Dandelions bloom in our area towards the end of April. All of the parts of the dandelion are edible and one of our favorite recipes is to collect the flowers to make honey.
This recipe involves steeping the petals in water and then cooking the strained liquid with sugar to make a syrup. Although the cooking process is not suitable for toddlers, collecting the dandelions and plucking the petals more than make up for it.
My favourite part is sitting together on the grass while we pluck the petals from the flower heads. Henry (two and a half) wanders in and out of the activity as he pleases. Now that Oliver is older (four and a half) he stays for longer and we chat away as we work.
Dandelions are best collected on a warm day. It is important to avoid collecting from roadsides or fields that have been sprayed.
This recipe is based on this one from Betty Bossi and makes approximately 500 millilitres.
Ingredients
- 70 grams dandelion flower heads (about 45 grams of petals)
- 500 millilitres water
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Sugar, approximately 300 grams
Method
- Pluck the petals from the flower head. This step takes some patience. I found it a little quicker to pinch all of the petals together in one hand and peeling the green part of the flower off with the other.
- In a fine sieve wash the petals thoroughly. Toddlers can get in and do this part. I place the bowl of petals on one side of the sink, the sieve in the sink, and the pot on the other side and let them work in batches from one side to the other. Some petals will get lost in the process, that is ok. The quantities do not need to be exact.
- In a medium pan combine the petals and water and bring to a boil. I place everything on a low bench and let the kids combine it all together and stir. I then transfer it to the cooktop.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes then let the flowers sit in the water overnight.
- Using a fine sieve or muslin cloth strain the liquid into a measuring jug. There should be approximately 300 milliliters. If not, that is ok the amount of sugar will be adjusted in the next step.
- Add the same amount of sugar as there is liquid. For example, add 300 grams of sugar for 300 milliliters of liquid.
- Add the lemon juice and bring to a very gentle simmer for one to two hours until the desired consistency is reached. Don’t stir it or crystals are more likely to form. To test the consistency, drop a small amount on a plate and test once cool.
- Pour the hot liquid into a clean jar and close. Store in a cool place for up to 6 months.
Recipe notes
- The mixture should just barely simmer. If it is cooked over high heat it may crystalise in the jar after cooling.
- It can be difficult to get it to the right consistency without it cristalising. I recommend starting with a small quantity.
- The cooking time can range from half an hour to two hours depending on the quantity and the temperature it is cooked at.
- The final quantity depends on the cooking duration and temperature. I ended up with approximately 500 millilitres.
- The recipe can be halved to make the process faster.
- The recipe can be made using the whole flower heads including the bracts however, the result has a very slightly bitter taste.
Dandelion anatomy
Pulling each of the florets off the flower head is the perfect opportunity to use the correct language for the different parts of the flower. Toddlers don’t need a lesson in the parts of the flower but when the correct language is used in natural conversation they are exposed to a rich and varied vocabulary and will take it all in effortlessly.
The dandelion flower is actually a flower head made up of many small flowers called florets.
At the very base of each floret is the developing seed, above it, a short stem, followed by a tube containing the nectar and then the corolla or petals. What looks like one large petal is actually many petals fused together. If you look closely you will be able to see five tiny teeth right at the tip indicating each petal. Emerging from the tube is the stigma covered in pollen.
Surrounding the base of the tube are many white fibers. These will later form the little parachutes or pappi (singular pappus) of the white ball.
Surrounding each flower head are green bracts. The bracts pointing upwards close back around the flower head in the night time and then once more before the mature flower opens into a white ball.
The bracts pointing downwards protect the flower head from insects crawling up the stem.
Once all of the florets are removed you are left with the bowl-like receptacle. This will turn convex when the seed head opens allowing the seeds attached to their parachutes to disperse.
Toddlers might enjoy recognising that the leaves are shaped like lions’ teeth. The name dandelion is related to the French dent-de-lion or literally “lion’s tooth”.
