Dandelion jam: benefits and harm, recipes. Making delicious dandelion jam for the whole family

Dandelion jam: benefits, cooking secrets, popular recipes.

Dandelion is not only a beautiful flower, but also an edible flower. Salads, soups, purees, wine are prepared from it, and pickled flower buds are used in solyankas and vinaigrettes. But the most common dishes made from this healing flower are honey and jam. Honey is made from unopened buds, and jam is made from blossomed flower heads.

Golden, fragrant and extraordinary delicious jam from dandelions has been popular at all times. People called it “love jam”: since ancient times, this sweet delicacy was used to prepare love potions. Dandelion jam tastes like honey: when you taste it, you get the impression that these small sweet droplets have absorbed the aromas of spring meadows. Dandelion jam is a piece of sunshine on your table, which contains a whole bunch of healing properties.

Benefits of dandelion jam

Dandelion jam is useful for hepatitis, urolithiasis and cholecystitis. It quickly and safely restores liver cells, treats gallbladder, stomach and sore joints, helps with hypertension, removes toxins from the body, is used to prevent cancer and respiratory diseases, in particular asthma and bronchitis. Arthritis, arthrosis, anemia, disorders urinary tract- Many ailments can be treated with this remedy. A huge advantage of dandelion jam is its availability. Every housewife, with a minimum of effort, can prepare this healing delicacy at home.

As a restorative and remedy It is better to take jam dissolved in water in the morning on an empty stomach, 1 tablespoon; when coughing - take a dessert spoon every 2-3 hours, washed down with warm tea or milk. To enhance the choleretic, anti-inflammatory and tonic properties of dandelion honey, it is recommended to use it with a milk thistle solution or warm (but not hot) green tea, preferably as a snack.

How to make dandelion jam

Preparing the dishes

To preserve the maximum in the finished product beneficial properties, the jam should be prepared in an enamel bowl. IN as a last resort, you can take a stainless steel product or a copper basin. The use of iron and aluminum utensils is strictly not recommended. Jam, especially when cooked in copper or stainless steel containers, should be immediately poured into pre-prepared glass jars (washed, boiled and dry), rolled up with sterilized lids, wrapped in a warm blanket and allowed to cool. You can close the jars with regular lids and store the jam in the refrigerator.

Procurement of raw materials

To make dandelion jam, you must first collect the “harvest.” Baskets are harvested in April-May, during the flowering period of the plant. To select juicy, well-opened buds, it is recommended to do this in clear, sunny weather. It is very important to use environmentally friendly raw materials. Collect dandelions away from roads and factories. Explore river banks, forest lawns and nearby fields. To prevent the flowers from getting spoiled, put them in a basket. Before making jam, rinse the raw materials thoroughly.

Secrets of delicious jam

In order for the healing potion to acquire a beautiful golden hue and an unforgettable taste, mint, cherry leaves, finely chopped slices of lemons, oranges and tangerines, juice of apricot, pomegranate, raspberries and many other fruits are added to it. Natural acids (if there is no fruit, you can use citric acid) help achieve a thick jam consistency. To check the readiness of the nectar, drop it onto a dry, clean saucer from a spoon: if, when tilting the dish, the drop holds its shape and flows “reluctantly,” then the jam is ready.

Dandelion jam: recipes

Recipe 1. Dandelion jam - a classic recipe

You will need: 400 g of dandelion flowers, peeled from stems and leaves, 5-6 cups of sugar, 400 ml of water, a pinch of citric acid, 7-10 cherry leaves (optional).

