How To Make Dandelion Jelly
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Wondering what to do with dandelions? Learn how to make dandelion jelly. This easy dandelion jelly recipe is the best springtime treat and tastes just like honey.
Dandelions, do you love them or hate them? You can spend a lot of money trying to eliminate them from growing in your lawn, while other people think they are beautiful. Myself I love dandelions. I don’t see them as a pest at all, but rather as a beautiful and helpful herb that you can use in many dandelion recipes.
Do you know that you can make a lovely jelly from dandelion flowers? Yes, really, you can, and it’s so easy to make dandelion jelly, too.
This jelly has become a family favorite of ours because it tastes just like honey with just a hint of lemon. We use it on toast, biscuits, and even in tea as a replacement for honey sometimes.
It’s just one of many flower recipes we love to make from our gardens.
Supplies & Ingredients Needed
- Dandelion flowers – Freshly picked dandelion blossoms are best. You’ll need enough to give you 2 cups of dandelion petals.
- Water
- Sugar
- Pectin – Unlike fruit jellies, dandelions don’t have natural pectin to help it set. I prefer to use powdered pectin I find it sets better than liquid pectin.
- Bowls – You’ll need some small to medium-sized bowls to pick the dandelion heads into.
- Measuring cup
- Scissors – Scissors for cutting the green bits off the yellow blossoms, or if you prefer, you can pull them apart with your hands.
- Strainer – A fine mesh sieve is handy for straining the flowers later.
- Canning jars – You’ll need some half pint or pint jars mason jars.
- Canning funnel
- Ladle
- Waterbath canner
How To Make Dandelion Jelly
Making this takes a little time, but it’s so easy.
The basic steps are:
- Pick the flowers.
- Separate the petals from the greens.
- Make dandelion flower tea.
- Cook the tea with lemon juice and pectin.
- Add the sugar and finish cooking.
- Pour into jars and seal.
Tips For Harvesting Dandelion Flowers
The first thing you will need to do is, of course, gather the dandelion flowers. You want just the flower heads and not the stems.
This is a great job to get kids helping with. After all, they love picking flowers anyway, right?
Make sure to gather your flowers in an area that is clean, not near the side of the road or where pets have been kept.
After you’ve picked a nice-sized bowl of dandelion flowers, you need to cut off the green part of the flower.
I cut it close to the base and then remove any remaining green parts with my fingers, they slide off pretty easy. Then, place the yellow petals into a bowl or measuring cup.
I’ve always been told that it can make the jelly bitter if you leave the green parts on so I removed them to be on the safe side.
How To Make Dandelion Tea
After you’ve measured out 2 cups of the flower petals, it’s time to make the dandelion tea.
Yes, I said tea! You first need to steep the dandelion flower petals to make a tea, and then you turn that liquid into jelly.
Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flower petals. Let it sit until it cools down to room temperature, then cover it with a lid or coffee filter and place it into the fridge for 24 hours.
After it’s finished steeping strain it well and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The easiest way to do this is to line a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth.
Now, at this point, your tea will smell a bit “grassy,” but don’t worry. Once it’s cooked, it will taste so good, really like honey with a dash of lemon.
Making Dandelion Jelly
Measure out 3 1/2 to 4 cups of liquid and pour it into a large pot, add 2 Tbs. of lemon juice and 1 pouch of powdered pectin and bring this to a boil.
Then add 4 cups of sugar, stir well, and return to a full rolling boil. Boil the jelly for 1 to 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
Pour into prepared jars and seal. Let the jelly cool and sit overnight to set up, but remember it can take up to 48 hours for jelly to set.
Canning Dandelion Jelly
Canning the jelly is optional if you prefer, you can simply keep it in your fridge or freezer. Jelly needs to have a low pH, 6.5 or lower to be safe to can. That’s why we add lemon juice to the recipe, just like if you are making mint jelly to lower the pH.
Pour the hot jelly into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
Then, wipe the rims of the jars clean and place the lids and rings on finger tight.
Place the jars in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes or according to your altitude.
Remove the hot jars from the canner and place them on a towel. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours to let the seal harden.
Any jars that haven’t sealed need to be put in the fridge to use first or reprocessed.
Looking for another fun recipe to use up dandelions? Don’t miss this easy dandelion syrup recipe.
Recipe FAQs
More Dandelion Recipes
Printable Dandelion Jelly Labels
Dandelion jelly makes a wonderful unique gift idea!
To make it easier for you, I made these cute printable labels.
It includes 2-inch sized labels perfect for normal-sized jars and 2.5-inch labels for wide-mouth canning jars.
Simply sign up below to download.
Dandelion Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 cups dandelion petals lightly packed
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 box powdered pectin
Instructions
- Cut the green part of the flower off and place the petals into a quart canning jar.
- Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flower petals. Allow them to cool and then place into the fridge for 24 hours.
- Strain the flowers well and squeeze out as much dandelion tea as possible.
- Place into a large pot 3 1/2 to 4 cups of dandelion tea, lemon juice, and pectin. Bring it to a boil.
- Add sugar and return to a boil while stirring. Boil the jelly for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the jelly from the heat and pour it into your prepared jars, and seal. Let cool overnight before storing in the fridge.
Canning Dandelion Jelly
- Remove from the heat and pour into canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jar clean with a wet paper towel or cloth. Place the lid on, then the ring, and tighten finger tight.
- Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner or according to your altitude.
