How to Make Homemade Dandelion Wine

Dandelion blossoms make a sweet, light wine.

Some see dandelions as a nasty weed to be rid of as soon as possible, and others see them as pretty wildflowers and the first sign of spring. For many, dandelions on the lawn mean it's time to make dandelion wine.

Things You'll Need

• 12 oz dandelion flowers
• 20 cups water
• 0.3 oz active dry yeast
• 5.5 lbs white sugar
• 2 oranges
• 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• Plastic tubing
• Cheesecloth/blotting paper
• Jug/demijohn/fermenting jar

Instructions

1. Rinse dandelion blossoms thoroughly. Make sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticide.

2. Boil the dandelion blossoms in water for 5 minutes and then leave to stand for a further 5 minutes. Make sure that the water is no hotter than about 90 F, as yeast has to be at a cool temperature to prevent it being burned and rendered useless.

3. Slice and add the juice and pulp of the lemon and orange. Add the yeast, ginger and sugar and stir together.

4. Pour the mixture into a fermenting jar and lock the lid in place. Let the mixture sit for about 2 weeks to ferment in a cool place out of the sun.

5. After 14 days check the mixture for consistency, clear generally meaning that the fermentation has been completed. Sediment at the bottom of the container is normal, and should be ignored. Siphon the wine out of the fermentation jug using a clean piece of hosepipe or tubing. Tubing can be bought at pet stores for use with aquariums.

6. Pour the wine through some cheesecloth or blotting paper to remove all of the pith and waste pieces. Decant the wine into smaller containers and leave to sit for another few days (around a week) and then enjoy. To change the strength of the wine, then the fermentation times and the amount of sugar added can be experimented with.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding different types of fruit and spices will change the flavor of the wine, so feel free to try new combinations.