We made some dandelion honey a couple of days ago. As well as being delicious it’s a great alternative to regular bee honey, making perfect vegan honey.
When I saw how easy it was from Life Passion Monaco I thought it would be perfect for Lucas and I to try. Lucas loved picking the dandelions and helping with the process of making it.
The dandelion may be known to us all as a weed that most people try to get rid of from their lawns but they have been used for centuries for food as well as medicinal purposes.
From root to flower, dandelion are highly nutritious plants, loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are also a rich source of beta-carotene and polyphenolic compounds, both of which are known to have strong antioxidant capabilities that can prevent ageing and certain diseases. Traditional herbal medicine utilised dandelion to treat constipation and other symptoms of impaired digestion.
This vegan honey would also be perfect to go in a honey vegan flapjack recipe.
Recipe
- Put 100g dandelion heads, 350ml water and 2 tbsp of lemon juice in a pan. You could also use slices of lemon, I went with juice as I had some in the fridge.
- Simmer with a lid on for 15 mins
- Leave this to cool and let it infuse for a few hours or overnight. We only let ours infuse for 90 minutes so if you want to quicken the process don’t be scared of doing so. I’ve seen lots of recipes where they don’t leave the dandelions to infuse at all but I liked the idea of them infusing and it is a great discussion point with children as to what they think infusing will bring out in a recipe.
- Use a sieve to strain all the juice from the dandelions
- Weigh the liquid, and then weigh out the same amount of sugar
- Put the liquid back in the pan and add the sugar. Stir and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on the liquid and use your judgement, if you have more liquid and sugar to dissolve, it may take longer.
- Et voila, pour the liquid into a jar, put the lid on and the honey will thicken as it cools. Enjoy!
Tips
- Pick dandelions that are fully open, looking fresh and healthy. Dandelions open up with the sunlight so picking in the day time is best.
- Be careful where you are picking your dandelions, we picked from our garden as we have no pets. You don’t want to be picking where dogs may have been urinating. Also, be aware of picking in fields if farmers use them and there could have been pesticides used.
- Dandelion have low toxicity and are likely safe for most people. They can cause allergic reactions in some and may interact negatively with certain medications, particularly diuretics and antibiotics.
