Wild Fermented Dandelion Wine with Blood Orange & Apricots
Technically a mead, due to the use of honey instead of sugar, this wild fermented dandelion wine is made delicious with the inclusion of apricots and blood orange. Once considered medicinal, lightly chilled homemade wine is a perfect summer sipper as the sunsets.
Ingredients
- 4 cups yellow dandelions, petals only harvest from areas free of spray and animal contamination
- 1.5 lbs raw, unfiltered honey
- 1 blood orange sliced
- 1 cup dried apricots coarsely chopped
- 1 gallon spring or un-chlorinated water divided
Instructions
- Infuse dandelion petals in four cups hot water, covered, for 12-24 hours, preferably in the refrigerator once cooled.
- Combine dandelion infusion (with petals), with honey, blood orange, and apricots in a one sterilized one gallon fermentation jar. Fill jar with water leaving about 1" headspace, and place a lid fitted with an airlock on the jar.
- Stir contents 2-3x daily with a clean long handed spoon, making sure solids stay thoroughly wet.
- Depending on the native strains of yeast and conditions, your fermentation should kick off in 3-10 days. Once you see signs of active ferment, you can reduce your stirring to once daily.
- Your fermentation is complete when the activity in the airlock ceases and the wine is no longer "spritzy" on the palate. Strain through muslin or a straining bag, and pour the wine into another jug or jar to settle.
- Allow the wine to settle for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Using a siphon tube or racking cane, bottle the homemade wine into swing top bottle.
- Store bottles in a cool location or in the refrigerator. Drink withing 2-3 months.