Place the flowers in a pan of water and boil, but no more than 2 minutes. In order for the decoction to be as enriched as possible, and for the finished jam to retain maximum of the beneficial properties of the plant, you need to leave the resulting decoction to infuse for a day. After this time, pour the infusion into a separate container, and place the flowers in a colander lined with gauze, let them drain, and then squeeze vigorously. You don’t have to wait a day, but work with the broth immediately after it has cooled, but then the jam will not be as healing. Add sugar to the squeezed yellow infusion, stir, bring to a boil and keep on fire for no more than 10 minutes. While boiling (it should be low, by the way), constantly stir the nectar with a wooden spatula. You can add cherry leaves and citric acid to the syrup: this will further enrich the taste of the jam.

Recipe 2. Dandelion jam with lemon

First way

You will need: 400 g of flower baskets, 1.2 kg of sugar, 2 lemons, 0.5 liters of water.

First stage

Pour the cleaned and washed flowers cold water and soak for 24 hours (without prior boiling). The next day, drain the water, squeeze out the flower heads, add new water (0.5 l, as indicated in the recipe) and boil over low heat for 10 minutes. Wash the lemons well, peel them and pass them through a meat grinder along with the peel (or cut into small pieces).

Second phase

Place the flowers in a bowl. Pour the broth into a separate container, dilute sugar in it and add lemon. Place dandelions in the resulting syrup and boil 3 times for 10 minutes, cooling the syrup each time.

Second way

Proportions of ingredients and sequence of actions at the first stage of preparing jam in this recipe the same as in the first one. Only the actions at the second stage change.

Second phase

Add crushed lemon zest to the flower decoction, boil once for 10 minutes and leave to steep for a day. The next day, strain the infusion (discard the flowers and lemon pieces), add sugar and stir well. Boil the syrup 3 times, as in the first recipe. The result will be jam similar in color and viscosity to honey, but without lemon slices and flower baskets, as in the first recipe.

Recipe 3. Dandelion jam with orange and pear

You will need: 250 g of flower baskets, cleared of stems and leaves, 1.5 liters of water, 1 orange, 1 pear, 2 lemons, 1 kg of sugar.

Wash and dry the dandelion inflorescences. Wash the fruits too. Cut the orange and pear together with the peel into small pieces, place in a saucepan along with the flower baskets, cover with water and cook over low heat for about an hour. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons. Strain the broth, add lemon juice, granulated sugar and cook over low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Let the jam cool. Only after this can it be poured into jars.

Recipe 4. Dandelion jam without heat treatment(dandelion ginseng)

You will need: 400 g of dandelions with stems, 50 g of natural honey.

This method allows you to preserve the entire volume of vitamins in the finished product. Wash the dandelion flowers, soak them in water for 24 hours, squeeze them out and grind them together with the stems in a meat grinder. In a clean bowl, mix the resulting pulp well with honey, cover the container with a lid and leave for 12 hours, stirring the healing potion periodically. Store it in the refrigerator, transferring it into a glass jar after it has steeped. Take as a tonic with warm (not hot) green or herbal tea, morning and evening, 2 tablespoons.

Dandelion jam smells like spring... Cool winter evenings it reminds of that wonderful time when the aromas of fragrant herbs swirl in the air and everything around is covered with golden-yellow flowers, as if the sun itself is scattering its children across the green meadows.

There are many recipes for dandelion jam, but you can be sure that no matter which one you choose, the result will be simply delicious, a healing natural nectar that both adults and children will be delighted with. I wish you delicious jam and good health!

The benefits of dandelion jam, if there are still those who don’t know:

- stimulates nervous system;

— normalizes metabolic processes;

- increases muscle tone;

- improves appetite;

- removes toxins;

- strengthens joints;

— improves skin condition;

- relieves inflammation;

— normalizes digestion processes;

- reduces acidity gastric juice;

- has choleretic properties.

Dandelion-based products are especially valued for their contribution to healing the liver and preventing liver diseases.

How to properly collect dandelions for jam

It's not very difficult, but, general rules You just need to remember, observing them every time you collect raw materials for the next portion of this unique healing delicacy!

The jam should consist of 98-100% dandelion flowers (1-2% leaves and stems of flowers are allowed to enrich the composition of the jam with useful substances).