- After processing, remove the jars from the canner and place onto a towel to cool.
- After 24 hours, check the seals and refrigerate or reprocess any jars that didn't seal.
Video
Notes
These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
I’ve always been curious about using dandelions for something beyond just pulling them out of the yard. It’s amazing that the jelly ends up tasting like honey—I would never have guessed! I’m definitely going to try this recipe this spring. By the way, if you enjoy creative projects like this, you might also have fun building a unique character with a Demon Slayer OC maker for another kind of creative outlet. Thanks for sharing such a unique way to enjoy the season!
Kim!!! Your flower jelly recipes are life-changing, no exaggeration. But I have a question about apple and cherry blossom jellies. How important is it to get the stamen out? Does it impact the flavor? It is so hard to pluck all those little tiny pedals off especially when you’re doing it in bulk.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I have been using it for about 4 years now.
This is an amazing recipe. I just thought it would be fun to try making this. I had no idea what it would taste like, but this is fantastic. I gave it to people who asked for more after they tried it. All the jars were gone a week after I made them. I made 12 jars. That was last year and, by the looks of my field, it looks like I will be making this in the next week. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I’ve been using this recipe for a couple of years now tried others but the result was nothing like this absolutely delicious
I should have strained my dandelion tea last night, but a farmer across the road took out a transformer and knocked out our electricity for many hours. So my tea steeped 48 hours instead of 24. Is this okay? I have made this jelly several times in the past and don’t remember it looking so dark.
This recipe was so easy. I tried a different website’s recipe and it turned out terribly. This one is amazing! If you just follow the directions exactly as written, it will turn out beautifully. I love all these recipes from Homestead Acres. I will have to make again soon.
Thank you for this receipe, I made mine on Sunday and it has not set up yet?
What should I do?
Hi , I’ve been making dandelion jelly for years and infuse other flavours into it. Also I do pick the leaves free them in 1/2 cup portions to use in cookies , loaves and breads . Enjoy
This was the first jelly recipe I ever tried making and it turned out perfect and was so delicious especially on homemade biscuits
I love this recipe. It really does taste like honey!
It will not set up. It’s syrup. Followed to the letter. I have to wonder if water bath was necessary and if it didn’t just liquify it
@Linda, I used BerNardin No Sugar Needed Pectin 49g (big box) And I did not need to process the jelly after – just put it into 6 wide mouth mason jars with snap lids. The jelly was setting while I was stirring.
I just picked my flowers and I’m getting ready to take the green off. My question is can I use honey instead of sugar to sweeten this? I’d appreciate it if someone could answer me right away thank you in advance.
I found how many jars in the description! I should’ve just looked a little more before commenting! Lovely recipe thank you!
Just wondering how many jars this recipe makes?
Love homesteading and trying to be more selfeficant for my family.
So much sugar in this, any alternatives for that?
Hi there! Looking forward to making the dandelion jelly! I wondered though, would it hurt anything to leave the dandelions steeping longer than the 24 hours?
I love dandelion jelly but mine never is very yellow. Will it be ok to put food coloring in it
Wow!! I’m so excited! This was my first jelly to ever make, and it was a success! It tastes really good! My hubby absolutely loves it as well!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and making the instructions easy to follow, I’m wanting to try to make the violet jelly next!!!
@Alisha, Did you use a small or large box of pectin?
I’m trying to sign up to get the labels, but I can’t find a link to do so.
This recipe is just plain fun to make! Our lawn and corner part of our grass hay field has been inundated with dandelions over the years due to having bees on the property. And, the horses love to eat them!
With such an abundance, I decided to make dandelion jelly, and my daughter found this recipe. I steeped the blossoms in a crock pot while doing other chores. Later, I strained them and made the jelly the next day. This made the job quite easy, and I made two perfect batches in short order.
As the author pointed out, the taste of the jelly is similar to honey with a hint of lemon juice, and it has a beautiful color.
I also got 5 one-half pints from each batch.
The next batch, I am going to add a small amount of raspberries. A taste that I think will be complimentary to the dandelions.
Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wait to try this jelly. My daughter had so much fun helping me pick the dandelions. Do I need to do anything different when I can if I use 4oz jars instead of 8oz?
Can dried dandelions be used as well? If so, what would the measurements be?
How many jars of jelly does it make?
If I wanted to make a more textured consistency would you recommend leaving in bits of flower? I saw a later post where someone added some pepper and also some tri colored pepper flakes.
I can’t find enough dandelions, Can I skip using dandelion petals and just buy dandelion tea?
My dandelion tea has been in the fridge for an extra 2 days. Is it still ok to make into jam?
Wonderful recipe. Tastes like honey! Set up beautifully.
Everyone was impressed with the taste and wants a jar.
I just made dandelion marmalade, first batch,so good,I made more the next day. Is there a trick to destemming the yellow part. Sam
Why does my ‘tea’ look so dark? Not yellow looking. I picked all the petals off, no green. It is still steeping in the fridge.
@Arlene, I took a small sample of the liquid, very clear. Guess just looking at the soaking dandelions it looked dark. I think all is OK.
@Arlene, once the lemon juice goes in it’ll change the color instantly
If I make one jar that I intend to eat/use right away do I still need to water bath the jar?
@Ashley, water bath canning is just for long term preservation, so you can skip that for immediate use. Just store it in the fridge.
