Dandelion jelly tastes a bit like honey.

It’s true! My youngest took a taste and proclaimed the honey good.

Dandelion Jelly was a fun project to try out. I was a little leery as to how it would taste so I only made one batch the first time. I didn’t want to use all that sugar and find we really didn’t like it.

I had no reason to fear. It is delicious. I made another 2 batches to have for Christmas gifts. (Uhm….. if you are a relative of mine pretend you didn’t read that.)

A jar of golden dandelion jelly.

There are three sections to this page…

  • first make your Dandelion ‘Tea”,
  • then make your jelly out of that ‘tea’.
  • then preserve it by canning.

If you want to just store it in the refrigerator you can skip the canning portion. Just jar the jelly up and put it in the refrigerator. It will set up in there.

Know your Canner

If you are going to can your jelly please be familiar with using your canner. You ahve two choices for processing dandelion jelly.

These posts will familiarize you with how a canner works and what steps to take to get set up for any canning project.

How to Make Dandelion Jelly

First make the ‘tea’

Pick your flowers. Be sure and pick your dandelion flowers where you know they have not been sprayed.

Pick at least 10 cups of dandelion blossoms. Just blossoms no stems. (they are bitter)

When we asked our neighbor farmer if we could go out in the field and pick dandelions. He said sure. Then he looked at me a little funny! His crazy neighbor lady picking dandelions in his field. 🙂 I gave him a little jar of dandelion jelly as a thank you.

Lots and lots of dandelion flowers poured all over the countertop.
Lots and lots of dandelions!

I sent my sons and a visiting friend out foraging with a gallon drink pitcher and they were back in a jiffy. I think their friend probably though I was a little kooky too! I think I’m getting a reputation!

Snip off base of each flower until you have just yellow petals. You need to end up with 4 cups dandelion petals. I tried several methods of getting the petals. I finally settled on pinching the flower and using a scissors to cut off the base. This is a little tedious… ok it is a lot tedious. But it is worth it!

Then I used my fingers to pull off any green parts that were left. It is ok if there are little bits of green.

Pinching off the green parts from the flower heads.
Snipping the stems off the flower heads using a pair of scissors.
Yellow dandelion petals for making jelly.

Next pour boiling water over the flower petals. (Use 1 cup water for every 1 cup of blossoms.) Let this sit until room temperature or overnight if possible. When this has brewed you will have a darkish yellow dandelion “tea”.

Strain the “dandelion tea” through a coffee filter or or jelly bag to remove all petals. Add additional water if needed to measure the correct amount of liquid for your recipe. 3 cups of liquid will make one batch jelly.

Dandelion flowers and water soaking in a large glass measuring cup.

How to Can Dandelion Jelly

Gather your canning supplies.

Fill your canner 2/3 full of water and begin heating the water as you make your jelly.

Which pectin should I use?

I only have instruction for using powdered pectin for this recipe. I’ve tried to use a liquid pectin, but I had issues with it setting up. I had better luck with powdered.

Having said that, if you prefer liquid pectin give it a try! Just follow the instruction on the packaging. Maybe you’ll have better luck that me. It certainly won’t hurt to try.

Dandelion Jelly Recipe with Powdered Pectin

Ingredients

  • 3 Cups dandelion tea (see above on how to make your tea)
  • 4 1/2 Cups sugar (yep! Lots of sugar. Remember it’s a treat, you won’t be eating it by the spoonful. well… you could... but probably shouldn’t. 🙂 )
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice – you need this to help the pectin set up.
  • 1 box powdered pectin
  • yellow food coloring (optinal)

Follow the directions on your box of pectin if it differs from my directions here. Yours might have slight differences.

Add dandelion tea, lemon juice and 1 box of pectin into a large saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the sugar to the mixture and stir.

Pouring sugar into the dandelion tea to make jelly.

Bring back to a boil. Continue boiling 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add yellow food coloring if desired. I do not add food coloring. My jelly color varies a little sometimes lighter sometimes more yellow. If you want a strong yellow add a couple drops. It doesn’t take much.

Process in a water bath canner.

Pour hot jelly into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rims of the jars clean and place on the lids and screw bands.

Use pints or 1/2 pints.

Process for

  • 10 minutes if you are below 6000 ft elevation.
  • 15 minutes if you are above 6000 ft elevation.
Pouring dandelion jelly mixture into small jam and jelly canning jars.

Then hide the jelly jars from the kids….

…. or you’ll find this on your counter by the end of the day. Empty jar… notice the bread crumbs all over the counter?

An empty jar with residual dandelion jelly inside and breadcrumbs sprinkled on the countertop around it.

You may have heard that you can eat dandelion greens. Just add clean to a salad. But did you know you can even eat the roots? Check this out.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is dandelion jelly good for?

Toast! or crackers. Honestly toast or crackers is what we put it on. But you could use it just like any jelly. Add it to ice cream, yogurt, sweeten up some muffins.

Are there any health benefits to dandelion jelly?

I know there are benefits to dandelions. Dandelions do have vitamins and minerals. It’s been included in many herbal health teas and salves. The Jelly? I don’t think it should be considered a ‘health’ food. You’ll be eating a tiny amount at a time. And there is the sugar factor. Yep this has a lot of sugar. I’ve seen people say it has the same health benefits. But personally… I consider it just a wonderful jelly.

