Booze Recipes, Fermentation Recipes, Herbal Recipes, Homebrew Recipes, Recipe Box
Wild Fermented Dandelion Wine Recipe
Amber Shehan • April 6, 2015
Make the most out of an abundance of dandelions with a wild-fermented wine or mead. It's easy, exciting, and worth trying - what are you waiting for?
It is a beautiful spring, but I’m singing the blues. I’m down to my last bottle of dandelion wine from last year, and now I must make more! It will be months before I can drink more of this delicious nectar.
Oh, well. It’s best to make the most out of it and get a new batch going. There’s no sense in whining when there are flowers waiting to be picked!
I’ll share with you my favorite dandelion wine recipe. This one has a different twist than my usual wine and mead posts: I don’t add yeast to this recipe. Instead, I allow the wild yeasts in the flowers and ginger root to come out and do the work.
If you prefer to use store-bought yeast, no problem. The explanation is added to the recipe below.
This recipe and procedure assume that you have the basic equipment and knowledge for how to brew a gallon of wine or mead. Need help? I have a few great reference books on brewing listed here.
How to brew one gallon of wild-fermented Dandelion Wine:
Ingredients:
- 1 gallon of water (mineral water or well water is best, just make sure it is not chlorinated water)
- 1-2 cups of dandelion petals (cut them from their green base and pick out as many of the green parts as you can stand, as pictured)
- 2-3 cups of sugar, or 3-4 cups of honey if you want to make this a mead
- 1 inch of minced ginger, unpeeled (optional, but delicious)
- 1 handful of raisins (or other dried fruit)
- Juice from half a lemon (or a tablespoon or two of lemon juice)
- Optional: other flowers, use whatever edible plants you’d like to include!
How to make wild-fermented wine:
1. Warm most of the gallon of water, and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes.
2. Pour the dandelion petals, flowers, and raisins into a sanitized container. You can use a crock, a brewing bucket, a jug, or anything that will hold a gallon of water and leave you a bit of space at the top.
3. Dice the ginger, leaving skins on, and throw them into the crock.
4. Add your sugar or honey to the hot water and stir until it is completely dissolved.
5. When the hot water and honey/sugar mixture is warm, around body temperature, pour it into the crock with the flowers. Stir the mixture well to blend everything and cover the crock with a clean towel to keep out the bugs but allow the mixture to breathe.
6. Let the crock sit in a warm, out-of-the-way place on your counter. Check it daily and give it a stir with a clean spoon. You’ll know fermentation is active from the bubbling, fizzing sounds coming from the crock, the bubbles rising to the surface of the liquid, and the smell of fermenting booze. (You can see a video of a happy fermenting beer here, for reference!) If there is no sign of fermentation after the first 24 hours, it needs help. Add a tiny pinch of bread yeast or brewing yeast to help get things going.
7. After three days, sanitize a one-gallon carboy (or brewing bucket), airlock, bung, strainer, and funnel. Strain the brew from the crock into the carboy and top it off with clean water to the top. Set the airlock in place and let the wine work on its own until the bubbling stops. Mine was bubbling aggressively after the first day in the carboy, but it settled down in a few days.
8. When the bubbles stop and the liquid is clear, it is time to bottle! My last batch took two months to get to a safe bottling point.
This golden brew already tasted great at bottling time, and it only became more and more delicious as it aged throughout the year.
Enjoy your dandy drink!
Want to know more about brewing wild wines? Check out this great article from the Herbal Academy of New England!
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Tagged: brewing, dandelion, DIY projects, eat your weeds, fermentation, ginger, homebrew, honey, mead, recipe, recipe box, recipes, spring, wine
Amber Shehan
Hi! I'm Amber Pixie, and this is my site. Enjoy the recipes, information, posts, and please feel free to message me if you have questions!
This actually sounds really simple and delicious! I’ve like to make ‘soda’ with dandelions. After reading this recipe I think I’ve just been drinking this wine before it has aged. The addition of ginger, and the aging process, is something I MUST try. Thanks for posting.
And see, I’ve never really tried soda…it just seems like unaged beer or wine to me! *laughs* The early fermentation also seems to be more volatile and I’m scared of exploding bottles!
[…] Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine – warming, fizzy, and a great “hair of the dog” if you need that sort of thing. *wink* […]
[…] Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine (or Mead) […]
did I miss something here? This will start fermenting on its own? I dont see where we add yeast in the beginning but after 24 hrs if it is not fermenting to help it?
Exactly, Susan! Wild fermentation is allowing the yeasts in the environment to do their magic. There are natural yeasts everywhere, and the fermentation should start on its own. If it doesn’t, I suggest adding yeast so that you don’t just end up with unfermented, rotting flower water. 🙂 This book by Sandor Katz is a great resource to learn more about wild brewing (http://amzn.to/1MV3WHs) and so is this one by Jereme Zimmerman (http://amzn.to/1MV47SR).
