Best Dandelion Wine Recipe

Dandelion Wine Benefits

Some health benefits to drinking dandelion wine include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, gastrointestinal health, anti-cancer, antibacterial, probiotic, hypoglycemic, and anti-artherosclerotic effects. Ancient folklore medicines have used dandelions to treat chronic inflammatory diseases like arthritis, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and liver disorders. Antioxidant studies have shown improvement in arterial wall thickness with regular dandelion extract consumption. Gastrointestinal disorders like dyspepsia, GERD, ulcerative colitis have also been shown to improve with dandelion products. Studies have also shown improvement in colorectal cancer, and a preventative in breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers with regular dandelion root extract consumption. Studies also support dandelion’s antimicrobial effects against many bacteria including E. Coli, Staphylococcus aureus (staph), and group B streptococcus (which can be dangerous in newborns and adults with chronic conditions). Dandelion roots also contain inulin which is a prebiotic that is beneficial to gut health. Triglyceride and cholesterol levels declined in rats after being fed dandelion leaves and dandelion flowers for 4 weeks, indicating that ingesting dandelions can be beneficial in individuals with cardiovascular disease.

You can learn more about the health benefits of dandelions, and how to harness this wild nutrient in this article.

Alcohol Content of Dandelion Wine

This recipe of dandelion wine contains about 18% alcohol. For reference, typical wine contains about 12% alcohol, beer alcohol content usually runs about 5%, and distilled alcohols like rum or brandy usually have about 40%. The alcohol content of homemade wine or homemade mead depends on the type of yeast used. With elevated alcohol levels, the yeast will die and prevent further fermentation, causing the alcohol levels to stop increasing. Bread yeast will tolerate up to 8% ABV, brewer’s yeast will tolerate 8%-12% ABV, while wine and champagne yeast will tolerate up to 18% ABV.

Dandelion Wine Ingredients

Dandelion wine is made from dandelion flower petals, raisins, honey (or sugar), lemons and orange, and yeast. This dandelion wine recipe is set up to make 1 gallon of wine, however, you can click on the 5x box for the 5 gallon dandelion wine recipe version.

• Dandelions: The first thing in dandelion wine making, is to obtain dandelions from an area that is not treated for pests or weeds (avoid the weed killer). The old fashioned way to successfully grow dandelions is to grow them in a garden. In fact, pilgrims brought dandelion seeds with them to America for their garden to grow food, medicine, coffee, and to make wine. Dandelions grow quickly, and are often one of the first crops to produce food. Dandelions are perennial plants, allowing them to return year after year (and they are hardy, so you don’t have to worry about them dying). Dandelion seeds can be sown 6 weeks before the last frost, and can be harvested in 90 days. In zone 5, dandelion seeds can be planted in early April for harvest in July. Established plants can begin to bloom in zone 5 by early May. There are many varieties of dandelions, and if given ample space (10″ x 10″) and water, the leaves can grow lush and delicious while the roots can grow large for next year’s harvest.
• Raisins: Raisins will give the wine body, which means that the flavors will linger on the tongue longer. Raisins also give off a slight caramel taste, a great flavoring additive for dessert wines.
• Honey: Using honey technically makes this recipe a dandelion mead recipe. However, the benefits of using honey instead of sugar are an added hint of wildflower taste, digestive benefits, and avoiding food treated with RoundUp (glyphosate). Sugar beets and sugar cane are sprayed with RoundUp, so substituting honey to make dandelion wine is a great way to avoid added pesticides.
• Lemons: Lemons will not only add flavor, but will help keep the acidity level high enough for the yeast to ferment the dandelion mead. Citrus juices are a great addition for flavor in this recipe.
• Orange: Oranges will also add flavor and maintain the acid level for proper fermentation of the dandelion mead.
• Wine Yeast and Nutrient: Wild yeasts and nutrient levels are too low in dandelion petals to support fermentation into dandelion moonshine. Champagne yeast, wine yeast, and brewers yeast will survive higher alcohol levels than bread yeast.

How to Make Dandelion Wine

1. Prep the dandelions: Homemade dandelion wine is made from the yellow petals of dandelions. The green parts of the dandelion are bitter and need to be removed for this sweet wine. The easiest way to remove the dandelion petals from the green parts is to fold back the greenery, lay the dandelion on its side, and cut the petals with a paring knife from the green base. You can discard the green base of the dandelion, and put the dandelion petals into a bowl. If you do not have enough dandelion petals, you may store them in an airtight container or bag in a freezer until enough dandelions are collected.
2. Make the dandelion tea: Once the dandelion flower petals are prepared for the dandelion mead, it is time to make the dandelion tea. Set aside 1 pint of water, and boil the remaining 7 pints of water. Pour the boiling water over the dandelion flowers, and cover the container tightly with a cloth or plastic wrap. Let the dandelion tea set on the counter for 2 days (no more, no less).
3. Combine remaining ingredients: Bring the dandelion tea and flowers to a low boil. Add lemon and orange peels (avoiding the withe pith), and boil for one hour. Let it cool slightly, and add honey and juice of the orange and lemons (include the pulp). Pour into a crock or fermentation bucket. Once the mead has cooled to less than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, add yeast and nutrient. Let the mead sit for 3 days in a warm place.
4. Ferment and age the dandelion wine: After 3 days, strain the mixture and pour into a secondary fermentation bucket. Add raisins, and then cover with airlock. Let fermentation occur for 4-6 weeks (or until completely fermented, and bubbles are no longer rising). Once fermentation is complete, top up with the remaining 1 pint of water and rack into carboy. Set aside until the wine clears, racking into a new carboy every 60 days or as needed as particles thicken. Bottle when the wine remains clear, and age the dandelion wine for at least 6 months before tasting. Dandelion wine tastes best after aged for 1 year.

Equipment Needed to Make Dandelion Wine

• 1 gallon carboy (Amazon Affiliate Link), 5 gallon carboy, or glass jar with fermenting airlock lid (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Siphon (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Flip top bottles (Amazon Affiliate Link), this is not needed until after 5-6 weeks of fermenting

Dandelion Mead Substitute Ingredients

Sugar can be substituted for honey in this old fashioned dandelion wine recipe. You’ll just have more stirring to do to make sure that the sugar dissolves in the dandelion tea. Sugar is much cheaper, as 3 pounds of honey for the 1 gallon recipe will cost about $16 (or more if purchasing local honey) while 3 pounds of sugar will cost $2.50. In my opinion, it is worth the added cost to purchase honey from a local beekeeper to avoid the exposure to RoundUp.