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jars of dandelion jelly on a blue check napkin
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Dandelion Jelly Lower Sugar

Fresh sweet jelly made from dandelions picked in your own backyard.
Course Treats,Desserts
Cuisine American
Keyword dandelion,jelly,spread
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling and setting time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 64 ounces
Calories 48kcal

Equipment

  • 8 ½ pint jelly jars and lids (this will vary, depending on how much liquid you squeeze from the dandelions)
  • Water Bath Canner
  • Canning funnel
  • Canning Tongs

Ingredients

  • 4 cups dandelion flowers (loosely packed)
  • 4 cups boiling water
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1  box powdered pectin (low sugar variety) Sure Jell makes it.

Instructions

  • First you will need to make a dandelion tea. Rinse dandelion petals thoroughly. Make sure all green is removed.
  •  Place flowers in a large container, such as a glass jar.
  • Pour the boiling water over the flowers and stir lightly to cover. Allow to cool then place in the refrigerator to steep overnight or at least 4 hours.
  • **Read all directions before proceeding so you can time the sterilizing of the jars with the jelly making.
  • Strain the flowers from the liquid, using a cheesecloth, strainer or simply squeeze them with your hands. The cheesecloth will result in a clearer jelly but the strainer works just fine for me.
  • Place the 4 cups of liquid into a large pot. Add the lemon juice and pectin and stir. Bring the liquid to a boil. Stir in the sugar and allow the mixture to return to a boil and boil for 2 minutes while stirring.
  • Immediately ladle the mixture into the hot jars. Fill to about ¼ inch of the tops to allow expansion. Wipe any drips from the rims of the jars. Place flat parts of the lids on the tops of the jars. Screw on the rings of the lids by hand.
  • Place jars into your canning pot. You may need to remove a bit of the water first then add back in after the jars are in the pot. Again, make sure the water is at least an inch above the jar tops. Cover with the pot lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and remove the jars to cool.Allow to cool on the counter overnight to set up.

How to Sterilize Canning Jars

  •  Place your jars and lids in a canning pot with a rack in the bottom. If you don't have a canning pot, you can turn a round cake pan or tart pan upside down in the bottom of a large, deep pot. It is important to have something for the jars to sit on so they don't get too hot on the bottom and burst. Cover the jars with hot water, allowing the jars to fill with the water. Water should come to about 1 inch over the top of the jars. Place lid on pot and bring to a simmer and heat for 10 minutes. Remove jars making sure the water is drained out of them.  Dry the rings and discs. Ideally,you want to time this so you are removing the jars from the pot at about the same time as the jelly is ready to pore in so the jars will be still hot. Otherwise, the hot jelly could cause the jars to break if they are too cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 2ounces | Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.002g | Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 0.1mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.001g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 0.03IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 0.2mg | Iron: 0.01mg