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Pink Dandelion Wine

Pink Dandelion Wine
Image Credit:
Searra Liggett
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Category
Beverages
Course
Other
Preparation Method
Other
Sources
Old Farmer's Almanac

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 are 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 4/5-quart (“fifth”) wine bottles.

Find more nutritious and delicious recipes with dandelions!

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

  1. Pick the dandelions, snip off the stem and green collar, and rinse in cool water. Place the petals in the clean one-gallon jar and pour the boiling water over them.
  2. Let stand overnight.
  3. 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 the strained juice of lemons. Add juice to frozen raspberries and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, then gently simmer for 20 minutes.
  4. In the meantime, clean the jar with soapy water and dry it out. Pour mixture back into jar, cooling to lukewarm temperature.
  5. Add yeast. Stir until yeast dissolves, cover the jar, and let the mixture ferment for 10 days (with an airlock if possible) or until hissing subsides.
  6. Using a double layer of cheesecloth, strain the liquid into a cider jug and let stand for 3 days.
  7. Strain the liquid again and place it 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.
  8. Seal the bottles and leave for at least six months before drinking.

Enjoy! 

(The final concoction should be drunk ice cold.)

 

About The Author

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...

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