Dandelions are a common wildflower in New England.  Although native to Europe, they have spread nearly worldwide.  Common dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) have bright yellow flowers 1 to 2 inches wide on top of hollow stalks, which extrude a milky latex-like liquid when broken.  The stalk is surrounded by a ring of basal leaves that are variously cleft and lobed.  While many home owners consider them unwelcome in their lawns, other seek them out as an early season wild edible.

Due to their abundance, and the ease at which most people can identify them, dandelions make an easy introduction into foraging.  In addition, dandelions are quite healthy to eat, as they are high in vitamin A and C, and also contain vitamins B and D, potassium, iron and other healthy minerals. The leaves are edible, but are most palatable in the early spring when they are new and tender, before the flowers have bloomed. As the plant matures, the leaves become more bitter.  The new leaves can be used raw in salads, but can also be cooked as a potherb, which can eliminate some of the bitterness.  The flower buds, before they have bloomed, are also edible.  While we were picking fully-opened dandelion blossoms for dandelion wine (described below), we also collected a cup or two of unopened dandelion buds to add to a stir-fry we had for dinner that night.

The bright yellow petals can also be harvested and utilized in various ways. I have seen various blossom recipes, including dandelion cookies, but we chose to try our hand at making dandelion wine. Because the green calyx (lower part of the flower) will impart an unpleasant bitter taste to the wine (or cookies), the petals must be separated from the base.  Most recipes call for approximately 6 cups of dandelion petals. I thought I had picked plenty, but alas, after removing all the calyxes, I was left with only 4 cups of yellow petals. My original pile seemed like a lot, but the petals have a lot less volume than the entire flower. I mention this only as a note to anyone who would like to try to make their own dandelion wine: you’re going to need a lot of flowers.

When I originally went looking for a dandelion wine recipe, I was overwhelmed by the number of different recipes, ingredients and methods people used. Many called for grapes, raisins, other fruits or juice to give the wine added body and flavor, but since this was my first time making it, I wanted to know what the dandelion wine would taste like without a lot of added filler. So, I cobbled together the basics from a handful of recipes, removed most of the extras, and adjusted for a slightly reduced volume of petals. Here’s the recipe we followed:

Ingredients:

• 1 quart (4 cups) of dandelion petals (calyxes removed)
• 1/2 gallon (8 cups) of water
• 1 lb (2 cups) of sugar
• 1 lemon
• 1 packet of yeast (~2.5 tsp)

Directions:

1. Bring the 1/2 gallon of water to a boil.
2. Place the petals in a large bowl or container (I used a large plastic bowl), and pour the boiling water over them. Cover and let steep for 48 hours.
3. Strain the flower liquid into a large pot (discard the petals), add the sugar and the zest of the lemon and boil for 30 minutes uncovered.
4. Allow to cool, then add a sliced lemon and the packet of yeast.
5. Cover with a towel (or other material that will allow gas exchange) and wait for the bubbling to stop. This will likely take a week or two. Ours bubbled for 12 days.
6. Strain and bottle.
7. Enjoy

Note: Dandelions – or any other wild-harvested plant, for that matter – should never been harvested from a lawn or area where weed killer has been applied.