Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (2024)

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Dandelion wine is an old school recipe that has been around for centuries. The yellow petals have a honey-like flavor and they make a delicious wine! I prefer to make dandelion mead, as I feel like it is even more flavorful that way.

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (1)

Simple Mead Making Ebook

If you want to learn more about making mead, I have a Simple Mead Making for Beginners eBook just for you!

It has ingredient and equipment checklists and detailed instructions for brewing and bottling your mead, so be sure to check that out if you’re new to the mead making process.

Harvesting Dandelions for Mead or Wine Making

The first thing you will need to do is go out and forage for some dandelions. This usually isn’t too difficult, as they are quite prolific in most areas!

When you do your spring foraging you’re almost certain to find some. Just be sure that they haven’t been sprayed with any toxic chemicals, because unfortunately many people still consider dandelions as weeds.

(If you want to learn more about edible and medicinal weeds that might be growing in your backyard, check out my Wildcrafting Weeds eBook!)

You’ll need about one cup total of the yellow petals only, with as little of the green part as possible. It’s ok to have a bit of green, but too much will make the mead or wine bitter.

This takes a bit of doing as you will need to pluck all of the petals from the flower head. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!

Related: 6 Reasons You Don’t Need to Save Dandelions for the Bees

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (2)

Dandelion Mead Recipe

Mead is simply wine that is made with honey instead of sugar. This dandelion mead recipe is easy to make and uses the abundance of foraged dandelions to make a delicious and highly drinkable beverage!

This dandelion mead recipe is a variation of my simple one gallon mead recipe.

For more detailed directions and photos of the process, head on over to that post.

You can find all of the equipment and ingredients you need for mead making here.

This dandelion mead is technically called a metheglin, which is any mead that has herbs, spices, or flowers added.

Some other metheglin recipes I have on this blog are wildflower mead and elderflower sparkling mead. Yummy!

Related:

Dandelion Mead Tips

I prefer to leave the dandelion petals in the fermenting jug while it’s brewing so that it will continue to infuse as it ferments.

If you’d rather not leave the petals in, you can strain them out after the initial steeping, before adding the honey.

Leaving the petals in can make bottling the mead a bit tricky though, as they will want to go up the auto siphon.

If you put a small piece of cheesecloth attached with a rubber band over the end of the auto siphon that goes into the jug while bottling, it will keep the petals out.

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (4)

This dandelion mead turned out so delicious, even after just a short amount of aging!

It will continue to clear up and develop more flavor over time.

One thing that I love about my simple mead recipes is that they are usually quite drinkable after a short amount of aging (but longer aging never hurts)!

If you want to make dandelion wine, take it one step further and make this delicious dandelion mead! You’ll be so happy that you did.

More Easy Dandelion Recipes

  • Infused Dandelion Vinegar
  • Dandelion Pesto
  • How to Make Dandelion Tea
  • Dandelion Jelly: Low-Sugar or Honey
  • Dandelion Lotion Bar Recipe
  • How to Make Dandelion Salve
  • Dandelion Soap Made With the Whole Plant
  • Dandelion and Fennel Kombucha
  • Dandelion Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
  • Dandelion Kombucha
Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (5)

More Mead Recipes

Ready to start brewing your next batch of mead? Here are 15 mead recipes for you to try including:

  • Blackberry Mead
  • Elderberry Mead
  • Elderflower Mead
  • Maple Mead
  • Wildflower Mead

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (6)

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4.47 from 26 votes

Dandelion Mead

This is a delicious mead made with foraged dandelion petals.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Fermenting Time 42 days days

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 32 servings

Calories 156kcal

Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

  • water non-chlorinated or filtered
  • 2-3 pounds honey depending on how sweet you want the end product to be
  • 1 cup dandelion petals
  • 1/2 package champagne yeast
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Sanitize everything that will be used in the brewing process.

  • Put 1/2 gallon of non-chlorinated water and the dandelion petals in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let steep for 15-20 minutes.

  • Add the honey and stir to dissolve, then add the juice of the lemon and carefully pour the honey water mixture into the jug using a funnel.

  • Top off the jug with cold non-chlorinated water, leaving at least 2 inches of head space on top. Put the lid on the jug and gently mix everything around a bit.

  • Make sure that the temperature of the must is below 90°F, then add 1/2 packet of champagne yeast. Put the lid back on tightly and this time shake the jug for a minute or two to distribute the yeast.

  • Put a little water in the airlock to the line, then put the rubber stopper end into the jug. Put the jug in a dark place. It should start bubbling within 12-24 hours.

  • After about 6 weeks of fermenting, or once the bubbling has completely stopped, the mead can be bottled and aged. When bottling, it is helpful to put a piece of cheesecloth over the end of the auto siphon that goes in the jug to keep the dandelion petals out.

