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Dandelion jelly is a delightful, honey-like floral preserve that tastes like sunshine in a jar. It’s perfect for spreading on toast in the morning, dolloping on a scone, or even enjoying alongside a cheese and charcuterie platter.
Dandelion jelly is more than just a sweet treat—it’s a celebration of spring’s first flowers, and a way to enjoy dandelions in a fun and unique way.
Whether you want to impress your friends with a homemade gift or simply enjoy the honey-like sweetness on a cold winter day, dandelion jelly is an uplifting, beautiful preserve that captures the essence of the season.
What Does Dandelion Jelly Taste Like?
Now, onto the fun part: what does dandelion jelly actually taste like?
The flavor is wonderfully floral, with a subtle sweetness reminiscent of honey. Dandelion “honey” is actually a well-known vegan honey substitute made by turning dandelion tea into syrup. You get the same flavor when making dandelion jelly, but it’s thick and spreadable, perfect for slathering on biscuits.
The flavor is not just “honey” and nothing else. It’s also floral, but with a warm, earthy undertone, but it’s light and delicate (nothing like the intense flavor you get from dandelion roots).
It’s a perfect jelly for those who enjoy more nuanced, floral flavors, and it works beautifully as a spread, a glaze, or even a spoonful to brighten up your day.
Ingredients for Dandelion Jelly
The process for making dandelion jelly is the same as with any floral jelly recipe. For a batch of 4 half-pint jars, you’ll need:
- 2 cups cleaned dandelion petals (from about 4 cups of whole dandelion flowers)
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or ½ teaspoon citric acid)
- 1 to 4 cups sugar *adjust based on your sweetness preference
- 1 box (1.75 oz) powdered pectin (regular or low-sugar)
The lemon juice plays an important role, balancing the sweetness of the sugar while adding a light tartness that enhances the floral notes of the dandelions. It also helps to lower the pH, which is crucial for ensuring the pectin sets properly and makes the jelly safe for canning.
Even if you don’t plan to can the jelly, you still need the acidity from lemon juice (or citric acid). If you’d prefer a more neutral flavor, you can swap the lemon juice for citric acid powder, which is more concentrated. For every tablespoon of lemon juice, you’ll need about ¼ teaspoon of citric acid. Since this recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, you’ll need just ½ teaspoon of citric acid powder.
Regular Sure-Jell pectin requires a 1:1 ratio of liquid to sugar for the jelly to set properly, so you’ll need at least 4 cups of sugar.
For the pectin, I recommend using regular or low-sugar Sure-Jell, which I’ve found to produce the best texture, regardless of the amount of sugar used. If you’re using low-sugar pectin, you have more flexibility with the sugar amount. You can use as little as ½ cup for a light jelly, or anywhere from 1 to 2 cups for a more balanced sweetness.
If you prefer to use Ball Flex Batch Pectin, you’ll need 6 tablespoons, which is equivalent to the 1.75 oz box of other pectins. This applies to both their regular and low-sugar varieties.
I’ve also included instructions for using liquid pectin, although it requires a significantly higher amount of sugar—7 cups of sugar for every 4 cups of liquid. I don’t typically use liquid pectin myself, but I’ve added the details in case you prefer that method.
If you’re using Pomona’s pectin, you’ll need to increase the lemon juice amount to ¼ cup. Pomona’s pectin doesn’t include citric acid like other types of pectin, so your batch will need a bit more help from lemon juice to reach the proper acidity for canning.
How to Make Dandelion Jelly
Start by gathering your dandelion flowers. Look for blossoms that are fully open and free of pesticides. I usually pick them directly into a quart jar, which ends up being just the right amount. Next, carefully remove the petals from the flowers, being sure to leave behind the green parts and stems. To make this easier, I break each flower in half, from top to bottom, and then gently pull out the petals from each side. From one quart of blossoms, you should get about 2 cups of petals.
Once you have your petals, place them in a heatproof jar or bowl and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Let the petals steep for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the water turns a vibrant yellow. After that, strain out the petals, keeping the yellow liquid, which is your “dandelion tea.”
While the petals are steeping, get your canning setup ready. Preheat your water bath canner, and sterilize your canning jars if you’re planning to can the jelly. Then, pour your dandelion tea into a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice. The lemon juice not only helps balance the sweetness but also ensures that your jelly is safe for canning by adding the necessary acidity.