If the water is hot it will kill the wild yeast. I would dissolve the sugars into the water, let it cool completely, and cold brew/ferment the dandelion “tea”. This should allow you to have more green portions without bitterness too. But i am only just planning my first dandelion booze trial–so what do i know?
That’s true, and a good tip. That’s why I let the water boil and then set it aside until it is warm, not hot. 🙂 I bet your recipe will turn out just fine! Keep me posted!
Also wondering if addition of ginger & raisins are necessary. Yeast will be gorging on the honey/sugar. Slthough ginger is sooo good it makes everything better!!! I am cold brewing my dandelion “tea” in the refrigerator tonight.
Ginger and raisins act as nutrients in the brew. They are not always necessary, but can definitely help extend the life and vitality of the yeast as they consume the sugar. It can also add more body to the final product. Sometimes I add black tea bags (one or two) to a brew to give it some tannins. Have fun with it!
[…] For an extra twist, try this delicious Dandelion Ginger Wine! […]
[…] Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine, Dandelion Fritters, and Dandelion Flower Infusion and Syrup from Pixies Pocket […]
Do you toss the raisins in with the sugar? I’m gathering dandelions now! 🙂
I toss them all in the same pot, about the same time I throw in the ginger and sugar. Enjoy! I bet you have yellow fingers! 😉
Very yellow, but how fun!
[…] Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine, Dandelion Fritters and Dandelion Flower Infusion and Syrup from Pixies Pocket […]
Finally! I’ve been searching for a simple and natural recipe for so long! Thank you so much for posting this. You are amazing.
You’re pretty awesome yourself, April! I like your site! I have such sensitive skin, and really appreciate clean products. 🙂 Have fun brewing!
Hi Amber,
It’s kind of you to help us out! I had bubbles in amongst the dandelion flowers that I had soaking in the water, ginger, lemons/raisins after a couple of days. So I strained and poured it off into a one gallon carboy and put in the airlock. It only seems to bubble/release every 45 – 65 seconds. It’s been in the carboy about four days. Is this normal or perhaps I should have waited a little longer for the flowers to do what they needed to do!? Cheers and many thanks for helping me out!
Hmm…it doesn’t sound like there’s a lot of fermentation action going on. You might want to get a bit of yeast (baking yeast will work!) and put a bit in a cup with warm water and a bit of molasses to make a yeast starter. Then, pour that starter in your carboy…happy fermentation is pretty easy to detect! There’s lots of little bubbles…here’s a youtube video with a good example (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL8E_aDnYj0)
Wild yeast is always a gamble. If it’s been a few days and I don’t have very active fermentation, I’ll cheat and add a yeast starter like I described above. I hope that helps! 🙂
That’s very helpful. I’ll check out the video too. I may have to cheat! But it is better than wasting all those flowers! Awesome Amber. Thank you very much.
Cheat away! You won’t count it against yourself when you are sipping delicious yard-booze! 😀
[…] Dandelion-Ginger Wine […]
Hi Amber, I have another question! When you say “it’s time to bottle” at the end of the process…can you just leave it in the gallon jugs, take the airlock/bung thingy out and put a cap on the bottle? Or do you transfer it into another wine type bottle? Or does it really matter. My dandelion wine has had the airlock/bung in it for about six weeks. I sort of forgot about them. Thanks so much! I find this so much fun! Cheers, Shelly
Shelly – you can totally just leave it in the jugs and cap it and use it like that; however, as you get closer to the bottom of the jug, it’ll be flatter and flatter, and will taste more and more like the yeast trub on the bottom of the jug. If you plan to drink it quickly, like at one big event, probably won’t matter at all if you bottle it or not! 🙂 I bottle my brews so I can taste how they change and age over time, and it isn’t the tastiest idea to let it age on the dead yeast trub. I hope that helps!
Thank you Amber…I have one bottle that has white chalk like stuff that has developed at the top and I *think* the other bottle looks ok but questioning it now. (The chalky one maybe the one that I added a bit of yeast too as it wasn’t doing much…Is there a way that I would be able to send you a photo so that you can have a look? I was about to throw one out…but you know all that hard work! As a last resort I would appreciate your opinion! Thanks! CHEERS! Shelly
Sure! You can post a picture here, or on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pixiespockethoney and I’ll see what I can tell you! 🙂
I am having this issue. Did you figure out what the white chalky film was and how to fix it?
[…] a lot of dandelion wine recipes to find one to try. I was intrigued by one I found online called Wild Fermented Dandelion Ginger Wine. I liked the sound of adding ginger both for its flavor and its added […]
[…] Dandelion-Ginger Wine from Pixie’s Pocket […]
Hi. This is probably a very obvious questions, but you strain everything, the flowers, raisens, and ginger out before putting it into the carboy, right?
Thanks 🙂
How strong does the dandelion wine end up being? Can you guesstimate the ABV? Thank you! This looks super interesting and I can’t wait to try it at home.
Squee! I <3 Bubbies pickles!