Hello. I’d love to make this, but am confused about how much pectin to use. In one part of the recipe you say “1 box powdered pectin” and in another part you say “1 pouch pectin.” There are so many brands of pectin, and now it’s sold in boxes and pouches and bags of all sizes. So, how much is 1 box or 1 pouch? Did you use 1 tablespoon? Did you measure by ounces? Can you please clarify? I have so many dandelions and this recipe looks so lovely! Thank you! 🙂 -Kat
@Kat, 57 gram pouch/box is what you’ll need for this recipe. Use the entire pouch.
I used 49g for that is what our store carries and it just said 1 box…this would have been helpful from the start. hope it sets up 🙁
I’ve made concord grape and Carrot Cake jam but never dandelion jelly. Had to run out and harvest them before hubby mowed them down :D. I made my first batch just before Easter. Opened a jar for the family to try at lunch and told them to take a jar home if they liked it. At the end of the day, every jar I had canned was gone. Had to make another batch so the hubby and I would have some and have more to share with friends. I even use it as a sauce on top of my baked salmon and fish. Love that lemon- infused honey flavor!
Is it too late if the flowers I picked turned into the white stage of development?
Thank you!
I just made this dandeion jelly and it is great! Very easy and turned out perfect, especially cool considering it was my first time making jelly. Thank you for sharing.
Can you use organic dandelion tea instead of harvesting the heads? I live in the desert south and we don’t have grass let alone dandelions, but I can get looseleaf dandelion tea all day long.
Tastes amazing and has a beautiful color!!
When u build a website you need to test it for cell phones – your ad placement covers the recipe. Super frustrating so going to another site
@Sheila, can i get instructions to build my own web site?
I have about a dozen dandelions a day in my lawn. Can I harvest daily and store in refrigerator until I have enough?
Hi Kim!
I was just wondering how long the jelly is good for in the refrigerator once it’s been made? I see a little bit of white starting to appear on the top of the jelly of my second jar, but it doesn’t look like mold to me – more like crystallized sugar maybe? But I wanted to check to be safe first. Thanks!
@Tori, that white stuff you see needs to be skimmed off before putting it in jars. You should see it in the pot. Just take a spoon and skim it off the top. It should keep in the fridge for a REALLY long time…like, many years… especially if your jars are sealed properly.
@Stacy Banks, I didnt see this comment until after the fact. Will not skimming the white make a difference? I skimmed half the batch but not the other half since I was uncertain.
Very easy to make and it turned out beautifully.
I added thinly slice jalapeños and tri-colour pepper flakes so it could be paired with cheeses. Worked very well. Could even have added more heat.
@Grace, wish I had saw this earlier, I bet the peppers really enhanced the flavor. Gotta try this next time.
Thanks for sharing.
@Grace,
How much of the jalapeño and pepper flakes did you add to a batch? Appreciate feed back so I have a starting place.
Thanks
I have made this jelly several times. I’ve been happy with it every time. A few occasions I’ve had to leave the tea in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The jelly has still turned out fine. Thank you so much for this recipe and starting a new tradition for me
Interesting
Absolutely the most irritating SOB site I have ever encountered with the drop-down, overlaid, pop-up ads … can’t even read the damned recipe, let alone copy it! Complete waste of time.
Oh, and did I mention how pissed off I am ?
/
@Kathie Tietze, I had no problem at all!
@Kathie Tietze, I didn’t have any issues personally. Any ads that did pop up were minimal and I just hit the x to close them out… it’s also not fair to take it out on the author. Whoever owns the web domain allows the ads so they can earn revenie for their author(s) which support their craft.
@Kathie Tietze, you should seek mental help
@Kathie Tietze, if you have pop up there is usually a x to click to get rid of the pop
@Kathie Tietze, I’m unsure why you’re having a problem. I didn’t have any ads or pop ups. Perhaps it’s your server or whatever internet engine you’re using.
Dandelion recipe is way to sweet. Couldn’t eat it.
@Chris, you can use low to no sugar pectin and reduce the sugar.
Instead of processing in a canner could I just put it in the freezer? Like freezer jelly?
Kim,
My son and I made this last year and it was a huge hit on homemade pancakes. Also yummy in smoothies and to glzs a hot cake topped with fruit. Kudos on this but we made it and it was a but syrupy so we used like honey and tea sweetner. We’ll try again soon for the jelly consistency.
Angels attend you, Margaret
I had never heard of it until about 2 weeks ago. I had to give it a try. Unfortunately, I only found enough dandelions for 1/4 of a batch so that is what I made. I was shocked that it indeed does smell and taste just like honey. I think next time I may just add a thickener so it’s more of a syrup than jelly as I plan to use it more as a syrup. I highly recommend!
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve come back to this post three years in a row. The jelly turns out perfect every year and it’s become a family tradition. Thank you for sharing 🌼❤️
Was it one pouch of pectin? Or the whole box?
@Gina, did you get an answer for this? As I’m about to make mine and I have a box of certo that has two pkgs in the box. From my experience making grapes jello I only used one pkg.
@Julie, The recipe calls for powder pectin and one box per batch.
@Kathy Rentz, the problem is there are different size boxes of pectin now. I wish recipe writers would remember to put actual measurements. 1 box of pectin can be 1.75 or 2.25 oz where I am….. so which do I need?
@Jessica, hi I have been having the same problem not sure how much pectin but have had success but still not overly sure on quantity
@Jessica, did you figure out how much pectin? I have a box of certificate with two pouches…I’m have them soaking and making it tomorrow.
