Dandelion Jelly

                                  

Part One

1 quart freshly picked dandelion blossoms (no stems!)

1 quart water boiling water

Boil dandelions in water for three minutes. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Strain off the blossoms and discard, reserving three cups of the liquid.

Part two

Combine dandelion liquid with the following:

1.75 oz. powdered pectin (not instant)

4.5 cups sugar

1 teaspoon orange extract

A pinch of ground cloves

Bring to a boil and boil for three minutes.

Pour hot jelly into hot, sterilized 8 oz. jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in water bath for 15 minutes (plus 2 minutes for every additional thousand feet above sea level. For example, I live at 8,000 feet above sea level, so I have to add 16 extra minutes to the processing time.) 

Makes 5 half-pint (8 oz.) jars.   

 

*Jelly tastes a little like honey, apple jelly, and orange marmalade. It is really delicious on toast. If you have an abundance of dandelions, you should really give this recipe a try!

And if you have a little fruit fresh, you could add a teaspoon or so to keep it from browning over time.

Blancmange

1 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (not whipped cream)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
a couple drops almond extract
2-3 drops food coloring (optional)
Strawberry jam or pureed, sugared strawberries (for the topping) or *Strawberry whipped cream

Grease a Jell-O mold or four individual tart molds. Put 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Set aside. In a pot, heat remaining milk, cream, sugar, and food coloring (I used neon purple and got a beautiful lavender-pink color) until hot but not boiling! (About 3-5 minutes) Stir in the softened gelatin mixture. If the gelatin doesn’t dissolve all the way, turn the heat back on to medium-low and cook for another minute or so. Do Not Boil!!! Stir in the almond extract. Pour into mold(s) and refrigerate until firm. Serve with strawberry sauce or jam.
This is a French dish and I thought it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! It sets up very fast, 2 or three hours at most!
I tweaked the recipe a little, but the original version came from the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook.

*Strawberry Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup strawberry syrup
1-2 teaspoons sugar
With a hand mixer, whip all ingredients together until firm. Chill. Top Blancmange with a generous dollop and serve cold!
Yum!