Dandelion Wine

I'm excited to report that one of my roommates is brewing some dandelion wine! I'm likely to make some myself, this weekend, since our lawn is a deliciously wild blend of nettles, dandelions, and overgrown grass! Eventually, (sooner, rather then later,) I'm gonna dig the whole yard up and plant tons of veggies, but for now, I'm gonna utilize the dandelions! The greens I'll eat in salad, the heads become: Dandelion Wine (1)

* 3 qts dandelion flowers
* 1 lb golden raisins
* 1 gallon water
* 3 lbs granulated sugar
* 2 lemons
* 1 orange
* yeast and nutrient

Pick the flowers just before starting, so they're fresh. You do not need to pick the petals off the flower heads, but the heads should be trimmed of any stalk. Put the flowers in a large bowl. Set aside 1 pint of water and bring the remainder to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the dandelion flowers and cover tightly with cloth or plastic wrap. Leave for two days, stirring twice daily. Do not exceed this time. Pour flowers and water in large pot and bring to a low boil. Add the sugar and the peels (peel thinly and avoid any of the white pith) of the lemons and orange. Boil for one hour, then pour into a crock or plastic pail. Add the juice and pulp of the lemons and orange. Allow to stand until cool (70-75 degrees F.). Add yeast and yeast nutrient, cover, and put in a warm place for three days. Strain and pour into a secondary fermentation vessel (bottle or jug). Add the raisins and fit a fermentation trap to the vessel. Strain and rack after wine clears, adding reserved pint of water and any additional required to top up. Leave until fermentation ceases completely, then rack again. Set aside 2 months and rack and bottle. This wine must age six months in the bottle before tasting, but will improve remarkably if allowed a year.

Bookmark/Search this post with:

 •    •    •    •    •    •    •