Flowers can be cut (for example, with scissors) or simply picked. To do this, it is better to choose plants whose “age” is at least 2 years; they are more valuable in terms of chemical composition. You can distinguish them by their size: they are larger, and the flowers themselves are much fuller.

To make jam, it is best to use fresh flowers rather than dried ones. Pay attention to the plants on which they grow: they must be healthy and lush.

Collect dandelion flowers in exceptionally clean (including environmentally friendly!) places, far from hazardous industries, large settlements, highways and so on.

Dandelion jam: a simple step-by-step recipe

It takes a relatively short time to prepare, and the recipe itself will not cause difficulties even for those people who are very far from culinary art.

Ingredients:

Rinse about 400 grams of flowers thoroughly with clean running water and chop using a kitchen knife or meat grinder.

It is also possible to use them in their entirety. Ideally, pre-soak them for 10-12 hours.

Preparation:

Fill drinking water(650 milliliters), place over medium heat and cook, after boiling, for about 25 minutes. Leave for 10 minutes and strain through cheesecloth.
Add the resulting broth to the pan (it is best to use aluminum utensils) and 1200 grams of beetroot white sugar. Cook for another 10 minutes. After this, the jam is completely ready for use.
If you add 50-100 milliliters more water and with the same number of grams less sugar, you can get a more liquid product - syrup, which will also be very tasty, aromatic and healthy.

Step 1: prepare the dandelions.

First, we collect 400 large or 500 small dandelion flowers without stems. It is better to do this in places away from roads and wearing rubber gloves so that the skin of your hands does not darken from the plant juice.

Then we bring them home, sort them out, remove excess grass and leaves, put them in a colander and wash them. Then we dilute salt in a deep bowl with ordinary running water at the rate of 10 grams of salt per 1 liter, put dandelions in it, mix them with the liquid, cover the dishes with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This process is needed in order to remove midges, ants and any other living creatures from the flowers.

After the required time has passed, drain the water from the bowl, thoroughly rinse the dandelions from salt, place them again in a colander and leave them in it for 10–15 minutes, thus getting rid of excess liquid.

Step 2: prepare the lemons.

Next, rinse a couple of lemons in hot or warm running water. We dry them with paper kitchen towels, place them one by one on a cutting board and, using a sharp kitchen knife, cut them into large rings 1 to 1.5 centimeters thick.

Step 3: prepare a decoction of dandelions and lemons.

Now transfer the dandelions to a copper basin or non-stick pan. Pour in 1.5 liters of purified water, add chopped lemons, mix everything with a wooden kitchen spoon and put on high heat. After boiling, reduce its level to low and prepare the broth without covering, 10 minutes. Then we remove it from the stove, cover it with a lid, move it to a cool place, for example on a balcony, and let it brew 24 hours.

Step 4: prepare the dishes for preservation.

The next day, we prepare all the utensils with which the preservation will be prepared, these are jars, bowls, spoons, pans and lids. First, we wash them using a kitchen brush and laundry soap or baking soda, and then sterilize with any in a convenient way V microwave oven, oven or the old fashioned way on the stove in boiling water. If you want to learn more about this process, follow this link, it will definitely help!

Step 5: strain the flower decoction.

All the dishes are prepared, the flowers and lemon are infused, it’s time to start making the jam itself. Place a sieve with a fine mesh on a clean deep saucepan, place a piece of sterile gauze on its bottom, folded in 2-3 layers, and strain the dandelion decoction through the resulting structure several times. Then we connect the ends of the fabric, squeeze the boiled flowers with citruses well and throw them away, these ingredients will no longer be needed.

Step 6: prepare dandelion flower jam.

Pour 1.5 kilograms of sugar into a saucepan with dandelion decoction and place it on low heat.

