Pink Dandelion Wine

Name: Pink Dandelion Wine
Cuisine: Beverages
Ingredients: 2 quarts of dandelion petals (stem and green collar of each flower removed); 2 quarts of boiling water; 3 lemons; 3 1/2 cups sugar; 10 oz package of frozen sweetened red rasperries; 1 yeast cake; cheesecloth; 1 one-gallon jar (stoneware jar works best); 3 one quart wine bottles with screw-on caps

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Taste the “spirit” of spring using common dandelions. Dandelion Wine is known for its unique and tangy flavor. Combined with the tart sweetness of raspberries, it makes for a refreshing drink!

Keep in mind that the final concoction is bottled and aged for 6 months before drinking. Perfect for a Christmas gift in December!

Pick dandelions on an early spring morning, when the flowers are in full blossom and the heads just starting to open; never harvest dandelions from a yard that’s been sprayed with chemicals/pesticides.

This Pink Dandelion Wine recipe makes about three ⅘-quart (“fifth”) wine bottles.

Vuk Saric/shutterstock

Ingredients

2 quarts of dandelion petals (stem and green collar of each flower removed)

2 quarts of boiling water

3 lemons

3 1/2 cups sugar

10 oz package of frozen sweetened red rasperries

1 yeast cake

cheesecloth

1 one-gallon jar (stoneware jar works best)

3 one quart wine bottles with screw-on caps

Instructions

Pick the dandelions, snip off the stem and green collar and rinse in cool water. Place petals in the clean one-gallon jar and pour the boiling water over them.

Let stand overnight.

In the morning, strain the liquid through cheesecloth (or tea towel), being sure to squeeze the flowers to remove all the juice. Combine dandelion juice with strained juice of lemons. Add juice to frozen raspberries and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, clean the jar with soapy water and dry out. Pour mixture back into jar, cooling to lukewarm temperature.

Add yeast. Stir until yeast dissolves, cover the jar, and let mixture ferment for 10 days (with an airlock if possible) or until hissing subsides.

Using a double layer of cheesecloth, strain the liquid into a cider jug and let stand for 3 days.

Strain liquid again and place into quart wine bottles with screw-on caps (or swing-top bottles), but DO NOT tighten the caps. Let the wine stand for 24 hours to reduce the chance of a fizzy explosion.

Seal the bottles and leave for at least six months before drinking.

Enjoy!

(The final concoction should be drunk ice cold.)

Preparation Method

Other

Course

Other

Source

Old Farmer's Almanac

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Reader Comments

Diff wines

Interesting article. I've made several fruit wines had 18 5-gal carboys going at once. Used wine yeats from a local deaker and the carboys had air traps so no air gets to the wine. Sterilize everything. Having that many carboys going at once produced some amazing smells in the house. Have to rack them off at various times. I've made Dandelion, Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Apple, Choke Cherry, Apple-Blueberry, Elderberry (the skins and seeds are something, tough) , Concord Grape and combined various liquids . There are some good how-to-do wine books available. Also your local wine supply store can give good info and supplies needed. It was fun both in collecting the fruits and making the wine. Expect at the most 10% alcohol. I collected many bottles (no cost) and filled them. .Could turn into an interesting hobby. Did his several years. Gave many bottles away. Blueberry wine and blue cheese on crackers is great.

Stoneware Jar

Can you recommend a stoneware jar?

Dandelion wine

I’m having a hard time locating a “yeast cake” what is the substitute for that?

how to substitute for a yeast cake

Hi, Malinda. Good question. And we have your answer…on our common substitions page.

I am new to this, and I was

I am new to this, and I was wondering if I can make half of this recipe, or if that is not a good idea? Also, I have been unable to find a yeast cake at any of our local grocery stores and wondering if there is any substitution?

Hi, Rachel! Welcome!

We always recommend when trying a new recipe to follow it to a T the first time. You can find substitutions for common ingredients (such as a yeast cake) in our handy chart: http://www.almanac.com/content/common-ingredient-substitutions .

Dandelion Wine Reminder

As with any kind of fermentation process, make sure all equipment is sanitized. Making my first batch right now. Six days in, and batch #1 is still bubbling. It will be interesting to taste end product. The juice, going in, was scrumptious. It will be difficult to wait until December.