How to Make Dandelion Wine

"Dandelion wine is fermented sunshine." Jack Keller


What you need

• 2 qts dandelion flowers
• 2 lbs 11 ozs granulated sugar
• 4 oranges
• 1 gallon water
• yeast and nutrient

This is the traditional "Midday Dandelion Wine" of old, named because the flowers must be picked at midday when they are fully open.

1. Pick the flowers and bring into the kitchen.
2. Set one gallon of water to boil. While it heats up to a boil, remove as much of the green material from the flower heads as possible (the original recipe calls for two quarts of petals only, but this will work as long as you end up with two quarts of prepared flowers).
3. Pour the boiling water over the flowers, cover with cloth, and leave to seep for two days. Do not exceed two days.

1. Pour the mixture back into a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the peelings from the four oranges (again, no white pith) and boil for ten minutes. Strain through a muslin cloth or bag onto a crock or plastic pail containing the sugar, stirring to dissolve.
3. When cool, add the juice of the oranges, the yeast and yeast nutrient. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit fermentation trap, and allow to ferment completely.
4. Rack and bottle when wine clears.
5. Again, allow it to age six months in the bottle before tasting, but a year will improve it vastly.

This wine has less body than the first recipe produces, but every bit as much flavor (some say more!). [Adapted recipe from C.J.J. Berry's First Steps in Winemaking] Source