Dandelions are not just beautiful spring flowers, but also an extremely healthy plant. For good reason, it is widely used in traditional medicine. But that is not all. What they don’t cook from dandelions: vitamin salads, wine, soups, balms, liquors, tinctures, rolls and even coffee. But the most popular dish is dandelion jam.
Pick your recipe
You need to collect a dandelion in dry weather, when the flowers open well. Away from the noisy metropolis, factories and not near roads.
There are different color processing options. They can be washed and soaked to get rid of bitterness, but you can not wash and keep healthy pollen. But in any case, dandelions must be sure to be freed from the green receptacle. You can do this with ordinary scissors, cutting off the yellow hat.
1. Common Dandelion Jam
You will need: 900 ml of sugar, 900 ml of water, and directly, dandelions themselves in an amount of 350 pcs.
Flowers need to be filled with water and left alone for 5-6 hours. Then we drain the water, get rid of the green part of the flower, add water again and send to the fire for 10-15 minutes. Next, you need to strain the broth through cheesecloth, mix with sugar and put to cook on low heat for 40-50 minutes from the moment of boiling. Pour hot jam into banks and close the lids.
2. Dandelion jam with lemon
For this recipe you need to take: 800 ml of water, 300 dandelions, 1 lemon, 1 kg of sugar.
We wash the flowers, soak, free from the receptacle, as in the previous recipe. Then they need to be poured with water, add sliced lemon, seedless, but with zest. Cook for 40-45 minutes over low heat. Cool and let it brew for 12-14 hours. After the time has passed, we filter the broth, pour in the sugar and again cook for 10 minutes. Cool again and boil for 6-8 minutes until the desired density.
3. Jam with lemon slices
The ingredients are the same as in the previous recipe. The difference is that a lemon that is completely peeled and zest is cut into slices and added to dandelion syrup during the second cooking.
4. Dandelion jam with citrus notes
You will need: 350 dandelions, 1 liter of water, 1 orange or grapefruit, several leaves of currant, 1 kg of sugar.
We prepare dandelions: cut the green part, fill it with water. Next, you need to peel the orange, separate the seeds, cut it into slices and send to dandelions. The washed leaves of currant are also added to the pan. We set to cook for 15 minutes, cool and let it brew for at least 10 hours.
The infusion should be filtered, add sugar to it and cook, stirring for about an hour.