Is dandelion jelly safe to eat?

Yes, absolutely. Dandelions themselves are edible, it is a flower jelly. And super good too!

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Carolina
Carolina
4 months ago

Question regarding the amount of petals, are your measurements loose or packed down?

Carolina
Carolina
4 months ago
Reply to  Carolina

I’ve seen some recipes where they put in a quart canning jar but most don’t specify if the petals are loosely packed or packed down

Victoria Pringle
Victoria Pringle
4 months ago

Your recipe recommends using pint or 1/2 pint jars. Would there be any changes if I used 4 oz quarter-pint jelly jars w/ a 1/4″ head space?

Shane
Shane
4 months ago

I know the dandelions on my lawn aren’t sprayed 🙂
However dont know if I could get enough at one time.
Would it be OK to pick trim and freeze until you have enough
I would think so…

Yavonne
Yavonne
4 months ago
Reply to  Shane

Or make the tea and freeze it

Amy
Amy
4 months ago

Sounds like this would be good drizzled over slow churned vanilla ice cream!

Sarah
Sarah
4 months ago

You say leave the tea overnight, if possible. Can that be left out on the counter, or must it be refrigerated? Thanks!

Sarah
Sarah
4 months ago

Thank you!

Pam
Pam
6 months ago

Hi Sharon – have you tried making this with Pomona’s pectin so amount of sugar can be decreased? If so, might you have idea of amounts for ingredients? TYIA

Svea Allan
Svea Allan
10 months ago

Can you leave the petals in for asthetic purposes? I know they’re edible, but do they cause it to be a different taste? Thanks!

Pat Brownlee
Pat Brownlee
1 year ago

Hi Sharon. I am so glad to be canning again and the dandelion jelly sound adventurous. I have been canning pinto, black, and lima beans like crazy just waiting for fresh fruit and veggies. A question: I remember that you suggested Clear Gel for jelly and jam. Is this still the best for a good set?

Rita
Rita
1 year ago

You are so lucky! We still have snow on the ground. The earliest I have ever planted is May 15, the latest June 20. However, we do have sugar maples so we are making maple syrup. I am going to make this jelly when we do have dandelions.

Crystal
Crystal
1 year ago

I love making dandelion jelly. But I love my warm spices also so I add cinnamon, nutmeg, Ginger and cloves. My grandkids go wild over it and enjoy helping me pick and trim.

Sandy
Sandy
4 months ago
Reply to  Crystal

Do you use powdered? How much

Ellyn
Ellyn
2 years ago

Hi I just made this last night and at it didn’t gel, it’s runny. Can I try adding another box of Sure Jell and reprocess?? Any thoughts?

Rachel Abernathy
Admin
Rachel Abernathy
2 years ago
Reply to  Ellyn

Hi, Ellyn,

Thanks for trying the recipe! Did you measure the set of the jelly using a certain temperature or another method (like the spoon test)?

Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)

Destiny Walters
Destiny Walters
2 years ago

How long does it the jelly usually last?

Rachel Abernathy
Admin
Rachel Abernathy
2 years ago

About 12 months is the general rule, though it’s a quality consideration more than a safety consideration. You can read more here: https://www.simplycanning.com/food-canning/

-Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)

Tara L Mitchell
Tara L Mitchell
2 years ago

What is the boiling water to blossoms ratio for tea?

Rachel Abernathy
Admin
Rachel Abernathy
2 years ago

Good catch, Tara! It’s a 1:1 ratio (1 cup blossoms to 1 cup water. We’ll get it updated on the page!

-Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)

Sherry Brott
Sherry Brott
2 years ago

I don’t see the recipe for using liquid pectin. Where do I find it?

Joyce
Joyce
2 years ago

I made the jelly last year, but I included zest of1 lemon, it was incredible!

Kayla
Kayla
2 years ago

Very excited to try thisnrecipe! Will be our first venture in eating dandelions. I was going to buy pectin and saw the boxes come in 2 different sizes. One was 1.75oz and the other is 2oz. Which one is proper amount for this recipe?

Pamela Renowden
Pamela Renowden
2 years ago

Powdered pectin comes in different sizes/brands. Can you tell me how many ounces to put in?

Oksana
Oksana
2 years ago

Hi Sharon, I am very interested to try your dandelion jelly. Can you please clarify what consistency the liquid should be before pouring into jars? Do I perform the usual ‘cold saucer’ test as is standard process for checking if the jam is ready? Thanks.

Pat Mcknight
Pat Mcknight
2 years ago

How much jelly do the two recipes make

Rachel Abernathy
Admin
Rachel Abernathy
2 years ago
Reply to  Pat Mcknight

Hi, Pat! I know the recipe with powdered pectin makes about 3 half pint jars. I’m checking with Sharon on the liquid pectin version, however.

-Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)

Rachel Abernathy
Admin
Rachel Abernathy
2 years ago

Pat – Sharon said the liquid pectin recipe will make more jars, but she doesn’t remember how many more. (It was likely from a pectin package.) Plan on having a few more jars handy if you make it.

-Rachel (Sharon’s assistant)

Cindia
Cindia
1 year ago

Make sure you use cane sugar only or it won’t set.

gary fisher
gary fisher
2 years ago

try using what we fireweed using same as dandelion