How to Make Dandelion Wine: Traditional Recipe

Pick dandelions in the morning when they are fresh and dew-covered and use them right away.

This recipe for dandelion wine dates back to the 1930s, when it was published in a British herbal encyclopedia by Maude Grieve, called "A Modern Herbal." Dandelion wine is considered a cleansing tonic for its ability to restore the function of the liver. Dandelion is also a natural diuretic that is high in potassium, which is often depleted from the body with prescription diuretics. Dandelion wine is often compared to sherry in taste.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket with lid (at least 3 gallons)
• 1 gallon dandelion flowers
• 1 gallon boiling water
• 3 1/2 lbs. sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced ginger
• 1/2 cup sliced lemon rind
• 1/2 cup sliced orange rind
• 1 tbsp. yeast
• Cask or keg
• Wine bottle

Instructions

1. Pick and rinse 1 gallon of dandelion flowers. Place them in a bucket that has a lid.

2. Pour 1 gallon of boiling water over the flowers.

3. Stir the mixture well. Cover it and allow it to steep for three days. Stir the mixture twice daily during that three-day period.

4. Strain the dandelions from the liquid and add 3 1/2 lbs. sugar, 1/2 cup sliced ginger, 1/2 cup sliced lemon rind and 1/2 cup sliced orange rind.

5. Boil the mixture for 30 minutes.

6. When the mixture has cooled completely, return it to the bucket. Add 1 tbsp. of yeast to the liquid. At this point the yeast begins fermenting the dandelion wine.

7. After a few days the yeast will stop actively working. At this point you can transfer the dandelion wine to a cask or keg and seal it tightly.

8. After two months in the cask, the dandelion wine can be bottled.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a piece of cheesecloth to strain the wine before putting it in the cask.

References

• "Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore: 1000s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living"; Jerry Mack Johnson; 2011
• "Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs"; Claire Kowalchik, et al.; 1998