Dandelion Wine Making Secrets

Few people know, but a fragrant dandelion wine can be made from a simple wild plant. Experienced winemakers are fond of its preparation. The drink is famous for its fragrant aroma and golden color. Many people call it sunny wine. Easy-to-follow recipes will help you make a low-alcohol drink truly delicious.

Healing properties and tips

Dandelion wine is prepared in summer and is used not only at festive feasts, but also for medicinal purposes. The plant contains vitamins of group A, magnesium, potassium and calcium. It has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and helps to cope with insomnia. The drink also helps with coughing, for this it is taken half a glass once a day.

The healing properties of wine also depend on the additional ingredients included in the composition. In addition to dandelions, you can add herbs, fruits and honey... These components provide the drink with useful vitamins.

Before use, you should make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components included in the composition. Children should not drink a drink!

Here are some useful tips to make your wine taste better:

1. For cooking, you must use the petals of the plant. Whole inflorescences are allowed in the classic recipe, but when added, the taste of the drink will turn out to be tart.
2. Dandelion stems and leaves are not added to wine. This part of the plant contains a lot of juice and tastes bitter.
3. The best time to pick flowers is late May and early summer. On dry days, the plants are wilted and contain less vitamins.
4. You need to collect dandelions during the day, when their inflorescences are maximally revealed. In the morning and in the evening, the flowers are closed; it is not recommended to use them in this form for making wine.
5. Don't pick plants even after rain. Wet flowers lose their shape and quickly crumble.
6. You need to use mature dandelions, in which the petals are easily separated. Flowers that are too young will not work; they will taste bitter in the finished drink.
7. Sugar in recipes can be completely replaced with honey. This will make the wine even healthier and tastier.
8. Instead of raisins, the use of wine leaven is allowed. This method is less natural, but more effective.

Classic recipe

There are many recipes for making dandelion wine. The classic is simple and does not require a lot of preparation time. The peculiarity of such a drink is in its sweetish-tart taste and bright saturated aroma.

For cooking, you need a minimum of ingredients:

• chamomile flowers - about one kilogram;
• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• raisins - 15 grams.

You need to use unwashed raisins. This is necessary for the natural fermentation of the drink.

Stages:

1. First you need to prepare the plant. For this, the flowers are washed and passed through a meat grinder. You can use a blender instead.
2. Place the crushed dandelion in a deep container. It is better if it is glass.
3. Pour the resulting gruel with half the sugar and leave to infuse for two days. After this time, the plant will give juice.
4. Flowers need to be tamped with a spoon. Add the remaining sugar to the vacant space.
5. Pour in 500 ml of water and stir well. Insist another day.
6. Strain the mixture through a sieve. Dilute the sweet flower juice with the remaining water, add the raisins and pour into the jars.
7. Install a water seal and leave to ferment.
8. Strain before use.

On average, fermentation takes about two months, after which the wine is ready for use. However, experienced winemakers advise to infuse the wine for at least three months. In their opinion, the taste of the drink is better revealed this way. Dandelion wine is stored for three years.

Dandelion wine with lemon and honey

This drink is especially useful for colds. Healing properties lemon and honey make it a real storehouse of useful vitamins. The wine is sweet, with a slight sour taste.

It is necessary:

• dandelions - one liter jar;
• water - 3 l;
• raisins - one glass;
• sugar - 600 grams;
• honey - 500 grams;
• 2 large lemons.

Stages:

1. In this recipe, you will not need the flower itself, but its petals. They are preliminarily cut off and washed under running water using a sieve.
2. Then you need to add the plant to the pot and pour in a liter of water.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil, then leave to simmer over low heat for half an hour.
4. Strain the finished broth and pour into a deep container.
5. Add sugar, honey, raisins and lemon juice.
6. Pour in two liters of boiling water. Stir well.
7. Pour into bottles and install a water seal.

After that, the drink is infused for several months. Then it is recommended to strain the wine, pour into bottles and put in a dark place. The drink is already ready to drink, but it will become really tasty in a few months. The shelf life is no more than three years.

Recipe for making dandelion wine with mint and lemon balm

Wine with the addition of these herbs will turn out not only tasty, but also healthy. The drink has a relaxing effect and calms the nervous system.

To prepare it you need:

• dandelion petals, Melissa and mint - in equal amounts of 300 grams;
• water - 1.5 l;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• raisins - 35 grams.

Better to use fresh mint and lemon balm. The use of dry herbs is allowed, but the drink will be less aromatic.

Stages:

1. Rinse the flower petals with a sieve.
2. Pour water into a saucepan, add dandelions and herbs.
3. Boil for a few minutes, then continue simmering for 4 minutes.
4. Add half a kilogram of sugar, stir well and leave on fire for another couple of minutes.
5. After that, strain the broth, add the remaining sugar and raisins to it. Stir.
6. The wine is ready for infusion. After fermentation, it must be filtered before use.

A wine drink with lemon balm and mint must be infused for at least five months. So the herbs will better reveal their properties. The finished wine can be stored unopened for no more than three years.

Wine with dandelions and oranges

This wine is really sunny. Dandelions in combination with oranges give the finished drink a juicy taste and rich bright color. It is worth trying to cook it once and it will become one of your favorites.

It is necessary:

• dandelion petals - 1.5 kg;
• water - 4 l;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• raisins - half a glass;
• four major orange.

Stages:

1. Pour the plant with a liter of boiling water, add the orange zest. Insist for a day.
2. Strain the broth, put on the stove and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and add sugar. It should completely dissolve.
4. Pour freshly squeezed orange juice into the future wine, add unwashed raisins.
5. Pour into jars, while installing a water seal.
6. Leave to ferment in a dark place.
7. Strain before use.

Due to the content of several citrus fruits, such wine can be stored for up to two years. It must be insisted for at least two months.

The recipes for making wine from dandelions are not complicated, anyone can master them. All necessary ingredients are available, no special tools needed. If the drink is prepared according to technology and let it brew properly, it will turn out to be tasty, sparkling and aromatic.