most fruits are acidic in their own right, making them ideal for water bath canning, dandelion petals don’t really alter the pH much.

Jelly needs to have a pH of 4.6 or below for safe water bath canning, so a few tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid are required.

Even if you’re not canning dandelion jelly, a bit of acidity helps brighten the flavor.  I went with lemon juice, and you really can’t taste the lemon at all.  For a more neutral flavor, choose citric acid.

Start by preparing a water bath canner before you begin boiling the jam.  Prepare the dandelion jelly as you otherwise would, but then fill canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Cap the jars with 2 part canning lids and then process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.  Remove the jars to cool on a towel on the counter, and check seals after 24 hours.

Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use.  Properly canned and sealed jelly jars will keep at room temperature in the pantry for 12-18 months.

(If you’re not familiar with canning, I’d suggest reading my beginner’s guide to water bath canning before getting started.  Make sure you have all the right canning supplies on hand too.)

Homemade dandelion jelly
Yield: 6 half pint (8 oz) Jars

Dandelion Jelly

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Dandelion jelly is like sunshine in a jar, and it's the perfect way to brighten your morning toast.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Harvest roughly 8 cups of dandelion flower heads. Carefully remove just the yellow petals, discarding the green portions. You should have roughly 4 cups petals (not packed) or 2 cups petals (packed).
  2. Make a dandelion petal tea by pouring 4 cups boiling water over the cleaned flower petals. Allow the tea to steep for at least an hour, but as long as 24 hours.
  3. After steeping, strain the petals, ringing them out to get every last bit of liquid. Measure the liquid, you should have 3 3/4 to 4 cups of dandelion tea.
  4. Pour the dandelion tea into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add lemon juice and pectin, and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. (Note: Do not add sugar yet.)
  5. Once the mixture is rapidly boiling, add the sugar and stir to combine.
  6. Allow the mixture to return to a hard boil, and boil 1-2 minutes before removing from heat.
  7. Pour the jelly into prepared jars, seal and allow the jelly to cool and set for at least 12 hours. (Sometimes jelly takes as long as 48 hours to fully set, be patient.) Store in the refrigerator.

Canning Dandelion Jelly (optional):

Prepare a water bath canner before you begin cooking the jelly. Be aware that the lemon juice or citric acid is required for safe canning.

Prepare the jelly, and then pour into canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes before removing to a towel on the counter to cool completely.

Check seals after 24 hours and store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars will last in the pantry for 12-18 months.

Notes

This basic dandelion jelly recipe uses Sure-Jell pectin, but you can use any type of pectin you happen to have available. Be sure to follow the directions on the package, as some require adding the pectin at different times in the process.

Pomona's Universal Pectin - For a low sugar dandelion jelly, add 1/2 to 3 cups of sugar. Use 4 tsp. pomona's pectin powder and 4 tsp calcium water (included in the pectin package). Follow instructions on the box for when and how to add the pectin.

Certo Liquid Pectin ~ This is also an option, but be aware liquid pectin requires quite a bit more sugar to gel properly. For this recipe using 4 cups of dandelion tea you'll need to add 7 cups of sugar and 2 pouches liquid pectin (one full box).

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© Ashley Adamant
Cuisine: Preserves / Category: Canning

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Comments

    • Ashley Adamant

      Yes you can! The color will come out much darker than the light golden color in the picture here, but the flavor will likely be really lovely as it’ll really enhance the honey-like flavor. I’d suggest a light clover honey instead of something more robust, so its not overwhelming.

      Reply

      • Ginny

        I am so excited to start making this! We have tons of dandelions in our yard and surrounding field, and this will be a great quarantine project I can involve my siblings in, who would typically not join my foraging excavations. Thanks a ton for posting this newsletter and sharing your experience:)

        Reply

      • Administrator

        I would just experiment with it. I would start off with 3/4 cup honey per cup of sugar and see how that works.

        Reply

    • Ashley Adamant

      Likely yes, but I don’t know if that’s approved for canning, so don’t try to can it and store it at room temperature. If you’re making a fridge jam, try it out. As to how much to add, I’m not exactly sure. I do make dandelion gummy bears with gelatin, and they set up pretty stiff. If you want jelly, I’d say maybe half as much as I use in this recipe…but that’s a guess: https://adamantkitchen.com/dandelion-gummy-bears/

      Reply

    • Ashley Adamant

      Hmm…did you use raw cane sugar? That has a small bit of molasses in it and it’ll make the jelly brown instead of golden. I usually use the organic stuff, but for this one, I went with white sugar to help the dandelion’s color shine through.

      Reply

      • Deborah

        Mine wasn’t brown per se, but it wasn’t anywhere near as yellow as the picture, more an off, soft yellow, that’s not quite yellow. I haven’t tasted it yet, but I’d really like it to be sunshine yellow if at all possible.

        Reply

    • AT

      Mine did too – but I read elsewhere that it was faster to cut the tops off the dandelion rather than pluck out the petals, so I did that (right above the start of the green base of the flower). Maybe that made the tea step more caramel-colored? Maybe in different parts of the country the tea just comes out lighter or darker? It was delicious regardless!

