Try to google a recipe online and see what comes up in the top search: bloggers that have never made it and have no clue how to do it..

I got fooled after plugging out petals from dandelions for over two hours and the recipe didn't work - I had a sugar syrup that tasted of citric acid! 

One of the reasons I have decided to write this blog - to share a real experience of making Dandelion vegan honey!

Main points for making Dandelion honey:

- pick up Dandelions flowers: take pair of scissors and cut just he flower hat only leaving the whole plant in the grass;

- pick up flowers far away from the main roads or any roads as fumes have toxins and can get onto plants easily, try to pick up Dandelion flowers in the parks, where there is less car traffic, in the fields, local paths or even abounded allotment - you would be surprised how many Dandelions grow in the seasons in your local area;

- the best time when you should pick up any flowers is noon on a dry and sunny day - this is the best time when flowers in full bloom and realising the most of nectar;

 

- picking up Dandelion flowers is not a big deal, the big deal is plucking out petals before all flowers close, then it would be more difficult;

- make Dandelion honey in small batches as much as you can manage in one day - for example, 1.5 litre Parex jar of petals makes is 380 g of petals and 2 hours of plucking dandelion petals from the flowers; 

- you don't need a special sugar for making Dandelion honey but you do need citrus - Orange or Lemon - whole fruit with skin and zest, the skin of citrus is important - it will turn your water and sugar into thick runny honey, if citrus fruit replaced with citric acid - honey won't work;

- you don't need special preserving jars - just use the glass jar with lids were used to be stored supermarket honey, jam or curd - just wash them perfectly and dry them properly. You'll be using a lot of sugar in the Dandelion honey recipe - and sugar is a preservative;

- you don't need to cook Dandelion honey for long hours but you do need a whole day dedicated to it: when you pick up the flowers you have to pluck out the flowers straight away, make honey and jar it the same day; 

- keep the honey to mature from 3 to 6 month from the day you made it - as longer it matures as the most flowery and incredibly good properties it has for health;

- store Dandelion honey in the cupboard in the dark place far away from heat and sunshine.

- some leftover petals I have layered with sugar in the jar (approx. 1cm on sugar and 1cm of petals and repeat, store only in the fridge). Sugar will preserve the petals, after 3-6 months use it as a remedy from colds and flu - add petals to your tea  and you'll recover in no time. 

Dandelion Honey Recipe:

350g - Dandelion Petals

1 kg of any Sugar (you don't have to use preserving sugar)

1 litre of tap water 

2 sliced Oranges (I use oranges as it gives a sweeter taste)

Jars with tight lids 

Method:

1. Picking up the flowers: I just cut the Dandelion heads with scissors and put them in the roomy cotton bag or basket, do not use a plastic bag as your flowers will go damp and will lose nectar. Try picking up bigger flower heads as you will end up with more petals and leave smaller flowers. 

2. After you have collected the flowers - start plucking out petals straight away as Dandelion flowers will close after 2-3 hours and it will be more difficult to pluck out petals.

3. Put the flowers into a basket or big bowl with lots of water so the small insects will come out off the flowers. Remove the water leaving petals on the bottom of the bowl. 

4. Add water to petals and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain petals, add sugar and oranges. 

5. Simmer for 1.5 hours until water will turn into golden bubbly amber golden syrup, similar when you make a caramel sauce, test with a spoon by leaving it to cool down and if honey will create a set drop - honey is ready if you are not sure - leave it to bubble for another 10 minutes on low heat. 

6. Turn off the honey leave to cool down and jar it. Store in the at room temperature in the dark cupboard away from the sun.

You can eat it straight away but it might taste sour-sweet. 

 Write down the date you made it and leave to mature for 3- 6 months for the best taste!