In the spring and early summer, when the earth warms up well, the familiar yellow flowers - dandelions - appear on the meadows, fields, along roads, hedges, on private plots. Children make wreaths from them, herbalists harvest young leaves for their medicinal drugs.
Dandelion has many useful properties. And all parts of the plant are used: roots, leaves, flowers.
Dandelion has a choleretic, diuretic effect. It is a laxative, anthelmintic, antiradiation, anti-toxic agent. Taking drugs based on it improves the gastrointestinal tract, stimulates the cardiovascular system.
It is recommended for diabetes, arthritis, skin diseases, bites of poisonous insects.
Dandelion is widely used in cooking. Salads, soups, seasonings, pickles are made from young leaves. Toasted ground dandelion roots are a good substitute for coffee. And from the flowers they make jam, which tastes like honey.
Subtleties
- Well-opened yellow flowers are used for jam. They are harvested in the morning in clear sunny weather, because on cloudy days and towards evening many inflorescences are closed.
- Collect dandelions away from roads and highways, in ecologically clean areas.
- All parts of the plant contain milky juice. In the flowers it is not so much, but still it is desirable to soak them before use in cold water to remove the bitterness. Although some housewives do not soak the flowers, so as not to destroy useful pollen.
- Before use, the flowers are washed well in several waters, as they not only have a small amount of milky juice (near the stem), but there may be small insects.
- Ready made jam is similar in consistency and taste to honey. To make the treat more fragrant, it is often added lemon or lemon juice.
Dandelion jam: a classic recipe
Ingredients for 0, 7 l jar:
- dandelion flowers - 360 pcs .;
- water - 2 tbsp .;
- sugar - 2 tbsp.
Preparation Method
- Narvite dandelion heads. Tear off the stems. Rinse in cold water.
- Put the flowers in the pot, pour water. Boil for 2 minutes from the moment you boil.
- Lay a colander with several layers of gauze, lay out dandelions. Squeeze carefully.
- Pour broth into a thick-walled wide pan or cooking basin, add sugar. With continuous stirring, bring to a boil and dissolve sugar completely. Cook at a moderate heat for 7 minutes.
- Cool. Fill them with clean, dry jars. Close the parchment or nylon cover. If you want to seal hermetically, pour it hot into the cans, and sterilize the jars before this.
Dandelion jam with lemon: the first recipe
Ingredients for 1 liter capacity:
- dandelion flowers - 200 pcs .;
- sugar - 750 g;
- lemon;
- water - 0, 5 l.
Preparation Method
- Rinse flowers without stems in several waters. You can pre-soak for 1-2 hours.
- Put it in the pan. Pour hot water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes over moderate heat.
- Remove from heat and leave for 20 minutes. Pour the liquid into the cookware. Squeeze the flowers - you will no longer need them.
- Add sugar to the broth. Put the thinly sliced lemon with the peel. Boil gently for 30 minutes, removing the foam that appears.
- When hot, pour into sterile, dry glass jars and cork hermetically. If you want to close the parchment, pre-cool the jam before that.
Dandelion jam with lemon juice
Ingredients for two 0, 5 l capacity:
- flowers - 250 pcs .;
- water - 0, 5 l .;
- sugar - 0.5 kg;
- juice of one lemon.
Preparation Method
- Dandelion flowers sort out, cut off the green parts of the plant. Although, as practice shows, the leaves under the flower itself can not be removed. Rinse in several waters.
- Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put dandelions in it and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Insist in a cool place for 8-10 hours.
- Strain the broth and bring to a boil again. Add sugar to the norm. Stir well 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 the boil. Boil a few more minutes until thick.
- Pour into clean, dry jars and cool. Cover with parchment or lids.
Dandelion jam with lemon: the second recipe
Ingredients for three 0, 5 l capacity:
- dandelion flowers - 400 pcs .;
- lemons - 2 pcs .;
- water - 0, 5 l;
- sugar - 1 kg.
Preparation Method
- Rinse the flowers of a dandelion in several waters. Soak for 24 hours.
- Drain the water, wash the plant material again.
- Wash lemons, cut thin slices together with the peel, mix with dandelions. Lemons can be replaced with 1 tsp. citric acid.
- Fill the mixture with boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
- Cool, strain through several layers of gauze. Put the sugar, stir.
- Boil over moderate heat until the jam looks like honey.
- Cool. Pour into clean, dry jars. Cold jams become much thicker and store well in a cool place. The product can be sealed tightly, then it is poured hot and immediately sealed.
Dandelion jam with lemon and cherry leaves
Ingredients for five 0, 5 l containers:
- dandelion flowers - 500;
- water - 6 st .;
- lemons - 2 pcs .;
- Cherry leaves - 12 pcs .;
- sugar - 1, 6 kg.
Preparation Method
- Dandelion flowers with sepals, but without stalks, rinse in cold water. Put in pan.
- Wash lemons, cut together with the skin into small cubes or grate. Add to dandelions. Here also put the leaves of cherry.
- Pour water, put on the fire and boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Insist in a cool place for 24 hours.
- Strain the decoction through several layers of gauze. Pour into the cookware. Put the sugar, stir. On moderate heat, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for an hour, occasionally stirring and removing the foam that appears.
- Jam cool. Pour into clean, dry jars.
Dandelion jam with lemon and orange
Ingredients for five 0, 5 l containers:
- dandelion flowers - 250;
- water - 1, 5 l;
- sugar - 750 g;
- lemon - 1 pc .;
- orange - 2 pcs.
Preparation Method
- Dandelion flowers are sorted, cut the stems, leaving the sepals. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and fold into pan.
- Wash the oranges, cut along with the peel into thin slices, while removing the bones. Mix them with dandelions.
- Add water and cook for 1 hour.
- Strain the broth. Determine its quantity.
- Pour into the cooking basin, add sugar and juice of one lemon at a normal rate. Stir.
- Boil, stirring occasionally, to the thickness you need. But at the same time you must remember that the jam becomes thicker when cooled.
- Remove the prepared jam from the stove and cool it. Cold pack in clean, dry jars. Close the parchment, tracing paper or nylon cover.
Mistress to note
Dandelion jam is very similar to honey. Therefore, it can be used in baking, where real honey is required. It can be added to the dough in the manufacture of honey cake, honey cakes and gingerbread.
Dandelion jam can be added to the marinade to lubricate the chicken before frying. Chicken meat, processed in such a marinade, turns out to be unusually tasty, with an appetizing brown crust.
