Re: Dandelion Woes...

Dandelions are in full bloom here in Anchorage.. I picked a 5 gallon bucket of blossoms today... Time to start the 2005 batch... I will be more careful this year.

A.J.

I had a few friends taste my "Dandelion Disaster" and they said they like it :-)..

It is not a show quality wine (yet) but it is a nice semi-dry white wine.

I will have another tasting this fall and give an update.

Later, A. J. Rawls Anchorage, Alaska, USA

As with people, sometimes the first impression is not the correct one.

Ray

The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press

AJ, Dandelion wine never turned out to be a favorite of mine or any of my friends. I had one who claimed she started sneezing from it.... Anyway, I tried it three times and just couldn't bring myself to like the taste. My oldest still has (fond or not-so fond) memories of picking the dandelions - lol. Its just a particular taste...I think you either like it or not. Darlene

Most of my Dandelion ventures were great... Some were prize winners. I messed up this batch with wine conditioner. Someone here asked me not to dump it... It is drinkable, but it will never be decent.

On the other hand, a few of my friends (the Muscatel, MD2020, Night Train lovers) really enjoy it, they keep asking for it. I guess they have no problem with 7 gallons of free wine :-)

I started 10 gallons this weekend.

A.J.

The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press

AJ, I have never made the stuff but have run into very vew who have that say it was any good. Yours evidently is. What to you do to it that helps it turn out? What is it's most outstanding quality, taste, bouquet, etc. Is it full bodied or light?

Thanks Ray

I have a buddy that made some and it was very good. It's been a few years so I can't tell you much about it other than he made it close to dry and it looked and tasted great for something made from a weed... :) Seriously, I liked it.

His tomato wine was awesome too, looked and tasted like a decent dry white. His zucchini; that was gawd awful. No one is perfect.

Joe

Someone asked how I make Dandelion Wine:

I use a recipe I got fro Jack Keller's website the only thing I do differently to this wine is add sulfite:

Lorine's Favorite

2 qts dandelion flowers 3 lbs granulated sugar 4 oranges 1 gallon water yeast and nutrient This is the traditional "Midday Dandelion Wine" of old, named because the flowers must be picked at midday when they are fully open. Pick the flowers and bring into the kitchen. Set one gallon of water to boil. While it heats up to a boil, remove as much of the green material from the flower heads as possible (the original recipe calls for two quarts of petals only, but this will work as long as you end up with two quarts of prepared flowers). Pour the boiling water over the flowers, cover with cloth, and leave to seep for two days. Do not exceed two days. Pour the mixture back into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the peelings from the four oranges (again, no white pith) and boil for ten minutes. Strain through a muslin cloth or bag onto acrock or plastic pail containing the sugar, stirring to dissolve. When cool, add the juice of the oranges, the yeast and yeast nutrient. Pour into secondary fermentation vessel, fit fermentation trap, and allow to ferment completely. Rack and bottle when wine clears. Again, allow it to age six months in the bottle before tasting, but a year will improve it vastly. This wine has less body than the first recipe produces, but every bit as much flavor (some say more!). The Anchorage Fishwrapper and Litterbox Liner Press