Löwenzahnhonig
Put all those pesky dandelions to use, by making this sweet, summery dandelion honey.
The name dandelion comes from the French, dent de lion, lion’s tooth, and the same goes for the German Löwenzahn, though in Swiss dialect these are also sometimes called Söiblueme.
It was Globi, Switzerland’s very own cartoon mascot, who inspired this honey.
Created by Robert Lips in 1932 as part of an add for Globus, one of Switzerland’s biggest department stores, Globi subsequently went on to star in numerous comics, books and even a film.
In German-speaking Switzerland he is still beloved—my daughter received a Globi book last Christmas, and actually, so did I.
For you see, Globi is also a chef, and his series of cookbooks for kids is extremely useful in the kitchen. Although his book on Swiss cuisine (featuring numerous top Swiss chefs) is my favourite, they are all comprehensive and easy to follow for kids and adults alike.
Globi’s Forest and Meadow Cookbook
Globi’s step by step photos gave me the confidence to attempt dandelion honey. Thanks Globi!
The process is relatively easy, though time consuming—gather the flowers, pick off the yellow petals, boil them and let them sit overnight. The final stage of simmering with sugar involves staying by the stove for a couple of hours, but then it’s a simple strain.
And voila, sunshine in a jar.
I made a smaller batch than Globi, and incorporated his tips with others I read online, like Betty Bossi’s (I prefer the long simmer method over her fast boil—you can see from the comments that it is easy to overcook—and the tip to invert the jars seems unnecessary if you have just sterilized your jars and lids), and a more straightforward version from Migusto.
Spread onto buttered bread or add a teaspoon to salad dressing, for a touch of golden summer.
60 g dandelion petals (from around 150 g dandelions)
600 ml water
half a lemon, sliced
sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Shake the dandelions to get any bugs off the flowers.
Pick off the yellow petals, discarding all the green parts.
Place in a pot with water and the sliced lemons, and bring to a boil.
Let boil for five minutes, then cover the pot and leave overnight to steep.
In the morning, drain the liquid off through cheese cloth. Measure into a pot, then add the same amount of sugar and a tbsp of lemon juice. (I had about 500 ml liquid, so added 500 g sugar.)
Bring the liquid to a boil over low heat and keep a a low simmer for about two hours. Do not let it boil.
At around the 90 minute mark, start checking the consistency of the liquid. If it is beginning to look syrupy, then spoon a little onto a cold plate. As soon as it cools into a thick, syrupy consistency, it should be ready to go. Pour into sterilized jars and close immediately.
Makes around 600 ml honey.
Picking off the dandelion petals is time consuming. Apparently the green part of the leaf is bitter, but there are some recipes that just cook the whole head and describe a slight bitterness to the finished product.
If you don’t have 60 g petals, or you have much more, you can simply use ratios to adjust to your amount. Use 10 times the water to make your liquid (if you have 75g petals, use 750 ml water), and then use equal parts sugar to the steeped liquid.
You can sterilize your jars and lids in the dishwasher, or rinse them with boiling water.
The honey should keep in a cool, dark place for several months.
More flowers?
Holunderblütensirup
