How To Make Dandelion Jelly

This post may contain affiliate links, my full disclosure can be read here. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 rather a beautiful and helpful herb.

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.

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

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.

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.

How To Make Dandelion Tea

Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the flower petals. Let it sit until it cools down to room temperature then cover 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.

Cooking 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 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 the jelly into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.

Run a spatula around the inside edge to remove any air bubbles. 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 dandelions? Don’t miss this easy dandelion syrup recipe.

Why Didn’t My Dandelion Jelly Set?

Dandelion jelly like all jellies can have problems setting if something goes wrong during the cooking process.

It could be that it wasn’t cooked enough or it was overcooked. Don’t miss my guide to fixing runny jelly if yours didn’t set up.

Can I Freeze The Dandelion Flowers?

Yes, if you don’t have time to make a batch of dandelion jelly right away you can freeze the flowers for later use. It’s best to remove the yellow petals and freeze those in a freezer safe bag because the green parts will turn mushy after thawing.

Can I Freeze The Dandelion Tea Liquid?

Yes, I’ve done this many times now when I’m in a hurry. After straining the dandelion liquid pour it into freezer safe bags or containers and freeze until needed. When you’re ready to make homemade dandelion jelly just let it thaw and then continue with the recipe.

More Dandelion Recipes

• Easy Dandelion Syrup

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 Recipe

A great way to use up a lot of flowers if using pretty bright yellow dandelion flower heads and turning them into homemade dandelion jelly! This traditional recipe has long been used as a honey alternative and is sure to become a family favorite you want to make every year.

Would you like to try another flower jelly?  This violet jelly is simply amazing! Peony jelly is a must have spring treat too.

Connect With Homestead Acres!

Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Twitter

Visit my Amazon store to find all my favorite gardening, homesteading tools, and gadgets plus all of my printed garden books and journals!