Hi, tried it today. Mine has more of a golden colour… Maybe because I had to leave it steaping in the fridge for an extra day (too much to do ☺️)? It’s also more cloudy. It tasted good warm, now I have to wait for it to cool down… Hope it tastes even better! 😃 Thank you for the recipe!
@Evie, mine is also golden and stayed an extra day.
Hi there. Really excited to try your recipe. Can I use liquid pectin? Live in the boons, and that’s what I have on hand. Thank you.
Tricia
Ottawa Valley
My dandelion tea is super dark. Is that normal? It looks like dark maple syrup. Do I need to water it down a bit before making the jelly?? Thank you for your help and this wonderful recipe!
I made the dandelion and violet jelly. The recipes were easy and the jellies delicious!!!
You have so many ads on this page they even cover the recipe ingredients:(
@Drew, I can see the ingredient list perfectly no ads covering it on both desktop and phone.
@Drew, On my computer I saw an option to go straight to the recipe and hit that and bypassed all the ads. Karen
I just made today.It turned out awesome.Very pretty and a great flavor.Love it i have violets seeping for my next recipe.
I’m confused on the last step of the recipe. Do I put the jars containing dandelion jelly on a watering bath canner for 10 minutes?
@Salena, yes.
I kept it at a boil for the 10 minutes then let it cool for a few minutes then pulled them out to sit on a towel on the counter.
Can I use flowers that I collected, then refrigerated or is can only fresh flowers be used?
Can I substitute liquid pectin for powdered pectin?
Hello, my name is Krista and I’m from Louisiana. I’ve made dandelion jelly before, but this time, life got busy and I left the petals seeping in the refrigerator for almost 4 days. Is the tea ruined? It’s definitely darker in color than the normal 24 hours I usually leave it. I just don’t want to waste all of those beautiful dandelions and the time it took to prepare them! Thank you for your help.
@Krista, I’m wondering the same thing. I left mine for 46 hours because I didn’t have time yesterday. I don’t want to process if it’s not going to be any good. Hoping we get a clear answer quickly!
Kim,
I was so worried the whole time that I would mess this up. Turn out so great. Very pretty color and the whole family loved it. Thanks for sharing. Now, to take the grandchildren out to pick more flowers.
Tammy
This turned out awesome. I gave a couple of jars to my family as well, and they loved it! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
How many grams/ ounces of pectin are in one box please? Thanks! Recipe looks great – looking forward to trying it here in Ireland! 🙂
@Kevin, in The box that I bought had 1.75 ounces or 49 g of pectin. I hope this helps.
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
I followed the recipe to a T and it’s been 48 hours and the jelly is like water. I was told the instructions for 2 min boil is too little and it should be more like 10. Is this true? I’m going to have to buy all new lids as I already sealed them all. 🙁
@Chelsea, definitely not 10 minutes. 2 minutes is plenty.
I think I am confused, the receipe says to boil for 10 mins, what is being boiled for 10 mins, empty jars or jars with jelly?
Hi Chelsea, For cooking jelly you only need to boil it for 1 to 2 minutes with powdered pectin. 10 minutes is how long you boil the jars in a water bath canner for processing. Jelly can take a while to set up, many times my jelly is firm after 24 hours but sometimes it can take a week or even a few weeks. If it hasn’t set by then you can either use it as syrup or try some of these tips for fixing runny jelly. https://www.homestead-acres.com/how-to-fix-jam-or-jelly-that-didnt-set/
I thought I was cutting all the green off (only cutting the yellow part) but it turned out greenish brown. Do you have any good way of cutting just the yellow off? I tool that you use or something?
No I just cut the green part off or break it off and pull out the flower petals. The liquid will have a green tint to it before you add the lemon juice during cooking. But I’ve never had one turn out brown, could it have steeped too long?
Just made some , it’s delicious
I must say I will never look at my yard with dandilions and violets the same way again. I made both jellies and found them to be very delicious. Lol, who knew! Thanks for sharing your homesteading ways. Much appreciated!!😊
Have you ever used Pamona’s pectin with calcium water so you can use half the sugar? Just wondering how this will taste with less sugar.
@Jan,
How much vitamins and minerals are left in the jelly?
My tea is not a pretty yellow, but more of a brownish green. I haven’t added sugar or any other ingredients yet. Wondering if I should start over?
Is there a printable version of this dandelion jelly recipe?
This is Nancy again . . . as soon as I posted this question, I found the printable version. Oops!
After seeing the dogs in the neighborhood urinating on all the lawns I can’t help but wonder how can this jelly be okay to eat? Not counting rabbits, mice or other animals doing the same.
@Katie, we pick our dandelions in our yard where there are no dogs so that’s no concern of ours. As for rabbits and other critters I’d imagine it’s no different than eating vegetables from my garden or even the store for that matter.
Hello, I apologize if I over looked the answer to my question in the recipe but how much is in a “box of powdered pectin”? I don’t have a box but a container that is 5.4 oz.
@Shelby, My jar of pectin says you should use 6 Tbsp.
The recipe says it makes “5 1/2 pint jars.” Is that 5 half-pint jars, or 5.5 pints? That’s a big difference.
@Loreli, Maybe it would better to say “makes approx. 5 cups”?
Made this and put it in jars but did not seal. I put the jars in the fridge and it never set up. Should I leave the jars out for 24 hours even if I don’t go through the canning process? I’m wondering if my mistake was putting it in the fridge too soon. Thoughts?