As soon as the jam begins to boil gently, note the time and boil it for 1.5–2 hours, from time to time removing the foam with a slotted spoon and constantly stirring with a wooden spoon, or better yet, with a whisk, so as not to burn. Gradually it will begin to lighten, become transparent and thick.

When it reaches the consistency thick syrup, let's move on to the next step.

In turn, we place a wide-necked watering can on each sterilized jar, using a ladle, pour the finished jam into them and cover with hot sterilized lids.

If they are screw-type, simply tighten them tightly with a kitchen towel. Lids with rubber bands? Then we seal the entire preservation with a key specially designed for this purpose.

Then he turns the jars upside down, checking for the presence of air, if no bubbles, put the workpiece on the floor upside down, wrap it in a woolen blanket so that there are no cracks, and let it sit in this form 2–3 days without sudden temperature changes. After this, we send the jam to a cool place: a pantry, cellar or basement.

Step 7: serve dandelion flower jam.

Dandelion flower jam is tasty and very healthy. It is served room temperature in bowls, bowls or dessert vases, and small saucers and teaspoons are placed next to them. This sweetness is pleasant to savor with fresh tea, homemade cakes, pancakes, pancakes or oatmeal. Enjoy!
Bon appetit!

Very often, a couple of packets of vanilla sugar or half a cinnamon stick are added to the flower decoction;

Instead of gauze, you can use a thin linen napkin;

Sometimes whole flowers are not used, but only their yellow leaves are taken.

Dandelion jam (or, as it is also called, dandelion honey) is the aroma of spring on your saucer, a piece of sunshine in a jar! This is a wonderful delicacy with a pleasant aroma and amazing taste. I prepared it spontaneously - while relaxing in nature, I noticed a magnificent yellow meadow of dandelions. I started collecting them and then I remembered an amazingly delicious recipe! Ready-made dandelion honey actually tastes most like flower or linden honey. My family enjoys eating it with pancakes, or just as a snack with tea.

To prepare today's jam, we will need the following products: dandelion flowers, water, sugar and citric acid. As you can see, all the ingredients are very accessible, and in the season when dandelions bloom, there are countless numbers of these flowers, and, therefore, there is no shortage of necessary products you definitely won't. I also want to note that citric acid can be replaced with squeezed lemon juice, so decide according to your location which ingredient you have available.

I think about medicinal properties Many people have heard of dandelions. This flower contains great amount vitamins and microelements that are necessary for the functioning of our body. In addition, such jam will be especially useful for bronchitis, diseases of the liver, kidneys and adrenal glands. Agree, the most good treatment– this is a delicious treat. That is why, in the spring and summer, I try to prepare as many different jams as possible, among which dandelion jam occupies as much honorable place as strawberry jam with whole berries. which I published on the blog quite recently.

Making such dandelion jam is not difficult, especially if you have step by step photos. I advise you to try it - it’s not only original, but also a very unusual and tasty delicacy!

To prepare homemade jam from dandelions, you will need:

200 dandelion flowers
1 tbsp. water
0.5 kg sugar
0.5 tsp citric acid

Preparing the dish according to the recipe “How to make dandelion jam”:

We collect dandelions in the spring in forests and fields. I strongly advise you not to use dandelions that grow near roads to make jam, as the benefit will be offset by exhaust fumes from passing cars.
It is best to start making jam on the same day you pick the flowers, so that they do not have time to wither. For cooking, we only need the dandelion flowers themselves without stems. They need to be transferred to a colander and rinsed thoroughly under running water.
Then we cut off or carefully tear off the voluminous green part of the flower, as shown in the photo.
Pour sugar into a deep saucepan and fill it with water. Place the pan on the fire and cook the contents until it becomes syrup, remembering to stir it all the time. As soon as the sugar is completely dissolved and the mass thickens, the syrup is ready.
Add to sugar syrup our dandelions and citric acid.
Stir our jam and cook for 20 minutes after boiling. It should simmer gently for 20 minutes.
After this, let the dandelion jam cool, and then leave it to brew overnight. The next day, bring the jam to a boil. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Here you can play with a hint of taste - add a little more lemon juice, for example, or cherry leaves for flavor.
Let the jam cool thoroughly - it will become a beautiful, golden honey color.
Strain the finished jam using a fine sieve or gauze.
This is what the finished jam, or dandelion honey, as many people also call it, will look like.
We serve the finished jam to the table, and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator, or it can be preserved in sterile jars, like any other jam.

