spqr posted: " In North America, dandelions are considered weeds, but they are actually one of the more interesting foraged plants, with every part of the plant able to be eaten. In Europe dandelion flowers are often turned into Löwenzahnhonig, or dandelion honey. The "
In North America, dandelions are considered weeds, but they are actually one of the more interesting foraged plants, with every part of the plant able to be eaten. In Europe dandelion flowers are often turned into Löwenzahnhonig, or dandelion honey. The name dandelion comes from the French, dent de lion, or lion's tooth, and the same goes for the German Löwenzahn.
Dandelion honey has an amber-like colour, and a consistency like maple syrup.
Of course this is not really a honey, but more of an infusion of dandelion flowers in water, to which sugar is added and the mixture is simmered until it has the consistency of honey. Although there are few old recipes for Löwenzahnhonig, it has likely been made for generations, possibly appearing during the 19th century. Prior to the 1800s, most sugar came from sugar cane in the West Indies, making it prohibitively expensive for the average European. With the English blockade of Europe during the Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon encouraged the planting of sugar beets. By 1850 sugar beets had become an established source of sugar, making it accessible to the masses.
In many recipes honey began to be replaced with sugar, and as sugar became cheaper, honey became more expensive. In order to obtain a cheap spread, thickened sugar syrups were flavoured with various plants. There aren't too many historic recipes for dandelion honey, probably because it was cooked most commonly by peasants. My mother remembers growing up in Switzerland during the 1940s, and eating Kunsthonig, or artificial honey, likely because it was cheap. This was not of course made of dandelions, but rather a solid made of inverted sugar. This artificial honey was already available in Switzerland in 1880, but more of a glucose syrup or a mixture of syrup and honey. Golden syrup has a similar composition, but does not taste like honey.
I N G R E D I E N T S
40g dandelion petals 400ml water 2-3 slices of lemon sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice
Making dandelion honey is a little bit time consuming - from harvesting the flowers, to extracting the petals, and simmering down the final product. Rinse the flowers with cold water. The best time to make dandelion honey is early spring. The flowers are most aromatic when they are open on a sunny morning. The real trick is collecting dandelions - avoid areas that could be sprayed, and opt instead for low traffic areas, where you can guarantee the flowers are somewhat organic. Some people use the whole flowers, but the green parts can sometimes add a level of bitterness to the honey. Instead remove just the petals. This can seem hard, but the easiest way is to pinch the base of the flower (the green part), and literally squeeze out the petals.
The extracted flower petals.
Put the plucked flower petals in a saucepan with the water, and lemon slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, and allowed to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the mixture from the stove, and allow to steep for 10-12 hours. The next day filter the mixture through a very fine mesh, or cheesecloth.
The steeping phase.
Pour liquid into a saucepan and add the same weight in sugar, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Simmer on low heat for 90-120 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. The liquid will reduce over time, and its colour will gradually change - from pale yellow to a dark wildflower honey colour.
The liquid after straining.
Use sterilized jars to fill the "honey". Be careful not to pour the dandelion honey into glasses that are wet or too cool. Otherwise the "honey" crystallizes. So use well-dried glasses. Protect the "honey" from too much light, heat and cold. Store it in the pantry or pantry. It can be kept there for about a year.
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