Taste delicious – went 3 cups liquid to 3 cups sugar.
Can this be made with less sugar? I have scoured the comments and found nothing about it.
If you try making it with less sugar make sure to use a no sugar needed pectin. Just remember that the flowers are not naturally sweet like fruit. But using a low sugar pectin you can use less sugar and it should still set ok.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I never made dandelion jelly and had no idea what to expect. It is so good. I can’t wait to give jars away as little gifts.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can I use a sugar substitute as I am diabetic
You can use sugar substitutes when canning. The ones recommended from what I’ve read are ones that work as a 1 to 1 substitute but most information says to avoid saccharin or aspartame ones as they can turn bitter during canning. You may have to use a no sugar pectin to get it to set.
@Mary Lilly, you can use the low to no sugar pectin and stevia. I’ve done that before
Help!! After seeping, my liquid is an unappealing brown. What did I do wrong???
@Lucy, mine was also brownish, but after processing it is a lighter brown/golden yellow color.
Making it for the second time this year! Using dandelion blossoms that we froze in the spring.
I have used your recipes for this, the dandelion jelly, as well as the violet and lilac jellies and all are terrific. Do you have one for ccx queen Anne’s lace jelly? Thanks!
Tried this recipe. Tastes good, but 3 1/2 to 4 cups is too much liquid. Doesn’t set. Tried again with 3 cup and had better results.
My mom is allergic to lemons. Can this be made without lemon juice?
@Ponda, try with powdered citric acid maybe?
Making this now. Do you think I could make a sugar free version and use stevia instead of sugar?
Can ÿou use a pouch of liquid pectin (Certo) instead of the powdered pectin?
How much pectin in this recipe? I have pectin in bulk and don’t know how much to use for these jelly recipes.
@Melissa, Did you ever get an answer to this? I can only get the jar of pectin, not individual boxes.
There are 6 tablespoons in a box of pectin if you are using the original type.
We made dandelion jelly a few years ago but I lost the recipe. I’m so glad I found this one. By the time we’re done picking the flowers and removing the sepals, I’m too tired to can jelly! I love keeping the tea overnight in the refrigerator. We’ll make and can the jelly tomorrow.
Have you ever tried any other flower jellies? I’ve heard violet jelly is wonderful but we have hardly any violets. I may try lilac jelly.
Yes, I love making flower jellies! You can find my lilac jelly recipe here. I also have violet jelly on here as well. I’ve also made rose, peony, and a few others. I hope to add the recipes soon. 🙂
It tastes great! But, it did not set. It would be nice to add instructions on what to do if you need to reprocess it.
How firm does this jelly get when it’s set? This is my first time making jelly and I can’t tell if it’s properly set or if I need to start over.
Hi Beth, the jelly should set pretty firm. But it can sometimes take jelly a few days to a week to fully set. If it doesn’t then it could be a problem with the pectin or that it was over or under boiled. Jelly that doesn’t set makes great syrup or you can recook it with a no sugar pectin and it should set that time. I normally use 3/4 of a box.
I am making this jelly now and Wondering if it has to be canned or can I just use it like freezer jam
I freeze cooked jams often and they always turn out great. Jellies can be a bit fussier, I haven’t had a problem freezing jelly myself but I’ve heard that some people find it’s watery after thawing. Maybe it depends on the type of pectin used.
@Kim,
Freezer jams can be more difficult to set. The sugar matters. Be sure to use pure cane sugar, not beet sugar, or mix of beet and cane sugar. Read the sugar bag. The 100% cane sugar sets firm with the liquid pectin one normally uses with freezer jams.
hi kim
what is a box of pectin
how many gr or tea spoon is it ?
looking forward to make it
love michal <3
6 tablespoons is in a box of pectin.
It’s 6 tablespoons of pectin in a box. 🙂
A box of pectin is 57grams.
You can find the boxes in the baking section of most grocery stores. They are about the size of a J-ello box
I left my tea on the kitchen counter for 2 night… it smells fine… did I ruin the batch?!
I’m wondering did you still use it? I forgot mine in fridge for 3 days verses 24 hours I’d assume I can still make it?
So excited for this recioe! I jist got done making it. Unfortunately I burned my pectin to the bottom of the pan and had to switch pans, so my jelly came out a little darker but still tasted great!
Hi Kim,
We try to use/consume the least amount of processed sugar as possible and never use the “diet” sugars like Spenda, etc. Have you ever made jelly with Stevia or Monkfruit? If so, what would be the measurement equivalency to 4 cups of regular sugar?
Please disregard my question. I should have skimmed the comments/questions first…found my answer (sort of). Also found tips and such very helpful..like freezing flowerheads until ready to make tea…I still need to get most of the supplies and ingredients., Looking forward to trying…always wanted to “can” something, never tried before. ?
I made the jelly It is amazing Taste great Thank you for the recipe I’m trying to print out free labels but I’m having no luck. Trying to join but I’m having no luck there either but thanks for the recipe
Can I substitute honey instead of sugar for the dandelion jelly? Will it still work? Thanks
My daughter and I just made this over the weekend. It’s awesome!! Tastes very much like honey with a hint of lemon. We have many family members who want to try it. Guess we’ll be making more soon. Thank you so much. ?
