How to Make Dandelion Wine

Dandelion wine is a surprisingly flavorful and delicate beverage. To make the wine, you use only the petals of the dandelion. It takes 10 to 11 months before dandelion wine is ready to drink, but it improves with additional aging.

Things You'll Need

• 3 qt. dandelion blossoms
• 1 gallon filtered water
• 4 oranges, juiced
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• ¼ cup crystallized ginger
• 6 gallon bucket with lid as the primary
• Nylon straining bag
• 2 ½ lb. granulated sweetener
• 1 tsp. yeast nutrient
• Champagne wine yeast
• 3 gallon carboy as the secondary
• Siphon hose
• Airlock
• Wine bottles
• Size #9 corks
• Corker

Instructions

1. Gather dandelions on the day you want to start the wine. Gathering the blossoms early in the day will give you the freshest flowers. Pick only those blossoms that are fully open, and only pick in areas you know are not treated with weed killers or other poisons.

2. Put the water on to boil.

3. Prepare the dandelion blossoms as the water is heating. Wash them gently and blot dry on paper towels. Remove the green stem and leaves from the dandelion to make your wine sweeter.

4. Put the dandelion, orange juice, lemon juice, lemon zest and ginger into the primary and add the boiling water. Cover and let the primary sit for 2 days, stirring twice a day.

5. Strain the liquid through the straining bag and heat it to boiling again. Add the sweetener, stirring until it is dissolved. Let cool to room temperature.

6. Add the nutrient and yeast to the mixture and cover the primary. Let it sit undisturbed for 3 weeks.

7. Use the siphon hose to rack the wine into the secondary. See the related eHow article "How to Rack Wine" for additional information. Let the wine ferment for 2 to 4 months.

8. Bottle the dandelion wine and wait 6 months before tasting. See the eHow article "How to Bottle Wine" for instructions on bottling your wine.

Tips & Warnings

• Use this recipe as a flexible guide. Omit one kind of citrus or the ginger, or add your own blend of dry or fresh fruits and spices to customize your dandelion wine.

• Any amount of dandelion greens will turn this wine bitter, as will any lemon pith.