Notes

If you put a small piece of cheesecloth attached with a rubber band over the end of the siphon that goes into the jug, it will keep the petals out.

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g

Dandelion Mead Recipe (Dandelion Wine Made With Honey) (2024)

FAQs

Can honey turn into mead? ›

Mead is made by fermenting honey with water, sometimes with fruits, spices, grains, hops etc. The words 'mead' and 'honey-wine' are often used interchangeably, but some cultures differentiate between the two. The defining characteristic of mead is that the main source of its fermentable sugar comes from honey.

Is dandelion wine made from dandelions? ›

Dandelion wine is a country wine brewed with a combination of citrus fruit, raisins, sugar, water, yeast, and, of course, dandelions. It's floral, slightly sweet, and pours as clear and golden as honey.

Is dandelion honey safe? ›

Honey Alternative

Dandelion honey is a good alternative for vegans or anyone who may have an allergy to traditional bee's honey, with a surprisingly similar flavor. The consistency is thinner than most honey.

Is dandelion wine medicinal? ›

Dandelion wine is a medicinal drink that also helps you feel buzzed. Dandelions are excellent for digestive health since they help detoxify the lungs and heart because the dandelion petals are rich in potassium, vitamins A, B, C, and D. Perhaps this was the very first wine that was genuinely beneficial to your liver.

Can you make wine from honey? ›

You can make honey wine with just plain honey. You can also use a little bit of honey in other wine recipes to add an herbal finish to the wines flavor. Also, different honeys have different subtle flavors. This in itself can dramatically change the overall character of a given honey wine.

How much honey is too much for mead? ›

Use 1.5 to 5 pounds of honey per gallon, depending on your target for residual sweetness and alcohol content. The more honey, the more residual sweetness and the greater potential for a high, final alcohol content.

What is the downside of dandelions? ›

Dandelion root might slow blood clotting. Taking dandelion root along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

What is the point of dandelion wine? ›

In the story, dandelion wine, as made by the protagonist's grandfather, serves as a metaphor for distilling all of the joys of summer. The main character of the story is Douglas Spaulding, a 12-year-old boy loosely patterned after Bradbury.

What kind of yeast for dandelion wine? ›

Add a tiny pinch of bread yeast or brewing yeast to help get things going. 7. After three days, sanitize a one-gallon carboy (or brewing bucket), airlock, bung, strainer, and funnel. Strain the brew from the crock into the carboy and top it off with clean water to the top.

Who should not drink dandelion? ›

In some people, dandelion can cause increased stomach acid and heartburn. It may also irritate the skin. People with kidney problems, gallbladder problems, or gallstones should consult their doctors before eating dandelion.

Why is my dandelion honey bitter? ›

Remove the green parts of the dandelions as they can give the honey a slight bitter taste. The easiest way is to pull the petals off whilst holding the base of the flower.

Can I mix dandelion with honey? ›

Making a simple infused honey with dandelion flowers couldn't be easier and you will have a delicious treat for your morning toast or porridge and in the darker times of the year it will bring a little of that Spring brightness to your table.

What organ is dandelion good for? ›

Reducing High Cholesterol

Research in mice given a dandelion (T. officinale) extract suggests that dandelion may offer benefits in lowering cholesterol and potentially improving liver function.

Should dandelion wine be chilled? ›

Dandelion wine has been likened to mead, with a hint of honey taste to it. This wine should be served chilled, and although it won't technically spoil, if it is aged too long it may not taste quite as good.

Can you eat dandelions from your yard? ›

Not only are dandelion greens safe to eat, but they also provide a range of health benefits. All parts of a dandelion plant are edible, from the top of the yellow flower down to the roots. The green leaves of the dandelion can make a healthy addition to salads, sandwiches, omelets, and more.

Can you use supermarket honey for mead? ›

Just don't use the bulk cheapest "clover" honey that you see at every local supermarket. Spend an extra few dullars and get good honey: you will appreciate it years from now, and you will be giving mead a good name in a world where it is just not appreciated any more...

Can mead occur naturally? ›

Beyond sometimes naturally occurring in nature—and good luck on stumbling upon some accidental mead! —humans have refined conventional methods of producing it. A traditional mead is made simply with honey and water.

Can I drink fermented honey? ›

This ancient drink, commonly referred to as "honey wine," is crafted from the simple yet sublime fermentation of honey mixed with water, and it can be enriched with a variety of additional ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops to create a spectrum of flavors.

How do you dissolve honey for mead? ›

You do not want to get the honey too hot, but just warm enough to flow easily. Add the honey to the water. Cover the carboy with a sanitized lid (or use some plastic wrap straight from the roll), and begin to shake vigorously until the honey is completely dissolved. Add water to bring it up to the desired level.

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