I just made this and it is wonderful – directions were perfect and so were the results! I used your labels, too, many thanks for that! I want to try your lilac flower recipe next as my lilacs are going gangbusters. Do I collect open flowers or flowers that are still tlittle unopened buds? Thanks again for all your wonderful ideas!
I did both, my husband tasted it while I was putting it in jars and LOVED it! He said it tastes just like honey
Going to try this but need to know exactly how much pectin to use as I have a tub of it not pouches. Thanks, Stephanie
Most brands have 6 tablespoons in a box. But if you buy it in bulk your brand should also list how much to use.
Hi there! I made this recipe and love the taste, but it didn’t set. This is the second time I made jelly (different kinds) that this happened. Just wondering if you have any troubleshooting advice for me. Thanks so much!!
What is the longest time to let them steep? Or shortest? Thank you! ?
The shortest I would do is 8 hours or overnight. I wouldn’t let them much steep longer than a full day though or you risk the mix going moldy.
My dandelion water turned black. I was extremely careful and removed all greenery (it literally took me 5 hours to do). But when I left it overnight to soak, the liquid was black in the morning. Was it the stainless steel stockpot I used, or something else? I’m going to throw it out. 🙁
Yikes, it’s possible that it reacted with the pot somehow but I really can’t say for sure. I’ve always used glass mason jars and never had a problem before.
@Mimssa,
My batch turned a dark brown overnight in fridge too. I used it anyways and when I turned the tea into jam it lightened up to a golden color in jars.
What happens if you don’t steep the tea overnight? Also, if I use a little extra pectin would that just make the jelly firmer or would that cause an issue?
If the liquid doesn’t steep overnight then it wouldn’t be as strong. So the taste might be a bit different. You don’t need to use extra pectin, just make sure that it’s cooked enough.
I love this idea! We have plenty of dandelions around our home. How long does the jelly last after being processed?
Canned foods have a shelf life of 1 year based off studies from the USGA. They simply haven’t tested longer than that time though I’ve used jellies past that with no problems at all.
Just made our first batch! The kids love it! Thank you so much!
I made this, but it didn’t seem to help and is watery. Any trouble shooting ideas?
Hi Beth, I’m sorry you are having trouble. It could be for a few reasons. Not being cooked long enough and having bad/expired pectin are the most common. But sometimes jelly just takes a few days to a week or so to set.
You could try re-cooking the jelly or just wait and see if it sets. If it doesn’t you could use it a syrup.
I was apprehensive about this at first. I just canned my batch of 6 jellies and I must say, you nailed every step perfectly. I cant wait to try the finished product! We ate what was left at the bottom of the pot after filling the jars and wow, tastes just like honey! So impressed. 5 stars for sure!
I’m so glad you liked it!! 🙂
I have a question about keeping the dandelions before use. There are a multitude in my yard and I’ve been collecting them for the last two days. I’ve also never scanned anything before so I need to get some things together to make this jam. So my question is, should I be storing these flowers a certain after picking them since I won’t be making the jam for another few days? Or will they be ok if they are a few days dry when I start this process?
If you pick the flowers and leave them sitting they will start to turn to seed. LOL I found this out the hard way myself. You can either remove the petals and then steep them in water and freeze the liquid after straining to use later or freeze the petals. Someone left a comment here that freezing the petals worked out well for her.
@Kim, I’ve been making this for 40 years . If you pick the dandelion heads, you can store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days . Or freeze them . But , if you leave them at room temperature. They will pop . (Seed)
Hello – I haven’t made dandelion jelly in a while – I put boiling water over the petals (no greens) and stored them in the fridge overnight – the liquid turned dark – It doesn’t smell bad, just never had it turn dark before – any tips or suggestions?
Do not worry that the dandelion tea is greenish and may smell like fresh grass. It will turn yellI wish when you process it into jelly. A
Do not worry that the dandelion tea is greenish and may smell like fresh grass. It will turn yellI wish when you process it into jelly. A couple of drops of yellow food coloring also helps. Mine came out amber colored and does taste like honey.
It should be just fine. The color can change a bit depending on how many flowers were in the jar, lightly packed vs firmly packed. The color will change as you cook it and will turn yellow after adding the lemon juice.
I tried to make this recipe, but I have never canned anything before. My mother gave me some pectin to use, and I followed this recipe. Today, my jelly hasn’t set and I was searching the internet trying to figure out why. Turns out, the pectin she gave me was freezer pectin. Is there anyway to fix this situation? Could I open the cans and try again with regular pectin?
Do not use expired pectin and do not change or try to double the receipt.
Unfortunately, freezer pectin won’t set properly if it’s cooked. You could try recooking it with normal pectin or use it as syrup instead.
Thank you for this easy to follow recipe! I manage a Instagram & Facebook account for my family’s small homestead. I made this jelly for the 2nd time this year and had SO many followers encouraged to try it this year! I send anyone asking for a dandelion jelly recipe this link! ☺️ Thanks again!
Thank you I’m so glad that you liked it, and I so appreciate you sharing the link! 🙂
Love this recipe
Hello, thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe! I was wondering if the lemon juice has to be squeezed from a fresh lemon or could I use the packaged lemon juice? Much appreciated. 🙂
Any lemon juice will work. If you dont have lemon juice you can use citric acid as a substitute. It’s only for preservation.
