Dandelion Wine

Makes 3 gallons

An unusual wine, but quite delicious.

Make sure to use dandelion blossoms and not cat’s ear. Cat’s ear has fuzzy leaves and blooms in the summer. Dandelions bloom in the spring, usually from March through April.

Pick the dandelion blossoms. You may pick dandelion blossoms ahead of time and freeze them until you have collected the amount required. Only pick blossoms from areas that have not been treated with chemicals or pesticides. Remove all stems and most of the green parts as they make the wine bitter. Take a pair of scissors and cut that part off or break it with your hands. See Directions for preparing the dandelions.

2¼ gallons dandelion blossoms.

3 gallons boiling water

7½ pounds granulated sugar

1 lemon sliced with peel, or 2 teaspoons of citric acid or acid blend

Yeast nutrient* (follow directions on package for amount.)

Yeast mix (can be made up to 12 hours in advance)

1 cup water

1 package wine yeast

(Recommended Yeasts: Cote Des Blanc or Lalvin K1-V1116)

1 teaspoon sugar

Gather the dandelion blossoms and prepare them, or take them from the freezer and allow to thaw to room temperature.

Prepare the yeast mixture. In a small bowl or jar with a lid, warm the water to 75° - 80° Fahrenheit. Stir in the teaspoon of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes to hydrate. Then mix in the yeast and let sit covered at room temperature until you are ready to use them.

Put the water on to boil.

Clean and sanitize your primary fermentation vessel with a small amount of Nutrabiotic™ Solution or other sanitizer (¼ cup of chlorine bleach in 1 quart water) and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse well with hot water.

Put the blossoms into the primary fermentation vessel. Pour boiling water over the blossoms. Stir in the sugar and sliced lemon. (If using citric acid or acid blend, wait until must is cooled before adding the citric acid. Cover with a cloth cover and secure with a large rubber band, string, or elastic. Loosely set a solid cover over the container to prevent dust, spills, etc. from getting into the container.

When the must has cooled to room temperature, remove the cover and add the yeast nutrient and the yeast. Cover the container again. Put the container in a spot that has a fairly consistent temperature range of 70° F to 75° F. Let the mixture ferment for about a week. Stir daily with a clean spoon for at least the first 4 days. It is ready to strain when the must is no longer actively bubbling, approximately 7 to 10 days.

Sanitize a three-gallon carboy or 3 one-gallon glass jugs. Strain the wine into the container(s).

Top each jug opening with a cork/ plug and air lock. This will allow fermentation gasses to get out without letting mold or wild yeasts, etc. into ruin your wine .

The fermentation is complete when there are no more bubbles in the air lock. This can take from 3 to 6 months. If a thick sediment (lees) precipitates to the bottom of the jug, rack off the wine to another sanitized glass jug and reinstall the airlock .

Taste the wine . Is it to tart? Add more sugar and continue fermentation until the bubbling ceases. Too sweet? Go to the next step and allow the wine to age for a few months. Keep trying it.

From here, you can either bottle your wine in smaller bottles (750 ml wine bottles) or sanitize the caps for your 1-gallon containers and cap for a mellowing period. Remember to taste your wine periodically, so you know when it is ready. Be patient it can take anywhere from six months to a year to mature.

Updated 10 September 2006