Vegan Dandelion Honey – Syrup
Interesting but delicious! I have never been a honey fan! Sure, I will drizzle maple syrup on my pancakes, or make flapjack cookies with golden syrup, but honey has never been my thing! Why then, would I decide to make vegan dandelion honey syrup? Well, I wanted to see how it was! Does it taste like honey (I have a honey fanatic in my house)! What do steeped dandelions taste like (eating them on a salad is a bit weird for me)! I also wanted to see if it took as long as all the other recipes I have seen! It doesn’t! You can make this delicious vegan dandelion honey – syrup in a morning, then drizzle it on your ice-cream in the afternoon! Why have I named it honey – syrup instead of just honey? Well, as the aforementioned honey fan pointed out – only bees can make honey!
The Honey – Syrup Recipe
Dandelions
Obviously as this is Dandelion honey – syrup, the main ingredient will be Dandelion flowers. Now, several points here. Dandelions are one of the first flowers to appear in the Spring (in the UK). As there are not many other flowers about, the bees need these flowers! Later on (around June time in the UK) when there are plenty of other flowers around, then picking Dandelions is okay!
Secondly, ideally you want to pick flowers from your garden, or the middle of a field – as far away from any polluting vehicle fumes as possible. Thirdly, you want to pick the flowers on a sunny day! If you watch the flowers, they will open out in the sun and show their yellow petals! On an a dull day, the dandelions will remain tightly closed and you will just see green at the top of the stalk! Lastly, gently flick each flower before picking as this makes it easier to get less insects in your collection!
Insects?
Yes, there will be insects as of course, they love flowers! There are several ways you can get rid of them. First, as aforementioned, flick each flower before picking. Second, you can lay the flowers on a paper towel or a tray and wait for the bugs to crawl away. Third, a very time consuming but effective way I found was to hold each flower upside down and twizzle the stalk between your fingers. Lastly, you can just put the flowers in water and hope the bugs all swim to safety! The last option is not always recommended as you ideally want all that Dandelion goodness in your honey – syrup!
Other ingredients
You will also need sugar… quite a lot! White sugar will give a clearer honey – syrup, brown sugar will give a richer taste and a deeper colour. If you wish, you can add other edible flowers – I would suggest lavender or rose (or other edible fragrant species if you are certain they are edible)! Lemon is also needed, although you can also use orange or lime, and water.
A sweet, sticky syrup made from fresh dandelion flower heads.
- 60-100 flower heads of dandelion (we had 20g in total)
- 3 slices fresh lemon (can sub orange or lime slices)
- 650 ml water
- 300 g sugar
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Pick the dandelion flower heads when they are open (on a sunny day)! Turn the heads upside down and leave for the insects to crawl out! You can also twizzle the flower heads upside down between your fingers to help get them out. Remove the heads and set the creatures free. Repeat! Some of them just want to stay home! When you are sure your flowers are creature free, move to the next stage. You can rinse the petals briefly, but I would weigh them first!
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Put the dandelion heads in a saucepan along with any other flower heads, add the lemon slices and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, squash the lemon slices to release their juices, then simmer for 20 minutes.
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Strain the mixture through a sieve and remeasure the liquid. Ideally you want around 500-520ml. Put this back in the saucepan (rinse the saucepan first) and add the sugar.
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Bring to the boil then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30-90 minutes checking frequently. You can bring it back to the boil once or twice if you are standing watching it, then reduce the heat again. You should gradually see the liquid reducing, and the honey – syrup getting thicker. The syrup will thicken on standing, so it is up to your judgement to notice when the syrup starts to thicken (hence the wide variation in cooking time)! Also, you may like a very runny honey for easier pouring, so 30 minutes might suffice. We cooked ours for 75 minutes and it is reasonably thick.
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Sterilse a clean 300ml jar by slowly adding boiling water, then set in a cool oven upside down to dry.
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Pour the warm honey – syrup into the jar and seal.
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Enjoy!
Dandelion water after first stage of cooking and Dandelion honey at heating stage.
What do I need?
For this recipe you need a good saucepan and utensil which can withstand hot temperatures. You also need a jar to store the honey in – re-use one you already have, or a get yourself a nice kilner style one. If you are going full fancy, how about a honey spoon for easy drizzling? We do receive a small commission if you click and purchase through these links.
What to eat with your honey – syrup
Well, where to start! First… I would try eating it off a spoon (or a finger)! Then once you know its taste add it to everything! Drizzle it on your porridge or overnight oats. Stir it into your yogurt, smoothies or coconut whipped cream. Spread it on toast, or on fresh crusty bread and butter! Spoon it into your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Add it to cake batters, cookies and cheesecakes instead of maple syrup. You know, you could even use it to coat your tofu with some spices or make a sticky glaze for carrots or sprouting broccoli!
Storing
So long as you have used a clean and sterile jar, with a clean lid and use a clean dry utensil every time you use it, this should keep for at least 6 months! Just pop it in the cupboard (or on a shelf where you can see it)! You can of course use smaller jars when you first make it if you are worried about it’s life… it will store longer unopened if sealed properly!
Sharing
I’m sharing this Dandelion Honey-Syrup over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday this week. It’s fantastic to see what people all over the world are making, baking, sharing and have a virtual chat with old and new friends! ? If you’re sharing something, remember to link up with the Fiesta and with the co-hosts – this week it’s the lovely Mollie @ Frugal Hausfrau
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Leave us a comment below if you love the idea of this dandelion honey – syrup! Let us know what you are drizzling yours on!
Speak soon
Laurena x