Dandelion wine recipe

[Michael Stuart]

 

Dandelion Wine

Recipe supplied by David Young

 

This is a traditional Dandelion wine recipe. Pick the flowers at Midday when the sun is shining so that the flowers are fully open. Traditionally picked on St George's day (April 23rd), this is the ultimate, old fashioned, homemade wine.

 

Equipment:

 

Brewing Bin + Lid, Demijohn, Airlock, Syphon, Steriliser, Bottles

A large pan (big enough to boil 4.5 litres of water)

Strainer, Muslin.

 

Ingredients:

 

3 - 4 Pints of dandelion flowers

1.2kg granulated sugar

3 Oranges

1 Gallon Water

Brewing yeast (for white wine)

 

Instructions

 

Sanitise and rinse all equipment.

 

1. Bring the water to the boil

2. Remove as much green material from the flowers as possible and place in the fermenter

3. Pour the water over the flowers and cover with a cloth and leave to steep for 48 hrs. Do not exceed this time.

4. Pour the mixture back into a pot and bring to the boil.

5. Add peelings from the oranges (be careful not to add any white pith as this will make the wine bitter).

6. Stain through muslin into the fermenter (brewing bin) and add the juice from the oranges and dissolve the sugar, allow to cool.

7. Once cooled add the yeast.

8. Pour into a demi-john and add an airlock.

9. Allow to ferment until no more bubbles come through the airlock. Transfer into a container, wash out the demi-john and sterilise, then put wine back into the clean demi-john. Refit the airlock and leave until the wine clears.

10. Transfer to sterilised bottles and seal.

 

Leave for 6 months before tasting. It will improve vastly in after a year.

 

If you prefer your wine a bit sweeter then add another 250g of sugar.