P.S. the remaining “cake” can be brewed aromatic tea. To do this, put it in a cup.

Just pour boiling water over the flowers and let them brew.

Strain and your dandelion tea is ready!

Dandelion jam is a kind of exotic, which at the same time is very affordable. The thing is that the main ingredient necessary for cooking, in literally This word grows right under your feet, and only the lazy will not take advantage of such a gift from nature. I don’t consider myself one of those people, so I make dandelion jam every year. Finally, I want to give a few tips so that your dandelion jam turns out delicious the first time:

To make jam, use dandelions collected from your dacha or village. It is best not to take city flowers, as they contain a full bouquet of “useful” impurities;
Only dandelion flowers are suitable for making jam, but its leaves can be used to make salad;
You can add both squeezed lemon juice and regular citric acid to the sugar syrup;
Ready-made dandelion flower jam can be stored directly in the refrigerator, or preserved in sterile jars.

In spring and early summer, when the ground has warmed up well, in meadows, fields, along roads, fences, on personal plots familiar yellow flowers - dandelions - appear. Children weave wreaths from them, herbalists prepare young leaves for their medicinal potions.

Dandelion has many beneficial properties. Moreover, all parts of the plant are used: roots, leaves, flowers.

Dandelion has a choleretic, diuretic effect. It is a laxative, anthelmintic, anti-radiation, antitoxic agent. Taking medications based on it improves performance gastrointestinal tract, stimulates the activity of the cardiovascular system.

Dandelion is widely used in cooking. Salads, soups, seasonings, and marinades are prepared from young leaves. Roasted ground dandelion roots are a good coffee substitute. And jam is made from flowers, which tastes like honey.

Subtleties of cooking

Well-opened ones are used for jam. yellow flowers. They are harvested in the first half of the day in clear sunny weather, because on cloudy days and in the late afternoon many inflorescences are closed.
Dandelions are collected away from roads and highways, in ecologically clean areas.
All parts of the plant contain milky sap. There is not much of it in flowers, but it is still advisable to soak them in water before use. cold water to remove bitterness. Although some housewives do not soak flowers so as not to destroy beneficial pollen.
Before use, the flowers are washed well in several waters, since they not only contain a small amount of milky juice (near the stem), but may also contain small insects.
The finished jam is similar in consistency and taste to honey. To make the treat more flavorful, lemon or lemon juice is often added to it.

Dandelion jam: classic recipe

Ingredients for a 0.7 liter jar:

dandelion flowers – 360 pcs.;
water – 2 tbsp.;
sugar – 2 tbsp.

Cooking method

Pick dandelion heads. Cut off the stems. Rinse in cold water.
Place the flowers in a saucepan and add water. From the moment it boils, cook for 2 minutes.
Line a colander with several layers of gauze and lay out the dandelions. Squeeze thoroughly.
Pour the broth into a thick-walled wide saucepan or cooking basin, add sugar. With continuous stirring, bring to a boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Cook the jam over moderate heat for 7 minutes.
Cool. Fill clean, dry jars with it. Cover with parchment or nylon lid. If you want to seal it hermetically, pour it into jars while hot, and be sure to sterilize the jars before doing so.

Dandelion jam with lemon: recipe one

Ingredients for 1 liter container:

dandelion flowers – 200 pcs.;
sugar – 750 g;
lemon;
water – 0.5 l.

