Any excuse to leave the weeding until later!   Let those dandelions grow, flower, and harvest before they go to seed.

Dandelion Jelly

• Ingredients:
  1 litre Dandelion flowers (bright and fresh - pack a 1 litre jug quite tightly with fresh, bright blossoms
  750 ml water
  juice of 1 fresh lemon
  1 packet of powdered fruit pectin
  1.25 kg sugar
• Rinse blossom quickly in cold water to remove any insects or dust - don't be too rough with them though!   Cut off the stem and green base of each flower, so you only have petals - and the more you have, the better the flavour and colour.
• Simmer the petals in water for up to 10 minutes, until the water takes on their colour and flavour; you may have to add the petals in batches.
• Cool and strain through a jelly bag; extract all of the dandelion juice; you should have 750 ml of liquid - if necessary add a little water.
• Add the lemon juice and pectin, bring to a boil, and add the sugar, mixing well.   Bring to a trong rolling boil, until setting point is reached (I follow the instructions on the pectin packet - about two and a half minutes).
• Pour into hot sterilized jars and cover.

Dandelion Wine

• Pick 4 pints of fully open dandelion flowers and wash.   Put them in a larage bucket and cover with 8 pints of boiling water.   Cover with muslin and let it stand for 3 days, stirring each day.
• On the 4th day, squeeze the flowers into the liquid and throw them away.   Add 3 lbs sugar, the chopped rinds of 3 lemons and 3 oranges.   Boil mixture for 30 minutes and strain through muslin.
• When cool, add the juice of the oranges and 1 oz wine yeast.   Cover again, and leave to stand for about 3 weeks.
• Filter when bubbling has stopped, and pour into wine bottles.   Cork them lightly - push corks in firmly when fermentation has finished.

Dandelion Coffee

Must you?   No, I haven't tried it - nor after spending three of the happiest years of my life in Yemen, the land of mocha, would I dream of doing so.   But . . . if you must, here's how to do it.

Wash the roots and allow them to dry in the sun.   Roast in the oven until they are dry and crisp, grind and use in the "normal" way.