Poor Man’s Honey (Dandelion Jelly)
A slow wind winds it’s way across the prairie, bringing a sharp chill to sunbaked skin. The light is harsh, washing out the variants of green into one pale sage. The run off from the mountains has been filling irrigation ditches for a little over a month now, these man made streams cutting across the Steppe, flowing under the last of the snow drifts, ushering in life after 8 months of bitter cold and wind. Along the edges of the borrowed ditches small clusters of gold begin to bloom. Spreading and growing until the back roads are rimmed in sunshine. These first blossoms of spring mean so much to so many, to those of us living closer to the land they are the first gifts of the season of abundance. To those hemmed in by HOA’s and concrete, they are a nuisance at best and a pest at worst. To me, this year, they were an adventure. A learning experience that took root 2 years ago in the basement backroom of a thrift store. Where a new friend walked me through the Sapphic subculture that is Cottagecore and shared with me a jar of dandelion jelly.
A common name for this treat is also Poor Man’s Honey, though I can’t find any references to why or when that started. It’s easy to assume the light floral taste that leaves pollen like feeling behind is the cause. This jelly is quite reminiscent of honey all ways, except maybe texture. I’ve seen it touted as a good honey replacement for vegans, though my omnivorous ways can’t really speak to weather or not it’s as satisfying.
The method is quite simple to execute as long as you know your canning times for altitude, and have a few hours to spend picking the required amount of blooms. I try to take no more than a third of any given patch as early spring flowers are a key food for pollinators who are in short supply in this terrain.
Recipe
- 2 cups Dandelion Petals
- 4 cups Boiling Water
- 1.75 oz Pectin
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 4 cups Sugar
- 4 pats of Cold Butter (optional)
- First you’re going to want to your canning pot going, this needs to be tall enough to fully submerge your jars under at least 2 inches of water. Once boiling I use this water to heat and sanitize my jars while my jelly makes.
- Place rinsed petals in a heat proof bowl, and pour boiling water over them. Let this “tea” steep over night. Then strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. I ended up with about 2 cups of tea so I added 2 more cups of water at this point to dilute down a bit.
- Combine tea, pectin, and lemon juice in a 4qt sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Stir/whisk in your sugar. I tend to use a whisk initially but switch to a square wooden spoon after the sugar dissolves to reduce bubbles.
- Boil for a few minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. This varies at different altitudes but if your jelly doesn’t set right you can always re-boil it. Or use as a thick syrup.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter to help cut the foam/ bubbles
- Remove jars from water and drain (back into the pot)
- Using a canning funnel or a steady hand fill your jars leaving a half inch gap. I use the lip under where the lip stops as a guide, it’s also the edge of my funnel. Wipe down the rims and edges of your jars with a damp cloth o remove and spills.
- Place lids over your jars and tighten the rings just finger tight. Too tight and the rubber on the lids won’t seal properly. Place jars back into canning pot, some people put a towel under them but I have a fairly old canning rack that my dad used to use when I was a kid, bonus it has handles to pull them all out at once with.