This year in May we made dandelion wine. We gathered a gallon of dandelion flowers,
Infused them into a strong tea, added sugar and boiled the tea with oranges, lemons, raisins and cloves.
We added yeast and fermented for weeks, bottled and left them to ferment for weeks more, until finally corking. The whole process and recipe can be found here.
We left the wine to sit until solstice, then we tried it. It is delicious: sweet, spicy with a kick. To keep the wine medicinal, the trick is not to drink the whole bottle at once! A common dose which cleanses the liver is a tablespoon to a small wineglass.
Some Europeans believed fairies were involved in the process of wine making: turning bitter medicine like dandelions into sweet wine. There is something magical about it! Herbal wines can be made from all sorts of herbs: roots and bark are decocted (boiled) into strong teas while flowers and leaves are usually infused (steeped in boiled water.)
It's a nice way to remember the freshness of spring during the darkest time of year.
Happy holidays and happy new year!!
In our sister blog Food Under Foot, you can read:
- Making Dandelion Wine (May, 2011)
- Enjoying Dandelion Wine (December, 2011)
In health,
David and Melissa Sokulski, L.Acs.
The Birch Center for Acupuncture
(412) 381-0116
Please sign up for our monthly newsletter! We have raw recipes, information about Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and overall wellness information. Sign up today and receive your free gift: 10 Ways to Improve Your Health Right Now. We'd love to stay in touch. Thank you!