      Reply

  4. Gail E. Kraft

    Ashley, I just love your website and the recipes you provide. I hope you don’t mind but I shared this recipe for Dandelion Jelly with my niece. We both love anything to do with Dandelions. I made sure that I gave you credit and I shared your website address with her. In my younger years, I was just like you. Using all of nature to forage for edibles and what recipes I could use for what I found. YOU GO GIRL! Thanks for allowing me to access your site.

    Reply

  5. Michael Carleton

    I remember harvesting (well, picking into a large plastic bucket) the dandelions from our front lawn – my dad paid me a quarter per hundred to clear the yard off. I also remember rolling damp flowers in flour and frying them up in butter, convincing ourselves they tasted like vegetarian shrimp. Haven’t tried it in years, but your post brings back memories, so….maybe.

    Reply

  6. Milly

    I love the practical tips and great recipes you share! Thank you! At what point do you clean, or wash, the dandilions? Before removing the petals from the green part? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Ashley Adamant

      I don’t wash the dandelions personally. I’m picking them from my yard, and there’s really nothing on them except the rain and sunshine. If you feel the need to wash them though, you could wash them at the beginning (before plucking the petals) or wash just the petals once plucked, either way.

      Reply

  7. Renee

    I was wondering if this recipe would work in the Ball Fresh Tech Jam & Jelly Maker, or if the amount of ingredients and cooking time were different? Thanks.

    Reply

  8. Jamie

    Is it ok if my tea steeped an extra 12hrs? The liquid is very dark and kind of greenish so I don’t want to waste pectin and sugar of it’s bad.

    Reply

    • Administrator

      What was the total amount of time that you steeped the dandelion. The recipe says up to 24 hours so are you saying that you allowed it to steep for 36 hours?

      Reply

      • Tashi

        this is a mistake i made because i didn’t have time to
        do it after 24. my tea steeped for 48 D: is it a lost cause?

        Reply

        • Administrator

          It might not taste very good. Most herbs tend to get increasingly bitter the longer they are steeped. It might be best to try it again.

          Reply

        • Ashley Adamant

          That should honestly still be fine I’d think? Dandelion petals are pretty mild and can’t really over-infuse flavor-wise. I think 48 hours is probably at the edge of things for food safety though, and flower petals infusing too much longer than that might start to mold. I’d probably still use it, but you’ll have to use your best judgment since you’re the one looking at it.

          Reply

  9. Hello

    I found the easiest way to separate the petals is the squeeze and spin the base of the flower, then just pull them out the top.

    Reply

  10. Melissa

    Can this recipe be used with honeysuckles instead of dandelions? If so, do I use the same amount of sugar & lemon juice?
    Thanks 😊

    Reply

    • Administrator

      I don’t see why not. I would give it a try and see how it works out. There are several recipes out there on the internet for honeysuckle jelly. Let me know if you find a good one.

      Reply

  11. Deborah Jo Thompson

    What is a jelly bath canner? Can you use a regular pot if your only trying to make one jar?So you make the tea and then putthe jars in a bath of boiling water then put the tea in the jar with pectin?

    Reply

    • Administrator

      A water bath canner is used to process jars of food in order to store them long-term without refrigeration. If you are only wanting to make one jar, then I wouldn’t mess with canning the jelly. You can just keep it in the refrigerator. Just follow the directions on the recipe card and don’t worry about the water bath canning instructions. Here is a link to a beginner’s guide to water bath if you’re interested in learning more. https://practicalselfreliance.com/water-bath-canning-beginners/

      Reply

  12. jackie

    I used Ball Classic Real Fruit pectin from a jar; I followed this recipe and used 1/3c of Ball pectin instead of sure jell. Worked grea

    Reply

  13. Audrey

    This was my first time making jelly and canning. It turned out great! I’ll definitely be making more for gifts. Thank you for the recipe and your post on canning for beginners. Very helpful!

    Reply

  14. Kate

    How many cups of jelly does this recipe yield? I have the tea steeping, and need to know how many jars to prepare

    Reply

  15. Chase Castle

    Hi there – could I use dried dandelions in this recipe, or should I steep them when they are still fresh?

    Reply

    • Administrator

      I would definitely recommend using fresh petals. It is very difficult to get dandelions to dry without them turning to fluff.

      Reply

  16. Anita

    How long did you let yours steep ? I let mine steep for 18 hours and it is a greenish brown , I drained it and put the tea in a jar and into the refrigerator….. do you think it will be ok or should I start over ?

    Reply

    • Administrator

      A shorter steep time will probably give you a lighter-colored tea. Did you remove all of the green sepals from the petals?

      Reply

  17. Lori Amendola

    Instead of water bath, can you just let the hot jelly seal the lids on the ball jars? Or use parafin wax on the top?

