Dandelion jelly is an amazing and easy way to use up and share common lawn weeds and wildflowers – make it even more special and flavorful by infusing lavender.
UPDATE 2024: There has been some concern over dandelion jelly (and other flower jellies) with the University of Wisconsin pulling their canned dandelion jelly recipe instructions. Other extensions have done the same. At this time, we only recommend freezing dandelion and other flower jellies.
This easy preserve starts off like most flower jellies with an herbal tea meaning this lavender dandelion jelly recipe is rather no fuss in that you just need to boil some water to get started.
Only the Petals
In order to get the most sweet and honey-like flavor, use only the dandelion petals for making dandelion jam.
This does mean, that you have to pick the whole flower from the plant, then snip the yellow petals into a bowl. A few bits of green won’t hurt but do get mostly just the yellow petals.
Snip those petals into a cheesecloth lined fine mesh sieve and give them a good rinse to remove dirt and other debris before moving on to making the tea.
Admittedly, snipping those petals can be a bit fussy and more time consuming than the rest of the jelly making process. It’s for that reason that a small batch is most ideal.
If you have an abundance of dandelions, you might also want to make a dandelion tincture with the roots.
Low Acid Herbal Tea
Because this jelly does start with an infusion of dandelion petals and dried lavender it is extremely low acid. To make it a high acid food, safe for water bath canning, there is a lot of added sugar.
Do not be tempted to reduce the sugar in this recipe – it simply wouldn’t be safe.
Plan Ahead
The longer the flowers infuse the stronger the flavor, so plan ahead. Start the herbal tea today, finish the jelly tomorrow. All of the various steps are relatively quick and easy and the infusion time is hands-off but do allow it to at least sit overnight.
Small Batch
The recipe as written makes just 2 half pint jars and one 4 ounce jar. That’s not very much jelly admittedly. However, depending on dandelion availability and tolerance for snipping that might just be enough.
You could do it all in 4 ounce jars. Which would make a slightly larger batch and make a nice size for giving away as part of gift baskets and more.
You can double this recipe with success. I tested it with the Ball Classic Flex Pectin (which comes in a bottle for easy measuring, not the old box style pectin).
What Does Lavender Dandelion Jelly Taste Like?
If you’ve never made a flower jelly before, you might be wondering whether dandelion and lavender actually taste good together — and the answer is absolutely yes. This jelly has a delicate, golden color and a flavor that’s best described as floral honey with a gentle herbal note from the lavender. It’s mild and sweet, not perfumey or overwhelming, and the lavender adds just enough complexity to make it feel special.
The dandelion on its own tastes surprisingly honeyed — which is why dandelion jelly is often compared to honey by people tasting it for the first time. The lavender rounds that out beautifully without taking over.
Ways to Use Lavender Dandelion Jelly
This jelly is more versatile than you might expect. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it:
On toast or biscuits. The classic. The floral flavor pairs especially well with a simple buttered biscuit or a slice of crusty sourdough.
With a cheese board. Lavender dandelion jelly is lovely alongside soft cheeses like brie or goat cheese. It makes a beautiful and unexpected addition to a spring cheese board.
Stirred into yogurt or oatmeal. A spoonful stirred into plain yogurt or morning oatmeal adds a floral sweetness that feels a little fancy for very little effort.
As a glaze. Brush it over roasted chicken or pork in the last few minutes of cooking for a subtle floral glaze that’s surprisingly good.
As a gift. The small batch size and beautiful golden color make this one of the best homemade gifts you can give. A few 4-ounce jars tied with ribbon are a perfect spring or hostess gift.
On a peanut butter sandwich. As the recipe card says — don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The floral sweetness against peanut butter is genuinely delicious.
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Lavender Dandelion Jelly
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Put the lavender buds and dandelion petals into a heat safe bowl.
- Pour the 2 cups boiling water over the flowers. Let cool to room temperature.
- Place the cooled container into the refrigerator and allow to infuse at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
- Prepare jars, lids, and rings by washing in hot soapy water and setting aside.
- Strain the flower petals from the liquid. Squeeze as much of the liquid out of the flowers as possible.
- Measure the sugar and have ready next to stove.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of the lavender dandelion infusion into a wide sauce pot.
- Add the lemon juice and whisk in the pectin until thoroughly combined and there are no lumps.
- Put the sauce pot over high heat and stir constantly until it comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
- Add the sugar all at once to the boiling mixture. Stirring constantly bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, skim off foam.
- Pour into prepared canning jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Put the lids and rings on the jars and put the jars in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled, they can be moved to the freezer for longer storage.
Nutrition
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Other flower jelly
Dandelion and lavender aren’t the only flowers that make a fantastic jelly, any edible flower can be made into a flower jelly. Here is a step by step guide to make flower jellies plus some tried and true flower jelly recipes.
If you love flower jellies, our honeysuckle jelly is another spring favorite worth making