"This Jam is just Dandy... I'm a little Jelly"

I studied agriculture in University, and took a class specifically on weeds. In this class my professor explained that a weed is "simply a plant that it is growing where it is not wanted." So the dandelions in my unkept yard aren't weeds!

It's hard to remember that there are plants in our own back yard that are edible and actually can be quite tasty! The dandelion is one of them, I had heard of people making salads out of the leaves but the thought of eating the petals never crossed my mind until my aunt posted on Facebook she had made dandelion jelly... this I had to try!

I followed the recipe from allrecipes.com my only adjustment was not adding the food colouring because it is just for me. In general, it is a very basic jelly recipe: some pectin, sugar, water, and your flavour.

This was a very fun project, I felt like I came straight from a Laura Inglis novel walking around town picking dandelion heads!

I am quite impressed with the end product. It is great on a piece of toast with some peanut butter, or on a cracker with some cream cheese - the flavour almost mocks that of honey so it is easy to get creative with it!

I highly recommend using edible plants in your own back yard to get crafty in the kitchen. It is a way to feel in touch with your food, and it helps break the stigma of a polyculture yard. For now, get out and pick your dandelions and make a salad or some jelly, and let me know what you think of the results!

Check out the recipe for this Dandelion Jelly at allrecipes.com or below.

Watch UCan YQR's video on making Dandelion Jelly here

DISCLAIMER: Please do your research on what plants and what part of plants are and are not edible and how to prepare them.