Packaged lemon juice works just fine, that’s what I always use. 🙂
I can’t find any dandelions to make my jelly…is there any where to buy the flowers
If you live near Metro Detroit you can drive by my house and pick some. Our yard has enough that I know it makes my neighbors cringe ? Sorry it’s not actually helpful. I know you can by the greens. If you’re on FB maybe you can see if anyone living near you would give you some.
I absolutely love this recipe but I did not use pectin I used 3 packs of unflavored jello it turned out amazing!!!!
How many jars (or punches) of jelly does this make?
Hi Mimi, I was wondering the same thing. When I was going back through all of the instructions I realized it was hidden at the top of the recipe. Lol. It make five 1/2 pint jars.
6 smaller jars
I made my first batch a few days ago. The color came out more like the color of honey than the light yellow color in the photograph. My second batch I just finished today that batch’s color came out just like the photograph in the blog. The only thing I can figure out is maybe the flower petals were more compact into the measuring cup than I thought. It tasted great! I will be making more in the future.
I’m so glad you liked it! I find that each batch is a little different in color. But yes if you make sure to gently pack the flowers down it makes a stronger tea. That does make the final jelly a brighter yellow color.
Can you use an instapot as opposed to a water bath for this jelly?
You need to use a water bath canner, or another pot that is deep enough to have 1-2 inches of water above the top of the jars. If you use another pot make sure to place something on the bottom so the jars don’t touch the bottom of the pot. They’ll break if they do. You can wire some jar rings together to make a rack.
I have low or no sugar real fruit pectin, will this work for this recipe? Would I need to change the amount of sugar?
I’m sorry, I haven’t tried this recipe with a low/no sugar pectin yet. I’ll give it a shot this year when our flowers start blooming.
Hi Kim! I have liquid pectin at home. Can I use it interchangeably? What would you suggest for the amount I use for liquid instead of powdered?
I have the opposite problem. My recipe uses liquid and all I have is powdered. I have made it a couple times and liked the results. It calls for 2 heaping cups dandelion petals, 2 c boiling water, 1/4 c lemon juice, 4 c sugar, and 3 oz certo liquid pectin. Keep in mind that the sugar and pectin are added differently in liquid and powdered recipes.
I don’t like using liquid pectin as much because it’s fussier to set for me. You can try using it instead but you’ll have to change the order that you cook it in. Add the sugar to the liquid and then bring it to a boil together. Once it’s fully boiling add the liquid pectin and time from there.
1 Tbsp liquid pectin = 2 tsp powdered pectin.
I have a lot of dandelions in our yard and we have lived at our house for one year- we have never sprayed chemicals but I know our neighbors do. Are our dandelions safe? Our yards are Completely separate but I don’t know if I should be wary…
I’m sorry, that’s not a decision I can make for you. But I personally wouldn’t use any flowers that could have been sprayed.
I made 24 pints of this yesterday, it was super yummy (all 3 of my kids loved it!? I followed the recipe exactly as the recipe says but unfortunately none of my pints got that nice jelly consistency, it’s all more like a thinner honey. Any ideas what could of gone wrong?
Probably you didn’t boil it long enough. I always use a candy thermometer to ensure a good set.
Same thing happened to me. The flavor is wonderful, but I was hoping for a more jelly like, or even a thicker syrup like texture. I’m not sure what I did wrong.
Most of the time when jelly doesn’t set it’s from being over or undercooked. It can cause the pectin to not set. Also if the pectin is expired or no good it won’t work either.
Yes, sometimes jams and jellies can take a few days to a few weeks to fully set. But it can also be that it wasn’t cooked quite long enough.
Just made my batch to day LOVE IT! Was very easy I plan on making more!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of our favourite jelly recipes. 🙂
Just tried this recipe and ended up with 7 – 1/2 pint jars worth..? Could it be because I used 4 dry cups of tea instead of fluid cups? At any rate the unfinished jelly taste great. We’ll just have to see if it sets now 🙂
My son and I just got done with a batch. It looks amazing. Hope it sets tho was still liquid when I put it in the jars. Was it supposed to harden up when cooking or after it sits for the 24 hours?
My dandelion juice looks dark. Why would this happen? I made sure there were no green stems. Thanks
Mine did too. Dont worry though, it has a green darkish hue to it until you boil it and add the sugar. Then it looks like honey until it boils, then almost like milk until the heat settles and you can it. Then it looks like honey again.
I left my dandilions in the tea about 7 hours too long. Will that affect my jelly?
I understand it’s happened to me before too. If the tea doesn’t look or smell moldy then it’s probably fine. A few extra hours shouldn’t make a difference. But if you aren’t sure then it would be better to toss and try again.
I left my petals in for about 30 hours and it turned dark brown (like pekoe tea). It smells fine but I was wondering if anyone else had this issue? Not sure why …thanks
Hi Kim! We’re hoping to make dandelion jelly this year. Our yard is small so we’d have to harvest in batches. Is it possible to remove the green parts and freeze the flowers until we have enough to make jelly? Note: we don’t have enough freezer space for small batches of tea.
I haven’t frozen the flower petals before but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Hi Kim! The frozen petals worked like a charm. Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful, thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Tammy, I think freezing the tea in smaller batches would be better. Make the tea according to how much you have in dandelion petals. I just did a batch with only 1 cup of petals. Not sure when I’ll get more so I will either freeze this tea or make only half a batch.
Thanks, Susan. That’s probably a better idea but my freezer space is very limited. The flowers are easier and smaller to freeze so I went that direction and it worked out really well!
