Dandelion Jelly

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: DANDELION JELLY
Categories: Desserts, Jams
Yield: 6 servings

1 qt Dandelion blossoms
2 qt Water
2 tb Fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 oz Powdered fruit pectin
5 1/2 c Sugar

Pick bright, fresh dandelion blossoms and pack the
quart container pretty tightly. This is going to
require a lot of dandelion blossoms! Rinse quickly in
cold water to remove any insects/dirt on the petals.
Don't leave the blossoms in the water for very long
though, as they will be a little the worse for wear.

Next, pull up a chair somewhere comfortable, as this
part is going to take awhile...Snip off the stem and
green collar under each blossom, so that only the
petals are left. This takes about four hours!

In an enamel saucepan, boil the dandelion petals in
water for 3 minutes, or a little longer, until the
water takes on their color. (I boiled the petals for
4 minutes until I liked the color better.)

Cool and strain, pressing against the petals with your
fingers to extract all of the dandelion juice. (Or
you can cheat and line a sieve with moistened
cheesecloth and strain it that way.)

Measure out 3 cups of dandelion liquid. Add the lemon
juice and fruit pectin. Stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, using a large kettle. Add the sugar,
stirring to mix well. Continue stirring and boil the
mixture for 2 and 1/2 minutes.

Pour into hot sterilized jelly jars and seal. Process
for five minutes in a boiling water bath.

Yield: Five 1/2 pint jars.

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