Thursday, April 24, 2008

Dandy Dandelions

So, I have found a recipe for making dandelion wine. I am also planning on making dandelion jelly, oil, etc.

Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Dandelion is commonly used as a food. The leaves are used in salads and teas, while the roots are often used as a coffee substitute. Dandelion leaves and roots have been used for hundreds of years to treat liver, gallbladder, kidney, and joint problems. In some countries, dandelion is considered a blood purifier and is used for ailments such as eczema and cancer. Dandelion has also been used historically to treat poor digestion.

Dandelion Wine

2gal/8 liter crock
3-5 qts/3-5 liters blossoms
5 qts/5 liters water
3 pounds/1.5 kg sugar
1 organic orange
1 organic lemon
1 pkg/8 grams live yeast whole wheat bread toast

DIRECTIONS:
Find a field of dandelions in bloom and pick them with a sweeping motion of your parted fingers, like a comb.
Back home, put blossoms immediately into a large ceramic, glass, or plastic vessel.
Boil water; pour over flowers.
Cover your crock with cheesecloth. Stir daily for three days.
On the fourth day, strain blossoms from liquid.
Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus (omit rind if not organic) for 30-60 minutes.
Return to crock. Add citrus juice.
When liquid has cooled to blood temperature, soften yeast, spread on toast, and float toast in crock.
Cover and let work two days.
Strain.Return liquid to crock for one more day to settle.
Filter into very clean bottles and cork lightly.

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