    Reply

  18. Sarabeth

    So I didn’t read the directions all the way through and added all the ingredients at once, including the sugar, before it boiled. Looks great and smells great but did not set properly. It’s a simple syrup texture. The sure jell pectin was not expired, I’m sure it was my fault but not following directions. Is there any way to save it now that it’s been through the entire process including water bath canning?

    Reply

    • Administrator

      It’s important to wait and add the sugar at the end. If it didn’t set, I would just use it as a syrup instead of a jelly and try again.

      Reply

  20. Diane

    Great website! Just found it and excited to start making some of these jellies. Am I able to order online or buy somewhere if I don’t have somewhere to forage for them? Do you need to purchase fresh ones? Thank you for all the info!

    Reply

    • Administrator

      The flowers need to be fresh for the jelly. You would need to either forage for them or you can order seeds online and plant them.

      Reply

  22. AT

    First time making this as I now live somewhere where they grow like crazy in our fields, and chose your recipe because it called for more petals which I figured might intensify the flavor. So easy and love that I can just refrigerate or freeze it too. Didn’t realize the flowers wilt and close so quickly after picking them so lesson learned for myself that the tea step needs to happen right after picking. And when I pick them the next time, I will pick them and put them onto a flat surface as I go to see if that slows the wilting. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Administrator

      I’m not sure how that would work with dandelion. The texture wouldn’t the same as a typical jam. I’m also not sure that it would be safe to can with the chunks of dandelion in it.

      Reply

  24. Shelby

    Thank you for this recipe! Tried this for my first time making any kind of jelly/jam and it turned out better than I could have imagined!
    When you open those that went through the water bath do they need to be refrigerated? & how long do they then last after opening?

    Reply

    • Ashley Adamant

      Once opened, yes, they do need to be refrigerated. The shelf life depends on how clean you keep them (ie. use a clean spoon each time you scoop some out) and how much sugar you used when making them. High sugar recipes will last a lot longer in the fridge than low sugar variations. Very low sugar jellies will only keep about 7 to 10 days in the fridge once opened. Full sugar recipes will keep a lot longer, maybe months opened, just like a commercially made jelly.

      Reply

  25. Eugenia

    I just NEED to try this out, it looks so delicious! Just a question: any thoughts about using agar agar in place of pectin? Where I live I’m having a bit of a hard time finding pectin, and I thought maybe, who knows… 🙂

    Reply

  26. Cathy Johnson

    Can you freeze the tea for later jelly making? I get about 3 seasons of dandelions in my area. Can’t make all the jelly at one time.

    Reply

  28. Deanna Bayne

    I made this and it was a big hit! I used powdered CERTO pectin. Taste tested on my coworkers and they all loved it. Served it on Gone Crackers with Goat Cheese Chevre and jelly on top. Everyone said it tasted like honey only brighter. Will definitely make it again. So good.

    Reply

  29. Jaclyn

    Hi! Any ideas on why my jelly would not have set up? It tastes amazing but it’s basically just syrup. And I’m not a novice canner 😬

    Reply

  30. Emily

    Hi! I made the tea for the jelly and it turned out green? I’m not sure what happened because my jar of separated petals looked identical to yours before covering with the boiling water. I let it steep for 24 hours and when I went to strain it, it’s green. Any ideas what went wrong? I’m still going to make it into jelly but it is going to be a weird dark green color now.

    Reply

  31. Karyla Parrish

    Hi, mine is still liquid this morning. Can I reboil it and try again. Not sure why it didn’t set up and gel? HELP

    Reply

    • Administrator

      How long has it been? Sometimes if you let it sit a while longer, it helps. You can also try putting it in the fridge. If neither of those work, let us know and we can try to help.

      Reply

  33. Matthew MacLellan

    I’m a little tight on finances, and just moved, so don’t have some of my canning equipment yet (mostly jars and lids). Do you think it would still gel if I made the tea, strained it, and froze it until I can reheat and add the pectin (I’ll probably do Pomona’s)? Thank you! I’ve used your site so much over the past few years.

    Reply

    • Ashley Adamant

      Yup, you can definitely make the tea and freeze it that way. I’ve found that the petals lose flavor if frozen, but the tea is lovely after freezing. So yes, as you say, harvest the dandelions, make the tea, strain and then store in the freezer until you’re ready to make the jelly. Enjoy!

      Reply

  34. Emjey

    Hi, my jelly didn’t set right.. it’s still very liquid and it’s been over 48hours. I’m not sure what to do.. I have 5 small canned jars and one half way ready to go in the fridge.. do you have any recommendations if there’s anything I can do ?

    Reply

  35. Khristin Paisley

    Quick question… I made a couple of batches and now the jelly is gone because people ate it all! And now dandelions have disappeared for the summer (I think they’ll reemerge in the fall) so I want to make more jelly and use the dried blooms. But I don’t know how much of the dried to use for the recipe. What do you recommend?

    Reply

    • Administrator

      I would really just plan on making more with fresh blossoms when they reappear. Dandelions don’t tend to dry very well.

      Reply

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