As a family we’ve always loved foraging. Mainly we’ve foraged for blackberries and wild garlic, but last spring we started to forage for Dandelions. Why you may ask?! Well, as I recently found out, there are lots of dandelion recipes. You can make dandelion tea, dandelion wine or this yummy dandelion syrup.
Clearly we can’t all get out and about as much as we would like to due to the lockdown, but if you take a bag with you on your daily exercise you may be able to collect enough on the walk to make your own syrup. Or pick from the garden before mowing it.
It is more time consuming that most of our recipes, but it is still easy to make, it’s just a little fiddly. But as we all now seem to have more time on ours hands its a way to fill the time with the kids.
If you’d like some more ideas for fun things to do with the kids throughout the Spring, then download your free spring activity pack. It’s packed with activities to do in the spring including puzzles, recipes, activities and colouring in.
Click here for your free Spring fun activity pack
Dandelion Syrup Recipe
When foraging for your dandelions, pick an area where there isn’t much traffic, you don’t want your picks to be polluted.
Preparation time – 30 minutes (plus foraging time)
Cooking time – 1 – 1, 1/2 hours
Serves – Makes a 700 ml jar of syrup
Little helpers – Little ones can help pick the dandelions. Kids competent with the scissors can help cut off all the petals.
Ingredients
125 dandelion flowers
700 ml of water (around 3 cups)
250 g sugar
Method
Pick around 100 – 125 dandelions. Once home, wash the flowers in a bowl of water.
Remove the flowers from the water and then leave to drain on a dry towel or kitchen towel.
Once dried, use a scissors to to cut off the petals as close to the base as possible, without any of the green bits.
Put the petals in a medium pan and bring to a boil for around a minute. Then remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Cover and leave then steep overnight in a cool place or pop them in the fridge.
The next day, strain the liquid and the petals using a sieve over a bowl. Use a spoon or spatular to squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the petals. You can now discard the soggy petals that are left.
Return the liquid to a pan and add the sugar. Then simmer on a low heat for 1 – 1 2/2 hours, giving it the occasional stir. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Using a funnel transfer into your jar. Store in the fridge and keep for up to 6 weeks.
You may also like to try our Fluffy American Pancakes Recipe which are perfect for drizzling the syrup over. My little ones also love to pour it over their ice-cream.
Before you go, don’t forget to download your free spring activity pack for the kids.
Click here for your free Spring fun activity pack
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