Can this be done with dried dandelions? I have a jar full of them.
I haven’t tried it with dried dandelions before, but it should work. 🙂
What is a box of pectin? I buy it in larger containers. I just made this yesterday with 2 1/2 teaspoons of pectin – but I think it might not have been enough. It is still liquid this morning. Could you please include how many table spoons or teaspoons of pectin you use?
There are 6 tablespoons of pectin powder in a box. If your jelly doesn’t set you can use it as syrup instead, it’s great too!
JELLY
Big box little box pectin??????????
@g, I used BerNardin No Sugar Needed Pectin 49g (big box) And I did not need to process the jelly after – just put it into 6 wide mouth mason jars with snap lids. The jelly was setting while I was stirring.
I may have missed it in the post, but, is it 2 cups or 2 cups packed, dandelion flowers.
I use 2 cups of flower petals that are lightly packed.
Could you or have you tried a sugar substitute..
I was wondering the same thing. I am going to try monkfruit. This is what I found. Monk fruit is commonly used as a substitution for sugar in confections, soups, sauces and beverages. But because it is much sweeter than sugar, a 1-to-1 substitution may be too sweet. Experiment in the kitchen and find the ratio that fits your needs. Consider starting with 1/3 cup monk fruit sugar for 1 cup sugar.
I haven’t tried it with this recipe but I’ve made low and no-sugar jams and jellies before. Try using the no-sugar pectin instead of the normal one. The normal pectin needs a larger amount of sugar to set properly. Then you could use stevia, the version sold as Truvia is supposed to be used 1 to 1 with sugar so that could work. Another option would be to use honey, it would work out to 7/8 cup for every 1 cup of sugar used.
I hope that helps!
I must admit, I was skeptical about this tasting like honey but it is AMAZING! My dad always talked about dandelion salad when he was young so I think he would love this! Who’d ever think!!
There are low sugar/no sugar pectins available.
hi has anyone tried this with Splenda instead of regular sugar? I would love to try this, but that is way too much sugar for my diet.
Excuse me if I missed this information in the post, but how much jelly does this recipe make? Also I only want to make a small jar, so I don’t intend on canning it. Will not canning it affect the final product at all?
It will take a lot more than a small jar, I got about six small jars.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
This is delicious. Thanks for the alert that the jelly doesn’t taste like the tea. It was easy to make and it is lovely.
Thanks I’ll try this!! I just want to know how to avoid or remove tiny insects found in the flowers?
Hi Sam, I really don’t find the little bugs to be a problem. Most of them crawl away when I’m picking the flowers and putting them in a bowl outside. But any that don’t would die when you pour the boiling water over the flowers. You could just skim them off the top if you find any.
Hi Kim. I’m also one who loves dandelions; I do find them pretty. I’ve never made anything edible out of them yet, and I’ve never made jelly or canned anything. This seems like a good way to start!
I’m wondering if you’ve ever tried freezing the tea, them making the jelly later like in winter.
Merci!
J-zel
I have frozen the tea for short terms and it’s worked well for me too! Just thaw it when needed, then follow the rest of the recipe from there.
Hi Kim, Thank you for the recipe. I’m starting to look at my dandelion infested yard like it’s a gold mine!
That happened to us too! We always loved the flowers but now look at them in a whole new way! Yum!
I missed my opportunity to make dandelion jelly this spring. I was upset that I did, but I’ll be tackling it next year! I am beyond curious as to how it tastes… I’m sure it’s divine! Here’s to hoping that the dandelions are as profuse next year as they were this year! I enjoyed this read!
Krystal, Three Wondrous Acres
http://www.wondrousacreshomestead.website
I tried this recipe with my 4 and 6 year old. It turned out great and tasted good! My husband was surprised how well it tasted! Will definitely be making this many more times.
I’m so glad that you liked it! It’s one of our favourite jellies too. 🙂
Can I make dandelion jelly without pectin? I’m #safeathome. And don’t have pectin. What ratio should I use for juice and sugar?
Flowers don’t have pectin in them naturally like you find in tart fruit, so they normally need pectin added to them. If you can’t get it locally or online then you could try boiling the same mixture until it reaches the jell stage using a candy/jelly thermometer. That would be 220F, but I haven’t tried it with this particular recipe so I can’t guarantee that it will work.
I got some powdered pectin from nuts.com
I have never made dandelion jelly, but I LOVE dandelion tea. This is the first time I have seen it mentioned online. You’d think everybody would try it.
I’m in the UK and have never heard of a water-bath canner. Can this be made by boiling the tea mixture for a certain amount of time instead?
The water bath canner is used to boil the jars after they’ve been filled with the jelly. You can use any pot that is deep enough so that the water covers the jars. Oh, and make sure to put something on the bottom of the pot so the jars don’t touch the bottom and brake. You can use a wooden cutting board, or even twist tie some jar rings together to make a trivet.
Does that help?
This is so neat! I feel like all of our dandelions are mostly gone this year, but next year I’m going to go nuts and have the kids collect them all. Thanks for linking up to #SustainableSundays!
I have never heard of Dandelion Jelly, and I can’t wait to try it! I’m fascinated by this and since it tastes like honey, I’ve got to use this recipe. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! #SustainableSundays
http://passportcouture.com
This looks delicious! Now want to go on a hunt for dandelions to make this as I just realized it is the one flower (or weed) that we don’t have in our yard. Thanks for posting it on the #sustainablesunday link up!