Dandelion... jelly?

To the Dandelion
Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way,
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold,
First pledge of blithesome May,
Which children pluck, and, full of pride, uphold,
High-hearted buccaneers, o'erjoyed that they
An Eldorado in the grass have found,
Which not the rich earth's ample round
May match in wealth, thou art more dear to me
Than all the prouder summer-blooms may be.
- James Russell Lowell [1819-1891]

Every spring and summer, my sons come to me almost every day with bouquets of dandelions. To me, they're as fine as any long-stemmed rose or orchid from a florist's shop.

How could I call something so precious a "weed?"

Well, here's a way you can put a "plague" of dandelions to use. Make jelly!

This jelly is not hard to make, it looks just as sunny and delightful as the blossom, and it tastes like honey. It's really fantastic on biscuits in the morning.

And if you're itching to try out your canning skills, making dandelion jelly is an easy way to get the season started. (Read my primer on canning and jellymaking if you are a beginner or it's been a while since you've canned anything.)

Let's get started!

DANDELION JELLY

• 4 cups tightly packed fresh dandelion flowers (use only the yellow parts - discard all green)
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 5 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce) package powdered pectin (like Sure-Jell)
• 1 tsp. butter or margarine (optional, to reduce foaming)
  

Pick a big bowl full of dandelions. With scissors, cut off the yellow petals and reserve. Discard all green parts, which will make the jelly bitter.

Wash and sterilize 7 half-pint canning jars and rings. Keep jars in hot water to have ready for canning. Wash and rinse lids and keep in a saucepan of simmering water (DO NOT BOIL). Prepare boiling water canner for canning.

In a large saucepan, boil the flower petals in 2 quarts of water for 10 minutes. Cool, and strain through a damp jelly bag, cheesecloth, or damp flour sack towel (what I use) into a bowl. Try not to squeeze the cloth - it will make your jelly cloudy. Measure 3 cups of dandelion "juice."

Pour juice in a large pot. Add lemon juice and stir in powdered pectin. Add butter or margarine, if desired to reduce foaming. Bring to a full, rolling boil.

Stir in sugar. Stirring constantly, return to boil and boil hard for 1 1/2 minutes, or until mixture sheets from a wooden spoon.

Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Ladle hot jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Place lids on jars and screw on rings.

Place jars in boiling water canner and process 5 minutes, or as adjusted for your altitude.

Don't be tempted to add yellow food coloring to this jelly - it'll turn it a weird neon yellow color, not at all natural looking.

Also, don't be afraid when you make the juice for this recipe. The petals will turn brown and the juice will be sort of brown. When you add the lemon juice, and especially after you add the sugar, it'll clear up and turn that sunny yellow that you're looking for.