Cooking method

Wash flowers without stems in several waters. You can pre-soak for 1-2 hours.
Transfer to a saucepan. Pour hot water. Bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes over moderate heat.
Remove from heat and leave for 20 minutes. Drain the liquid into a cooking vessel. Squeeze out the flowers - you won't need them anymore.
Add sugar to the broth. Place the thinly sliced lemon along with the peel. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, removing any foam that appears.
When hot, pour into sterile, dry glass jars and seal tightly. If you want to cover with parchment, cool the jam completely before doing so.

Dandelion jam with lemon juice

Ingredients for two 0.5 liter containers:

flowers – 250 pcs.;
water – 0.5 l.;
sugar – 0.5 kg;
juice of one lemon.

Cooking method

Sort out the dandelion flowers and cut off the green parts of the plant. Although, as practice shows, the leaves under the flower itself do not need to be removed. Rinse in several waters.
Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dip the dandelions into it and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Leave in a cool place for 8-10 hours.
Strain the broth and bring to a boil again. Add sugar as required. Stir thoroughly and after the jam boils again, cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Wash the lemon, cut it in half and squeeze the juice out of it. Pour it into the jam at the very end of cooking. Cook for a few more minutes until thickened.
Pour into clean, dry jars and cool. Cover with parchment or lids.

Dandelion jam with lemon: recipe two

Ingredients for three 0.5 liter containers:

dandelion flowers – 400 pcs.;
lemons – 2 pcs.;
water – 0.5 l;
sugar – 1 kg.

Cooking method

Rinse dandelion flowers in several waters. Soak for 24 hours.
Drain the water and rinse the plant material again.
Wash the lemons, cut them with the peel into thin slices, mix with dandelions. Lemons can be replaced with 1 tsp. citric acid.
Pour boiling water over the mixture and boil for 15 minutes.
Cool, strain through several layers of gauze. Add sugar and stir.
Cook over moderate heat until the jam becomes honey-like.
Cool. Pour into clean, dry jars. Jam becomes much thicker when cold and stores well in a cool place. The product can be sealed, then it is poured hot and immediately sealed.

Dandelion jam with lemon and cherry leaves

dandelion flowers – 500 pcs.;
water – 6 tbsp.;
lemons – 2 pcs.;
cherry leaves – 12 pcs.;
sugar – 1.6 kg.

Cooking method

Wash dandelion flowers with sepals, but without stems, in cold water. Place in a saucepan.
Wash the lemons, cut them with the peel into small cubes or grate them. Add to dandelions. Place cherry leaves here too.
Pour water, put on fire and boil for 10 minutes.
Remove from stove. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
Strain the broth through several layers of gauze. Pour into cooking vessel. Add sugar and stir. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that appears.
Cool the jam. Pour into clean, dry jars.

Dandelion jam with lemon and orange

Ingredients for five 0.5 liter containers:

dandelion flowers – 250 pcs.;
water – 1.5 l;
sugar – 750 g;
lemon – 1 pc.;
orange – 2 pcs.

Cooking method

Sort the dandelion flowers, trim the stems, leaving the sepals. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and place in a saucepan.
Wash the oranges, cut them with the peel into thin slices, removing the seeds at the same time. Mix them with dandelions.
Add water and cook for 1 hour.
Strain the broth. Determine its quantity.
Pour into a cooking basin, add sugar and the juice of one lemon according to the norm. Stir.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until desired thickness. But you must remember that the jam becomes thicker as it cools.
Remove the finished jam from the stove and cool. When cold, pack into clean, dry jars. Cover with parchment, tracing paper or a nylon lid.

Note to the hostess

Dandelion jam is very similar to honey. Therefore, it can be used in baked goods that require real honey. It can be added to the dough when making honey cake, honey gingerbread and gingerbread.

Dandelion jam can be added to the marinade to brush the chicken before frying. Chicken meat treated with this marinade turns out incredibly tasty, with an appetizing golden brown crust.