Next, sprinkle in the powdered pectin, stirring until it dissolves completely. Bring the mixture to a full boil, and let it boil for 1 minute. Once it’s bubbling, add the sugar. For traditional pectin, you’ll want to use a 1:1 ratio—4 cups of dandelion tea to 4 cups of sugar. If you’re using low-sugar pectin, you can cut the sugar down to as little as 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on your sweetness preference.
Stir the sugar in until it’s fully dissolved, then bring the mixture back to a boil for another full minute. The jelly should be bubbling and active during this final stage.
Once the boil is complete, remove the pot from the heat.
Canning Dandelion Jelly
Carefully ladle the hot jelly into your sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of each jar. Wipe the rims clean, place the lids on, and screw on the rings. If you’re canning, process the jars in your water bath canner for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes if you’re above 6,000 feet in elevation). If you prefer, you can skip the canning step and simply store the jelly in the fridge.
Once the jars have processed, carefully remove them from the canner and let them cool on a towel on the counter. If the jars seal properly, they can be stored on your pantry shelf for 12-18 months. After opening, make sure to refrigerate the jelly.
Enjoy your homemade dandelion jelly on toast, in desserts, or however you like to enjoy a little taste of spring!
Dandelion Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 cups dandelion petals, from 4 cups flowers, use only the petals, no stems or green parts
- 4 cups water
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, bottled
- 1 box powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell), 1.75 ounces, or 6 Tbsp
- 4 cups sugar, or less if using low-sugar pectin
Instructions
- Begin by gathering your dandelion blossoms. Choose flowers that are fully open and free from pesticides. I usually pick them into a quart jar, which gives me just the right amount for the next step.
- Carefully remove the petals from the flowers, leaving behind any green parts or stems. The easiest way I’ve found to do this is by breaking the flower half (from top to bottom) and then pulling the petals out of each side. Once it’s halved, the petals come out easily. From 1 quart of whole blossoms, you should have 2 cups of dandelion petals.
- Place the dandelion petals into a heatproof jar or bowl, and pour 4 cups of boiling water over them. Let them steep for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the water turns a vibrant yellow. After steeping, strain out the petals, reserving the yellow liquid.
- If canning, now’s the time to preheat a water bath canner and prepare canning jars.
- Pour the dandelion tea into a saucepan and add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon juice helps balance the sweetness, and makes the jelly safe for canning.
- Sprinkle in the powdered pectin, stirring it in until completely dissolved. Bring the mixture to a full boil, then let it boil for 1 minute.
- Once the pectin has dissolved and the liquid is boiling, stir in the sugar. This is the point where you can adjust how sweet you want your jelly to be. For standard pectin, use a 1:1 ratio—4 cups of dandelion tea to 4 cups of sugar. If you're using a "low sugar" pectin, you can cut down the sugar to as little as 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on your preference.
- Stir the sugar in until it’s fully dissolved, then bring the mixture back to a boil for 1 full minute. You want it to be bubbling and active during this stage.
- After the 1-minute boil, remove the pot from the heat. Carefully ladle the hot jelly into sterilized canning jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
- After ladling the jelly into the jars, wipe the rims clean, place the lids on, and screw on the rings. Process the jars in the water bath canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes if you’re above 6,000 feet in elevation). Canning is optional, and you can skip it for a refrigerator jelly.
- Once processed, carefully remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a towel on the counter. If the jars seal correctly, they will keep on your pantry shelf for 12-18 months. Refrigerate after opening.
Notes
If you’re using Pomona’s Universal Pectin (a two-part low-sugar pectin), follow the instructions provided with the box for mint jelly best results. This pectin requires a slightly different method and allows for even lower sugar levels. With Pomona’s, you’ll need to increase the lemon juice amount to ¼ cup. Pomona’s pectin doesn’t include citric acid like other types of pectin, so your batch will need a bit more help from lemon juice to reach the proper acidity for canning. Avoid Liquid Pectin I don’t recommend liquid pectin for this recipe because it requires significantly more sugar to set (about 7 cups of sugar for 4 cups of liquid). While it will work, you’ll end up with a much sweeter jelly. Stick with powdered pectin for a more balanced, flavorful result.
Storage
If you choose not to can your dandelion jelly, simply allow the jars to cool on the counter, then refrigerate for up to a month, or freeze for up to 6 months. Properly canned and sealed jars will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for 12-18 months. Refrigerate after opening.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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