I'm not sure about the ABV, I'd guess around 13%. It was definitely a strong wine! If it is done as a mead, it tends to be even headier. I hope that helps, and enjoy brewing!!
How long do you let the water cool before pouring over ingredients? I tried the recipe once but maybe the water was still too hot amd I killed the yeast. ??? I ended up with the rotting sugar water you were talking about! ?? I am about to go for round 2, so a little advice on water temp will he so helpful.
Thanks so much for your post!
Hi Liz! I tend to wait until I can stick a finger in the water without burning myself – think of it like bread or baking yeast, where you use warm water to hydrate it for the recipe. Let it get until body temperature and you should be fine! I’ll add that info to the post, thanks for asking questions!
AND GOOD LUCK on trial #2!
[…] I based this recipe and the method primarily on the Pixie’s Pocket: https://www.pixiespocket.com/2015/04/dandelion-ginger-wine.html […]
Hi. This is probably a very obvious questions, but you strain everything, the flowers, raisens, and ginger out before putting it into the carboy, right?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Krystal! Don’t worry, it isn’t as obvious as you might think. While I do choose to strain mine out, I know people who leave the petals, ginger, and all in the carboy. I strain it out because I’m lazy and would rather not fight to get it out of the carboy later! 🙂 Cheers!
Hi there I’m new to wine, your recipe seems simple enough and doesnt require some special yeast. Haven’t tried it yet but wondering if I could add fresh lemon or orange either in addition to, or as substitute for the ginger if I can’t find it. Also you mentioned this turned out strong, would reducing the sugar content in future recipes make it weaker?
Hi Ashely! You don’t have to use the ginger at all – I just love ginger. 🙂 You can use just the dandelions and citrus, that sounds lovely.
As far as the sugar goes, I haven’t played with anything to test that technique. I’m not sure if it’s a great idea – but what I can say is that if you make a brew that is too strong, water it down while serving with a sugar syrup, or with a clear soda or similar mixer. I hope that helps!
Thank you, i love ginger too and i did find some, i also have violets in my garden so added those too. Hopefully ill see some action soon. When you advise using the bread yeast after 24hrs is it just helping the natural yeast or replacing it? im new to this but i read that the reason bread yeast isnt typically used is because it cant survive in the alcohol long enough for it to fully proof. I assume you’ve tested it.
That’s not my experience with bread yeast! In my experience, it can be so strong that it eats all of the sugars and turns the booze into rocket fuel!
The idea is that you are adding more yeast since what you added at first didn’t seem to be doing the trick. 🙂
Hi Amber,
Just wanted to say thank you so much for the recipe. I dumped my first batch, i think i maybe racked the flowers off too early, there were tiny bubbles but when i racked and put in airlock, they were gone. I didnt want to use bread yeast so i just started over. Second batch was very active on day 4 with no added yeast and is now bubbling away in the carboy without the flowers. It looks and smells delicious. I think the ginger compliments the dandelions very well.
For anyone else attempting this recipe, be patient. I used a wide mouth juice jug with a coffee filter over it. I capped the top with my clean hand and shook it daily rather than stirring. When you have yeast activity that jug will build pressure when you shake it. Avg temp in my home is around 70, i saw tiny bubbles on day 2, noticed pressure build up on day 3 and it made a fizzy sound after shaking, by day 4 i had noticeably increased pressure and some foam at which time i racked off the flowers. I would guess it could take up to a week to see activity depending on temp. If its been 3 days and you can see tiny bubbles dont give up, just wait a few days longer and keep it warm. Wild fermenting is so much more rewarding, im so proud of me!
I should also note that it began to smell like a fart around the 3rd day😂 which was discouraging. The next day it was more of a yeasty smell and now it smells wonderful almost like honey.
I wouldn’t advise shaking it, generally, because of that pressure you describe. On a super busy fermentation, that can make it all fizz and foam out of the bottle! I’ve never quite used that technique but from what you are describing, it sounds like you’re definitely making something! I hope that all works out for you!
Next time, if you don’t have an airlock and bung, consider using a balloon stretched over the neck of the bottle/jug. It will inflate but safely release the gasses. Once it is done fermenting, the balloon won’t be inflated anymore! I hope this helps!
Im ready to bottle dandelion wine that’s been fermenting in a gallon sized carboy jug. Im hoping to end up with four bottles from this batch. My question is whether I can add water to the mix to fill the bottles if short?
Hi I bought your book about a month ago. I really like it. I have a grape wine going and a cherry one. But my question for the dandelion wine is could you use a fermentation starter made with dried ginger instead of the ginger root? Like about a cup of the fermentation starter. Or could you use dried ginger root in place of the fresh one?
Hi Amber,
I sent a message a maybe a week ago. And signed up for you page. But I’m not sure if it went through or not. I have your book I enjoy it a great deal.
I was wondering for this particular wine could I use a ginger fermentation starter made with dehydrated ginger instead of the fresh ginger? Do you think it would turn out the somewhat the same?
Thank you,
Deb