My first go at making honey resulted in something more like taffy. It was also a darker colour than I was expecting. I read that the colour and flavour of honey (made from bees) depends on the source of nectar (or blossoms). But what about when it comes to vegan honey made purely from dandelion (and sugar and water)? My guess is that I may have kept it on the heat for too long and/or used a tad too much sugar. It's also important to note that the honey gets thicker when it cools (I wasn't aware of the extent to which it would harden). I had actually thought that the honey/tea would be darker with flowers of a darker shade of yellow. Since I used petals that were slightly wilted (they don't stay fresh for more than an hour after being picked) for my second try, I was expecting to yield an even darker, more muted yellow than my first time around, as the flowers are not as bright when wilted. However, the honey that I produced was not a darker colour, which intrigued me.
Round 1: Behold...taffy!!! As you can see, it was a very dark colour...probably as dark as "honey" can get. I was disappointed, but the nostalgia that it evoked lifted my spirits—my siblings and I used to have "expired" honey on a stick as well as something called "kẹo mạch nha," a popular candy in Vietnam that is actually made from barely. It smelled and tasted just like my childhood. And it's loaded with sugar...but makes for a nice and fun treat. Also, the spark of joy on my parents' faces when I showed them what triggered happy memories from their days in Vietnam made my day. :)
The second round was a success! I was careful not to over-stir (in case this was the issue) as I know that with baked goods, like muffins, if you mess with the dough too much it can result in a chewier texture. I also took it off the heat when I noticed that it got to a consistency that was not quite yet what I wanted my honey to be, so that it would cool and harden to what I had in mind. I would also rather risk it being too liquidy than too thick, so that I wouldn't have a repeat of my first attempt. And, if anything, I could call it "syrup." For the first round I let it simmer for one hour and the second round for 45 minutes.
Cooking with seasonal ingredients sure can be challenging! Ha ha...especially when they're not around for very long—quite the race against time. You really have to free up your schedule and dedicate a day to making your dandelion creation. I wasn't able to forage as much dandelion for my second go, as it was no longer peak dandelion season and they were few and far between. But now that I know how to properly make honey, I should be able to fill more jars next year. As with the changing of the seasons, this dandelion honey-making experience was a reminder from nature of how fleeting and ephemeral life is and that every moment should be appreciated.
Verdict: it's true! Vegan dandelion honey does taste a lot like "regular honey." I was rather impressed. There was a slight tang and tartness to the dandelion tea, and a bit of honey would have brought out the flavour and made it even more delicious I think. It was a fun experiment. I'm hoping that next year I'll get my hands on more dandelion—enough for a cup of sweet tea made with dandelion honey. :)
I followed a recipe from thespruceeats.com and tweaked it a bit.
Yield: 1 (small) jar of honey
Ingredients:
2 cups dandelion petals
2 cups water
2-3 lemon slices
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cups granulated sugar
Directions:
Remove dandelion petals from the stems.
Soak petals in a bowl of cold water for five minutes and rinse a few times using a sieve.
Add all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 min.
Let steep for 4-6 hours.
Strain tea with a cheesecloth and/or collider over a bowl. Discard solids (in compost).
Pour tea into a pot or saucepan and bring to a low boil.
Gradually add sugar and stir until dissolved.
Lower heat and let simmer uncovered until desired consistency is reached (it took 45 min for me).
Tips:
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